This show is an example of how to do a proper feel-good story. I laughed with the characters, cheered them on, and rewatched it when I was feeling down. The journey of Ah Wong is inspiring. If this man can live a good life with his disability, then we too can overcome our own problems.

Ah Wong is not your usual shiny leading man. He is mentally disabled, a child trapped in a body of grown man with a bad bowl cut to match. He represents the best in us, when we were young and most innocent. Your heart will break when he’s hurt, and it will rejoice when he rises to the challenge. Roger Kwok’s performance is spot on, nailing the tiniest detail from the voice, the hand gestures, to the facial expressions. This is his role of a lifetime. No other actor can touch him here, not even Tom Hanks as Forest Gump.

Jessica Hsuan is a very down-to-earth actress who rarely overdoes it. Give her any ridiculous plot and she will keep the story grounded. Her Choi Fung starts out a girl who doesn’t want to be stuck with Ah Wong and tries all sorts of tricks to get out of their marriage. Then she learns to adapt and slowly starts to care for the husband who can never really be a husband to her. Jessica, with her acting style, makes that progression totally believable.

The rest of the cast ranges from decent to very good. The script and the directing are basic. It’s really Roger who makes this show into something unique and memorable.

The reason why I can’t give this 10/10 is in the last few episodes. I have a hard time accepting that a woman would fall for a man who is, in effect, a child. It doesn’t feel right. Choi Fung may love Ah Wong, but to actually be in love? No. Just no.

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First of all, what’s with the weird cover picture? It’s not from the series at all. It looks like someone doctored photos of the actors and pasted them together. That bothered me because this was a beautifully shot series. It was filmed on location, not in a studio. The costumes were simple yet elegant. Everything felt so natural, except the acting.

Shui Ling and Athena Chu shined here as the Xiao sisters, Yu Feng and Yu Juan. Both looked beautiful albeit in very different ways. The wardrobe department made sure their outfits matched their personalities. Yu Feng wore soft pastels while Yu Juan wore bright and vibrant prints. Their musical numbers were absolutely charming. I rewatched this series just to see them sing their hearts out (yes, I know it was dubbed).

The plot was mainly driven by the Xiao family tragedy, which was supposed to heart wrenching. Yet my heart didn’t feel wrenched in anyway. The actor who played the father was not convincing in whatever little screen time he was given. You never get a sense of the happiness and security that the Xiao children had and lost. By extension, you don’t empathize with Yu Juan’s need for revenge. You certainly don’t get Yu Feng’s self-loathing when she fell for Zhan Yun Fei, the son of the family responsible for her father’s death.

The Zhan family dynamic was much better developed. The veteran actors who played Mr. Zhan and his first wife were excellent and had the best lines. They showed us a couple whose marriage seemed fine but had hidden cracks and festering wounds. Mr. Zhan, as the patriarch, was clueless when it came to his own wives and sons. His family was the polar opposite of the Xiao family - filthy rich in money and dirt poor in love.

Zhan Yun Fei could have been the most interesting character. He had his own personal tragedy that led him to live a double life, one as the heir of the richest man in town and one as a lowly traveling writer. His relationship with his father and younger half-brother, Yun Xiang, was complicated. Tuo Chung Hua failed to grasp this in his portrayal of Yun Fei. Instead of being the complex man he was written to be, Yun Fei came off as wildly inconsistent. Well, he was consistent in one thing: his love for Yu Feng.

It was strange to see Vincent Jiao as the villain. He was not good. His Yun Xiang was mostly a caricature who looked more silly than scary. Vincent is obviously a much better actor than this, so I resent the director for making him act so hammy.

Fans of the classic Hong Lou Meng would be thrilled to see Deng Jie here. She once again played a strong, practical female character. The other major guest star was Liu De Kai as the chivalrous Mr. Zheng who swooped in and solved everyone’s problems. It was deus ex machina, the hallmark of lazy writing. I never expect anything clever from Qiong Yao's writing anyways. Her strength was in laser-focused family dramas.

This story had so much potential that I wish they would do a remake. With the right cast and a good director, it could become a hit.

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They say lighting never strikes the same place twice. That is true here, with a sequel so disappointing that even a diehard fan like me couldn’t pretend to love. This was overindulgent mess that undid almost everything that was good about the original.

