PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Asian cinema has a strange habit of blending genres that, as a concept, seem will never work, but dammit, somehow they manage to make it work. And work well. The Blue Jean Monster is one that works, in spite of itself.
Synopsis
A cop gets buried under steel rebars while pursuing triad bank robbers through a construction site. He gets reanimated supernaturally and becomes invulnerable, but needs electricity to remain alive, and goes after the gang who killed him.
Have a look at the trailer!
Part action flick, part crime drama, part “buddy cop” comedy, part zombie flick, and part chop-socky revenge flick, The Blue Jean Monster, from writer Kam-Hong Ng (City Hero) and director Kai-Ming Lai (Daughter of Darkness) is a schizophrenic film that shouldn’t work, but somehow turns into a ridiculously entertaining thrill ride!
Thwarting a hyper-violent bank robbery, cop Tsu Hsiang (Fui-On Shing; The Killer) rushes to save innocent bystander Gucci (Gloria Yip; Riki Oh: The Story of Ricky), who also happens to be holding the lion’s share of the loot. After being killed by a falling mound of scrap iron at a work site, let loose by the robbers, Tsu is resurrected by a lightning strike and becomes and undead super cop, bent on revenge and relentless pursuing the Triad soldiers and their kingpin (Jun Kinamura; Kill Bill Vol. 1). Unfortunately for Tsu, he has to frequently “recharge” to stay alive (think Crank), and must deal with his expectant wife, and the annoying comic relief provided by Power Steering (Wai-Kit Tse; School On Fire).
Deliriously fast paced, and kooky as fuck, The Blue Jean Monster has elements of everything we love about Asian cinema. You’ll giggle at the makeshift defibrillator devices (the clothes iron was a favorite), cringe at the “gross out” scenes (those noodles man…), laugh out loud at the one liners (despite the subtitled delivery), and possibly even feel a twinge of sympathy for an unfortunate goldfish. But the performances, this cast just rocks, will keep you engaged in The Blue Jean Monster, as it is truly a crazy ride through Hong Kong’s seedy underbelly, with stops for family dynamics, intense action sequences, and genuinely sweet scenes along the way.
The late Shing is really charming in his role and deftly switches from “wink-and-nod” comedy timing, to full on hero mode with impressive skill, it’s unfortunate that this was, apparently, his only leading role. And, as with most Asian cinema, The Blue Jean Monster has those WTF moments we’ve come to expect, whether it be because of cultural quirks, or just dated-ness: keep your eyes out for teens fondling some burgers (!) and comically giant cell phones in particular!
The 88 Films blu ray is impressive! The transfer looks amazing in 1080p hi-def, with the original Cantonese soundtrack complimented by, what appears to be, accurately translated subtitles. Extras include: an interview with AD Sam Leong, stills and the original Hong Kong trailer. The packaging is stellar: a sturdy, metallic slipcover, black snapcase with reversible artwork, and a nice two sided mini-poster with the box art, and the original release art—great stuff for collectors!
A slick, insane film with so much going on that it’s virtually impossible to be bored with, The Blue Jean Monster has something for every genre fan. After all, who needs Jackie Chan when you have an electrified, undead, super cop?
88 Films’ Asia Collection Blu ray of The Blue Jean Monster is available now from fine retailers.
