


Starring: Johnny Ng, Catherine Sng, Marilyn Lee
Director: Han Yew Kwang
Rating: PG
Year Made: 2006


Format: VCD (2 Discs)
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 1 hr 34 mins
Distributor: Scorpio East



Unarmed Combat is a quirky comedy about human obsessions. When the beautiful Pingmei steps into Metal's laundry shop, he is immediately bedazzled. He tries to change his wife to become more like Pingmei, including entering her for a woman's arm wrestling competition. Little does he know that he is about to set off a chain of events that will rock the foundation of his marriage and trun his life upside down!


Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Any self-knowing man should understand the consequences for to piss off a woman. Revenge will come so fast and furious; it will make for a great drama.

And director Han Yew Kwang (who looks like a man who knows better than to make a woman angry) is so aware of this, he wrote and directed a full length feature about this.

The story tells of Metal (the Mandarin title of the movie can be translated as "metal man" which is also the male lead's name), who meets the ethereal Pingmei at his laundry shop. The problem is - he has a wife who is not exactly your typical pretty maiden. He convinces his overweight spouse to take part in an arm wrestling competition, and series of unfortunate events begin taking place.

The 94-minute comedy winning formula is its engaging cast of actors. Johnny Ng (a familiar television face) leads the pack, playing the titular role. He is so pathetically funny, you wouldn't know whether to sympathize or laugh at his foolishness. The wife is played by theatre and television actress Catherine Sng, who brings power and weight (both literally and figuratively) to her character.

Radio DJ Marilyn Lee plays the mysterious Pingmei, who brings an air of calmness whenever she appears. The hilarious gang is rounded up Metal's employees at the laundry shop, played by the director himself, an Indian man and a manly woman.

Talk about having colourful characters.

The production isn't exactly top notch, as it doesn't exactly boast of breathtaking or spectacular visuals. The soundtrack score makes sure you identify with the theme music, but it is so synthesizer-happy, it may just get on your nerves sometimes.

But at the end of the day, it's the down-to-earth feel of the movie you'll be rooting for. And we promise you it'll be a truly enjoyable viewing experience. Whether this movie will be more agreeable for a man or a woman, we shall leave it up to viewers to decide.



Review by John Li



Other titles from Scorpio East:

. Election 2

. We Are Family

. I Not Stupid Too

. The Shoe Fairy

. 2 Becomes 1

. 49 Days


. Dragon Eye Congee

. A Chinese Tall Story

. Perhaps Love


. Election

. The Myth

. Wait 'Til You're Older

. The Maid



This review is made possible with the kind support from Scorpio East


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