In the first series Xiao Yan Zi was a wily, street smart girl capable of taking care of herself and others. In this series she turned into a village idiot who always needed to be saved from her own stupidity. This was not Vicki Zhao’s finest hour, as her acting was so over the top that it hurts to watch. The lowest point was when Xiao Yan Zi carelessly abandoned Zi Wei in the market. What happened to their everlasting bond of sisterhood?

Zi Wei in part II changed from a level-headed girl to a love-obsessed woman (that kissing scene between her and Er Kang was one of most awkward things ever filmed). Her betrayal of her own father was completely out of character. I find it laughable that she and Xiao Yan Zi were hailed by commoners as “The People’s Princesses.” Unlike Princess Diana, they’ve done squat to support the lives of poor people.

Emperor Qian Long, who was so regal in the original series, was reduced to a leering old man here. Wu A Ge went from being a voice of reason to an insecure, angry guy. Er Kang was given more love scenes but not much else to do besides being Zi Wei’s constant rescuer. He was supposed to be the emperor’s bodyguard, but you hardly ever see him at work.

In this sequel, author Qiong Yao gave us more princesses, more costume changes, more lovey dovey scenes, and more Xiao Yan Zi antics. There was more of everything, except a credible story. Sometimes being a good writer is knowing when to stop.

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This was supposed to be a supernatural romantic comedy. It failed on all three counts. The only thing it was good for was a cure for your insomnia.

The writers reimagined present day hell as a space-agey Spirit World. Sadly, this place was kind of dead, in more than one way. It never felt real or convincing as a world parallel to our own. Everything about it was willy-nilly. Rules were set, broken, ignored, rewritten to drag out a plot that went absolutely nowhere.

The show was funny, if your idea of funny was watching a bunch of people scream and shove each other around. There was a lot of that, ad nauseam. Jerry Lamb, as the guardian spirit Siu Bo, managed to squeeze in a few zingers. I got some chuckles, but mostly yawned my way through the episodes.

Roger Kwok and Maggie Cheung were excellent actors, separately. As a couple they never really clicked. They went from boring to downright annoying and selfish by the end of the story. Poor Siu Bo had to risk his neck whenever these two flouted the rules of the Spirit World in the name of “love.” In the end, Siu Bo sacrificed to himself to turn back time, so Maggie’s Ka Yi didn’t have to have to die in the first place and can be together with Roger’s Dak Ming. Let’s be clear about what that meant: everything after episode 1 never happened. All the storylines and character growth were wiped clean. Just because the writers couldn't think of a better way to give the main couple a happy ending. I really couldn't care less if they get together.

The only decent thing about this series was the Nick Cheung-Monica Chan pairing. Neither were likeable at first and their bickering was more tedious than funny. Then sparks started to fly and their love made them better people. But none of that mattered, because every good moment they have together was erased from existence thanks to this cop out of an ending.

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For many Jin Yong fans, Huang Yao Shi is one fascinating side character. It was natural that he would get his own origin story. I wouldn’t call this a prequel, because the fate of some characters didn't quite line up with the canon. This was more like an “alternate universe” story, and a very good one to boot. While the writers stripped away the more brutal aspects of Huang’s personality, they stayed true to the things that most defined him: his total disregard for what others think (his “cool factor”) and his undying love for his wife Feng Heng.

David Chiang as Huang Yao Shi was an awesome sight to behold. With his martial arts background, he knew how to make an entrance at each fight scene. Since Huang was a man of action and very little word, you can read him through David’s body language and micro-expressions. It was smart and subtle acting. Watch for the scene where he learned that his wife was pregnant. His reaction was priceless, in keeping with his eccentric nature.

Fiona Leung was at her most beautiful in this series. Her Feng Heng looked at Huang Yao Shi with such longing eyes that you can almost see his heart melt. Their relationship was as unique and unconventional as Huang himself. Even when surrounded by enemies, these two seemed to be in a world of their own. That's why it made zero sense when she left him hanging and ran off to try and save her father on her own. That was a stupid move and very unlike her intelligent self. It was sloppy writing and one of few flaws in an otherwise tight plot.

