Review of Mo deng shen tan

MODERN DETECTIVE is a low budget comedy featuring the usual mismatched duo of cops who find themselves getting into awkward situations while at the same time romancing the ladies. It was made by Lo Wei's production company (and posters of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan cover the walls at one point) and is chiefly of interest for featuring Lo Lieh as not only the main villain but the writer and director too. The production itself is quite average, however, with middling comedy mixed with dedicated performances and a plot that only comes into play in the second half. Kent Cheng is a likeable lead character and Lieh makes for a great baddie, and I was delighted to see both of Hong Kong's cross-eyed comedy actors in a film together. The ghostly opening sequence is a hoot but the rest never really becomes all that interesting, and the ending had me scratching my head as to how our heroes overcame their predicament.