If sappiness, melodramatics and exaggerated antics are staple features of Taiwanese commercial cinema, then 70-year-old Chu Ko Liang (豬哥亮) is its granddaddy. It seems just yesterday that Liang reemerged after keeping a low profile for more than a decade, but Hanky Panky (大釣哥) marks his sixth-straight Lunar New Year comedy — all massive box office successes. To be expected, the film is chock full of the aforementioned elements, and, of course, Liang’s trademark bathroom humor.
But the strange thing is that what would usually be cringe-worthy and outlandish makes total sense when Liang is in the mix. After all, he hails from a time where nonsensical comedies were still funny. All he has to do is be himself (or his usual stage persona) — the crass, inappropriate and over-the-top old man with the eternal bowl cut — and everything else seems to flow naturally. That said, Liang does rein in the weirdness for brief spurts and delivers a decent performance as a worried father whose son is about to be sentenced to death.
One might even complain that the film is tamer than expected, but Liang says he purposely created a more well-rounded character that is closer to his ideal of the “true Taiwanese man.” Liang says he has felt something missing in his previous films despite box office success, and decided to be more hands-on with Hanky Panky. Collaborating with former co-star Blue Lan (藍正龍), Liang reportedly spent three years coming up with the plot and setting before handing the reins to director Huang Chao-liang (黃朝亮), who directed Liang’s 2015 A Wonderful Wedding (大喜臨門).
Photo courtesy of Hualien Media
The result is nothing spectacular, and you’ll probably forget this movie once it’s over. But it isn’t a bad film for what it is: another solid and entertaining Liang-style comedy with a decent storyline and a surprising amount of chuckles, which is exactly what people are looking for in a holiday blockbuster. There’s even a somewhat clever twist at the end. But if you don’t understand Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese) or Mandarin, much of the humor will be lost in the subtitles. Even the Chinese film title is a pun, and god knows where they got “Hanky Panky” from.
There’s also a lot of pop culture-specific humor. For example, a scene where a female clerk at a sperm bank moves in slow motion will make no sense if you didn’t know that she is played by a guest actress whose claim to fame is imitating the DMV sloth clerk in Zootopia. What there isn’t in this movie, surprisingly, is swearing.
Liang plays Dadiao, a martial artist turned Chinese medicine practitioner who regularly commits petty theft with his son Hsiao-lung (Lan, also with a bowl cut). When Lan gets in trouble after borrowing money from his father’s enemy to send the love of his life (whom he just met) to law school, Liang must find a way to save him.
Photo courtesy of Hualien Media
Of course, the self-deprecating dirty old man gets no love in the film, and the romance falls to Hsiao-lung and Hsin-yi (Aggie Hsieh, 謝沛恩), who hold their own but lack Liang’s power of making the absurd seem normal. As a result, their scenes are mostly awkward and tacky.
Don’t dismiss Liang as a fool just because of his bumbling on-screen persona. There’s a reason he’s been able to stay relevant despite pulling the same old tricks decade after a decade. He knows how to tell a story, and most importantly, he knows how to make fun of himself — which is where most other Taiwanese screwball comedies fall short.
Following the shock complete failure of all the recall votes against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers on July 26, pan-blue supporters and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were giddy with victory. A notable exception was KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), who knew better. At a press conference on July 29, he bowed deeply in gratitude to the voters and said the recalls were “not about which party won or lost, but were a great victory for the Taiwanese voters.” The entire recall process was a disaster for both the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The only bright spot for
Water management is one of the most powerful forces shaping modern Taiwan’s landscapes and politics. Many of Taiwan’s township and county boundaries are defined by watersheds. The current course of the mighty Jhuoshuei River (濁水溪) was largely established by Japanese embankment building during the 1918-1923 period. Taoyuan is dotted with ponds constructed by settlers from China during the Qing period. Countless local civic actions have been driven by opposition to water projects. Last week something like 2,600mm of rain fell on southern Taiwan in seven days, peaking at over 2,800mm in Duona (多納) in Kaohsiung’s Maolin District (茂林), according to
Aug. 11 to Aug. 17 Those who never heard of architect Hsiu Tse-lan (修澤蘭) must have seen her work — on the reverse of the NT$100 bill is the Yangmingshan Zhongshan Hall (陽明山中山樓). Then-president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) reportedly hand-picked her for the job and gave her just 13 months to complete it in time for the centennial of Republic of China founder Sun Yat-sen’s birth on Nov. 12, 1966. Another landmark project is Garden City (花園新城) in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) — Taiwan’s first mountainside planned community, which Hsiu initiated in 1968. She was involved in every stage, from selecting
The great number of islands that make up the Penghu archipelago make it a fascinating place to come back and explore again and again. On your next trip to Penghu, why not get off the beaten path and explore a lesser-traveled outlying island? Jibei Island (吉貝嶼) in Baisha Township (白沙鄉) is a popular destination for its long white sand beach and water activities. However, three other permanently inhabited islands in the township put a unique spin on the traditional Penghu charm, making them great destinations for the curious tourist: Yuanbeiyu (員貝嶼), Niaoyu (鳥嶼) and Dacangyu (大倉嶼). YUANBEIYU Citou Wharf (岐頭碼頭) connects the mainland