The writers really delivered a nice version of Chen Xuan Feng and Mei Chao Feng. They were less Bonnie-and-Clyde and more like Romeo-and-Juliet. Julian Cheung was just plain cute and so very likeable. His Chen Xuan Feng was much like Guo Jing, naive and principled and just a little shy. He and Mei Chao Feng were a case of opposites attract. Emily Kwan as Mei Chao Feng was surprisingly good. She may not be the prettiest actress, but Emily did have this fierceness to her acting. Unlike Feng Heng, Mei Chao Feng wasn’t ok with being helpless and protected by the man she loved.

This series had all-around good acting and character building. Ou Yang Feng was menacing yet pitiful. Liu Kai Chi was his usual best as the hilarious, no-filter Zhou Bo Tong. In fact, the whole of Quanzhen Sect was unexpectedly fun to watch. The plot had a good pace and didn’t linger unnecessarily. The fight scenes can be confusing with lots of cuts and shaky cam. Even so, the final frame with Huang Yao Shi catching a single flower petal with his sword was pure art. It was one of the most symbolically beautiful ending I’ve ever seen.

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This is not a story as much as a series of events, many of them totally unrelated to each other. The whole series felt rather disjointed and draggy. You’re supposed to follow the lives of these ten heroes, then watch them come together near the end to try and save China. The problem was that most of them were boring. When they teamed up it got even more boring. And they didn’t save China.

The series covered a depressing time in Chinese history, the Opium War. I get that they can’t rewrite history to give everyone a happy ending, but they should at least give us viewers something to chew on. There was no message of hope, and certainly not of brotherhood. Not much time was spent in building up the camaraderie between the heroes.

The only bright spots were Kenny Lin’s So Chan and his love interest played by Claire Yiu. He was a rich playboy who liked a poor girl but didn’t know how to get her attention and so ended up teasing her mercilessly. Their courtship was charming and not overly cutesy. Both matured in a realistic, if not idealistic, way. Pity they didn’t have more screen time together. If the writers made this whole thing about the life and love of So Chan, it would’ve been a much better series.

If you’re looking for great kung fu scenes, you’ll be sorely disappointed. The action sequences were uninspired at best. The few things I did like were the set designs and costumes. There were no green screens, saturated colors, or skin smoothing photoshop. Everyone dressed according to their station. It felt very natural and true-to-life. After all, this show was an ode to the common people, not the elite.

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This was a drama that never should have been, because it failed on the most basic level: the screenplay. The writing was amateurish, with illogical plot lines and inane dialogues. I felt sorry for Hawick Lau, who had to deliver ridiculous lines like this, “I hope this bottle of perfume will take you away from the dark days and be like the happiness that you give me.”

The main cast was gorgeous. The girls were stylish and the guys suave. Try as they might, the actors couldn’t save themselves from the trainwreck that was the writing.

Hawick was born to play this type of leading man. He was hot, cool, and ideal as the romantic hero who would do everything for the one woman he loved. Tony Yang, equally hot and less cool, was not so convincing as the blind lover. They made him reenact that dancing scene from “Scent of a Woman,” but he just couldn’t channel his inner Al Pacino.

Yang Rong may be too cute to play a menacing murderess. That said, she nailed the smug look so well that you want to slap it right off her face. Her evil schemes were predictable and dumb. She only got away with it because the script made her victims much, much dumber. Her biggest victim, our female lead Jiang Xin, was the dumbest one of all.

Tiffany Tang was very sweet and dainty, but still the weakest of the four main actors. She mostly acted towards the camera instead of towards her co-stars, thus ensuring that there was zero chemistry with Hawick and Tony. Her body language was awkward at times. It didn’t help that whoever dubbed her voice sounded so childish. Her acting was quite simplistic, too. She went from scene to scene, yet unable to make them connect. This was most obvious in the episode where her Jiang Xin faced a dilemma: do the righteous thing that might get people killed, or walk away to protect your loved ones. Of course she chose to do the “right thing” which led to a night of mayhem and death. She shed beautiful tears as they cued heart-wrenching music. The next morning, when asked if she slept well, she smiled cheerfully and said yes. No sign of emotional scarring or guilt, whatsoever.

This is one of those shows that I really want to love, but can't.

