SCHEME WITH ME (双城计中计) DVD (2012)

SYNOPSIS: War and chaos plagued China in the early years of the Republic era. Two master swindlers, "Ghost Face" (Richie Jen) and "Stone Buddha" (Tengger) are sworn enemies drawn together in a daring plot to steal a trainload of gold that the Japanese conspirators used to fund Chinese warlord Admiral Wang (Jiu Kong). But the duo are not the only people coveting the mammoth treasure - on their way to the remote northwestern desert town where the gold is headed, they encounter a host of people, each with their own agenda but all trying to outwit one another with their schemes and schemes-within-schemes.

MOVIE REVIEW:

‘Scheme with Me’ plays like the lesser cousin of Jiang Wen’s superior ‘Let the Bullets Fly’, what with its mix of espionage, thievery and deception, involving - as its Chinese title suggests - two cities and ‘a scheme within a scheme’.  Directed by Pan Anzi in his sophomore outing from a script by Guo Shuang, it falls short of being as witty or inventive as Wen’s record-breaking hit, but that’s not to say it isn’t fun or entertaining.

Indeed, unlike ‘Bullets’, Pan’s film has no intention of being anything more than a hilarious crowd-pleaser, and so depending on what kind of viewer you are, you might be glad to know that you won’t be bogged down by lengthy exposition or cryptic lines of dialogue that you need to go online to decipher the meaning of afterwards. Rather, this is plain and simple the story of two rival con artists who are recruited by a ruthless underworld boss to rob an Admiral Wang (Jiu Kong) of some gold he is bound to receive from the Japanese army.

Their scheme consists of constructing a similar township fifteen kilometres away from the actual location at which the exchange is supposed to take place, thereby duping the Japanese and denying the General of his treasure. Of course, all sorts of shenanigans happen along the way to thwart their seemingly perfect plan, including a tribal princess who insists on taking one of them as her husband, some crafty locals who have a strategy of their own, and an unexpected spy amongst their midst.

It is to Pan’s credit that one hardly realises almost half the movie is over before the ragtag group gets down to the scheme itself; the first half of the movie largely emphasises mob boss Lin Xiaodong’s (Yoo Seung Jun) ruthlessness, as well as Ghost Face (Ritchie Ren) and Stone Buddha’s (Tengger) professional rivalry - with, we might add, a dim-witted police inspector thrown into the mix. The pace of the movie is fast but never frenzied, and the gags come on thick and swift, so even if they ain’t particularly clever, you’ll still be sufficiently distracted to be engaged.

The same goes for the second half when the action shifts to a remote town in the desert - though the plotting isn’t anything ingenious, the film doesn’t lose its steady momentum right from the opening frame. Except for a last-minute twist you can probably see coming, the proceedings unfold in a relatively straightforward manner, so those looking for a thick dollop of intrigue (a la ‘Bullets’) will likely be disappointed. Still, if it’s any consolation, the humour is broad and the sight gags are aplenty, meaning there is still some fun to be had amidst the mediocrity.

At the very least, it helps that the cast look like they are genuinely having a good time. A better comedic than dramatic actor, Ritchie Ren seems to be having a hoot playing the wily Ghost Face. Mongolian actor Tengger proves a nice compliment as his crafty nemesis whom he is engaged in a battle of wits with, while Mainland star Xiong Naijin is an endearing but never grating romantic other half. It’s a lively ensemble Pan has assembled, which goes a long way in sustaining the energy of the movie.

And therefore, even though it lacks the smarts of ‘Bullets’, this wannabe still packs enough laughs to find an appreciative audience. It’s a rare historical heist caper from the Mainland, which has especially in recent times tended to border on overkill with rom-coms, so if you’re in the mood for some slapstick humour, you’ll find this right up your alley. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Just a Trailer and a Photo Gallery.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio delivers the dialogue cleanly, but certain scenes would certainly have benefitted from a surround track. Visuals are sharp and good. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Gabriel Chong