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This production is a celebration of Chinese culture and food. The recipe for success (pun intended) is in its creative writing, strong cast, and catchy tunes. You get to feast your eyes on mouthwatering dishes the likes of which have never been seen on TV before. Yes, before Disney does Ratatouille, TVB already has Tai Tung Gun making mapo tofu, crystal dumplings, Peking duck, and even fondue.

You might wonder why Bobby Au Yeung enjoys such a long and successful career. After all, the man is chubby and balding, not exactly leading man material. But he’s smart enough to understand what makes a convincing performance: knowing what makes his character tick. His portrayal of Tai Tung Gun is of a man passionate about food. To him cooking is an art, a craft, and a love he wants to share with the world. His creativity is boundless and his enthusiasm contagious. Tai Tung Gun’s approach to food translates into he how lives life. You’ll cheer him on every step of the way.

Marianne Chan is spot on as Siu Siu. She’s one of those rare actresses who can be catty and charming at the same time. She and Bobby have this zany, off-beat chemistry that works well in a comedy. Her jealous fits are more tiresome than funny, but I still like Siu Siu because she’s sharp, clever, and rarely helpless. She is also very supportive of her man, except when he plans to get a second wife.

Normally a good actor, Kong Wah is just weird here with his robotic head bobbing and exaggerated arm swings. It’s distracting and not right for the role of emperor Qian Long. Adia Chan is passable as Qian Long’s love interests (yes, plurals.) She plays “twins,” although you really can’t tell much of a difference between the two characters. Adia doesn’t quite have the poise of a noble lady. Esther Kwan would’ve been a better choice.

Roger Kwok and Fiona Leung are secondary leads, but they get the same treatment as the main couples. Their love story is the sweetest of all. It makes me want to go out and eat a giant bowl of Bridge Crossing noodles.

Many cheers to the director, because it’s his vision that makes this show. There is humor that never degrade to the level of farce. There are many subtle details that make it worth rewatching. Every actor stays in characters, even when the camera isn’t focused on them.

Fun fact: Tai Tung Gun is based on a real person, Cheung Tung Gun, who really was a famous Imperial Chef under the reign of Qian Long. He was briefly mentioned in a later scene of “Story of Yanxi Palace.” I do love it when my favorite series cross paths.

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This series has a few good scenes and great performances. Otherwise, it’s a mess. The problem is with the production itself. They gather all the Biggest Stars of the Day and parade these people around to attract their various fanbases. Given so many stars, the writers can’t juggle all the characters and their storylines. And what do writers do with characters they don’t know what to do with? Chop.

Lazy writing aside, there is Richie Ren’s interpretation of our bandit chief, Chor Lau Heung. He is… I don’t know what he is. Neither does Richie, it seems. I can say what he is not. He is not suave, charming, interesting, or even likeable. Half of the time, he is lovelorn. The other half, he seems to forget the girl exists. Sometimes he cares about his friends. Other times he acts like he doesn’t have any. This character is all over the place yet goes nowhere. It’s a shame, because Richie does have a solid supporting cast behind him.

Wayne Lai is his usual awesome self, even when he is stuck playing the archetypical best friend. Angie Cheung is mesmerizing as the femme fatale. Gigi Lai, Jess Zhang, Joey Meng, Ruby Lin and the rest are pretty in their own distinctive ways. You could watch this series for them, but why bother? They all have better works in their filmography. Same goes for Richie, bless his misguided effort.

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Some dramas are meant to be dark and gritty. The hero is a victim of all kinds of tragedies, betrayals, and emotional manipulation. I can accept that, as long as there are some proper character development. There was none here. All that suffering was rather pointless.

This series had more than its fair share of rape. I really don’t have the stomach for that, either.

Damian Lau was pushing 50 at the time, much too old for the lead role of Bak Wan. The bad wig and costume didn’t help his cause. The few characters worth watching were Eric Wan’s Chin Ming and Mak Ging Ting’s Hiu Yuet. Unlike Bak Wan, they at least showed some character growth.

The fight choreography was actually pretty good and creative for its time. But not good enough to save the story.

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This series gives me goosebumps, literally. Not just because it’s good, but because it has such an eerie and macabre atmosphere. The director is a genius for building suspense. It feels almost supernatural, even though there’s a logical explanation for everything in end.

Don’t expect this show to be anything like Jin Chao Qun’s Judge Bao. This young version of Bao Zheng is not a judge, but more of a snoopy detective. Each case is like an Agatha Christie’s “whodunnit” with a lineup of suspects and twists designed to keep you guessing. I wish the writers are more creative in setting up the mysteries, though. After the second case, most people can spot the pattern and figure out who the murderers are.

Zhou Jie is an actor who puts 110% into understanding his character, even if he tends to overact at times. His Bao Zheng is goofy and even a little sly, but has enough conviction and gravitas to show how he would grow to become a Chinese symbol of justice. Like him or hate him, the series would not be the same without Zhou Jie’s talents.

The show has a great ensemble cast in Ren Quan, Li Bing Bing, Shi Xiao Long, and Liu Yi Jun. Their bantering and teasing of each other feel very warm and natural. You can’t help but smile. It’s like watching a bunch of sibling bicker, except for some flirting between the Zhou Jie-Li Bing Bing and Ren Quan-Liu Yi Jun coupledom.

Finally, a shout out to Chen Dao Ming as the 8th Prince. This man oozes shrewdness. He looks totally relaxed and bored, but you can tell that nothing escapes his notice. He steals every scene he's in. When it comes to acting, Chen Dao Ming is in a league of his own.

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This movie is not meant to be a religious allegory or a faithful adaption of the book. It should be viewed as a fantasy and a potential blockbuster made for mass consumption.

As a fantasy, it failed spectacularly. It failed to be an immersive experience. The celestial palaces, the demon’s lair, and Hua Guo Mountain looked more like backdrops. You didn’t feel like to you could step through the screen and into this world. The problem was with the poor designs, not the CGIs itself. I’ve seen movies/series with low-tech effects that still managed to make it work.

They hired very capable actors, but all of the performances felt very superficial. I totally blame this on the directing. Casting Donnie Yen as Sun Wu Kong was pointless, since he didn’t really get to show off his fighting skills and choreography. Maybe this was why they replaced him with Aaron Kwok in the sequel.

I will end this review on a positive note. This was a high budget production with great looking actors.

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You should judge this series for what it is, and not what you think it ought to be. It doesn’t pretend to be profound. It doesn’t aspire to be historically accurate, realistic, or even logical. It’s just a family comedy and a farce. You can rest assure that nothing really bad will ever happen to your favorite characters.

Kam Duo Lok was not your typical male lead. He was neither smart nor brave. He was not a talented scholar, a great martial artist, or even a shrewd businessman. Actually, he was kind of a bum, though one that was lucky enough to be born into a rich family. He won’t stand up for himself, but he was willing to stand up for others when no one else would. His heart was in the right place and that was how he won over his princess. Moses Chan always has comedic chops and was a good fit for this role. His most memorable moment was when he led his brothers-in-law in protest against their abusive wives. He fearlessly roasted his own wife, her sisters, and even his father-in-law, the emperor himself. Moses looked like he was having a blast with this scene. Too bad the script didn’t give him much else to work with.

Unlike Moses, Charmaine Sheh was still a little self-conscious in her acting. She seemed all too aware that she had to look pretty, even in the scenes that required her to look silly. The supporting cast wasn’t bad, mostly because you’re not supposed to take any of them seriously. As a comedy, it was amusing enough but not laugh-out-loud funny. They needed to have more “straight man” characters to make the jokes work.

A lot of work went into the making the costumes look rich and luxurious. Too bad the crew went overboard with it. Some of the colors clashed and the wigs were past the point of ludicrous. There were so much jewelry and ornaments, but they looked as cheap as the stuff you see at the night markets. The thick war paint didn’t do anyone any favors, either, especially Charmaine, who was most radiant in simple hairstyles and light makeup. The makeup here made her look like she was in drag.

I like the Charmaine-Moses partnership since “Beyond the Realm of Conscience.” They seemed very comfortable with each other. Too bad TVB didn’t give them a better vehicle to showcase their talents.

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This is an example of how great acting and storytelling not only saved a series but made it into a classic. Like its main character Linghu Chong, this series is a diamond in the rough.

Even the most diehard fans can’t deny that this was a low budget production. The fight scenes and special effects were sloppy, given that TVB invested a lot more in “Journey to the West” which aired in the same year. The costumes were cheaply made and ill-fitted. The glue on the actors’ wigs were peeling off. The makeup was so bad you can actually see the pores on people’s faces.

You could ignore these flaws, if you watch it for Jacky Lui. He was, and still is to this day, Linghu Chong. It was as if the character jumped out from the pages of Jin Yong’s novel. You see it in Jacky’s expressions, the way he talked, and even in his swagger. Linghu Chong had a devil-may-care attitude that was comical, bordering on disrespectful. Underneath all that was a thoughtful and sensitive man. Jacky was one actor who could show all the facets of this character. It looked like he was having fun with the dialogues, which were witty and true to the book.

The other highlight of this series was its gallery of villains, each with his/her own distinctive style. Timmy Ho had a boyish smile that can easily turn into an ugly sneer. You get to decide for yourself if his Lin Ping Zhi was truly rotten or just a pitiful victim driven to the dark side by his enemies. Chan Hung Lit looked exactly like the sly old fox that was Zuo Lengshan. Law Lok Lam added a caring, fatherly side to the bloodthirsty Ren Wo Xing. Wong Wai, who can play both a good and bad guy with ease, was the ideal choice for Yue Bu Qun. His acting was so finely tuned here, especially his facial tics and subtle shifts in manner.

Last but not least, there was Dong Fang Bu Bai. He had very little screen time but was a looming presence throughout the series. Nowadays, it’s politically incorrect to call him a monster, but that was what Jin Yong intended him to be. The scariest monster was one that was a warped, twisted version of ourselves. It showed us what we are capable of becoming. Lo Chun Shun didn’t get nearly enough recognition for his work. His Dong Fang Bu Bai was one of the most iconic bad guys of the wuxia genre.

This story marked the start of Jin Yong’s transition away from the conventional hero and villain. In a way, it was a literary milestone. The screenwriters did right by staying faithful to it. They did add extra scenes to develop the characters. Some of it was good (Ren Wo Xing’s backstory), some of it not so good (Yue Ling Shan’s despair over Lin Ping Zhi). I like the added subplot for Linghu Chong and Ren Ying Ying, even if it came a little too close to “Romeo and Juliet.” It was nice to have that light touch of romance after so much violence and death.

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This series has some of the best kung fu sequences out there. Vincent Zhao himself is a martial artist and a perfectionist when it came to choreography. There was no CGIs, just hand-to-hand combat that was crisp, fast-paced, and fun to watch. They even showed distinctive fighting styles for each of the major “school.” Best of all, it was filmed well so that you don’t miss the actors’ facial expressions. No slo-mo needed.

It was smart of the writers to incorporate tai chi philosophy into the development of the main character, Mo Ma. Other than that, the plot was pretty generic, recycled from parts of older TVB series. This is usually ok, if there’s actually good acting to make up for it.

Vincent was a surprisingly capable actor. He had an expressive face and was especially effective at the hurt puppy dog look. I think he once said he liked playing a romantic hero, and it showed in the yearning way his Mo Ma looked at Melissa Ng’s Song Ching. Sadly, Melissa was out of her range here. Her porcelain doll face was perfect for those elegant ice queen roles, but she was missing the warmth of a homespun country girl. The bad hair style didn’t help her, either. She basically killed any chemistry there might have been with Vincent. All their scenes together were boring.

Raymond Lam had both the good looks and the acting chops to play Hiu Sing, the golden boy who fell from grace but managed to redeem himself later. These type of roles were tricky in that he had to be pathetic, yet still likeable. You will feel for Siu Hing over many things, except his obsession with Myolie’s Chi Kwai. Now this woman had to be the most selfish, unreasonable, self-entitled brat. Worse, people around her enabled her dysfunctional and destructive behavior. She acted like Mo Ma belonged to her, although it was clear he couldn’t care less. She did eventually fall for Siu Hing and changed near the end. But it was all very abrupt and way too convenient. By that time, I was so sick and tired of Chi Kwai that I just threw up my hands and said “whatever.”

Derek Kwok looked cool here as a villain with a heart. In fact, many of the veteran actors brought their A game. It was the actresses who let the story down.

Watch this only if you’re an avid action/martial arts fan, or if you want to see fight scenes done right.

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