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老夫子2001 (2001)
Master Q 2001


Reviewed by: Hyomil
Date: 04/07/2011


Reviewer Score: 1

Reviewed by: jhoung
Date: 07/10/2005

I've watched this movie at least three times. When two lovers suddenly become strangers because of amnesia, how could they possibly get back together again? Why, with the help and antics of Old Master Q, Big Potato, and Mr. Chen! On the surface, the movie really does seem simplistic. There's social commentary in the jokes/situations and I commend the film for its stark honesty. It wasn't the humor that kept me watching. It was watching true love rising above hopelessness.


Reviewed by: Dyogenez
Date: 05/06/2002
Summary: A failing comedy

At the start of this film I was interested by the animation and comedy. As the movie went on, the jokes didn't seem to change. It turned out to be a very juvenille movie... I think young kids would find this as a fun comedy with not much of a point. Most of the comedy left me thinking 'that was a joke?'. The age groupd for this is definelty pre-teenagers. Definetely one to avoid in my opinion. 3/10


Reviewed by: Trigger
Date: 03/05/2002
Summary: An Ignorant Review...

I'm sorry - I can't sit through this piece of garbage. I don't know how far into it I am, but it's boring and stupid. It's their version of that Bullwinkle movie that we did here in the US. I hated that one just as much, but I used to love the cartoon when I was a kid. I think the history of the Master Q comics probably dates back a little farther than Rocky and Bullwinkle, but even so - I didn't grow up with it and even if I had I don't think I would get much out of this. It's for children who grew up with those characters... I don't see anything here for intelligent adults. The live characters are incredibly stupid and the CGI characters are even worse. Lots of 3rd grade bathroom humor and some of the subtitles will display "!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!" for something and then will allow words like "shit" to be displayed so I have no idea what they are masking with the !@!@, but it doesn't make sense to me. Perhaps it's something they used to do in the Comic Books?

As for the CGI - it's on par with the Rocky and Bullwinkle movie. Some of the live actors missed their marks (or was it the CG renderers missing theirs?) and there were a few spots where something just didn't look quite right, but it seemed to be ok for the most part.

Anyway - I'd suggest passing on this one, but maybe there's an audience for it. If you liked the Rocky and Bullwinkle movie - perhaps you'll like this. Or if you grew up on heavy doses of the Master Q cartoons and whatnot - maybe this will agree with you, but if that's the case - I imagine you would've already seen it.

It's unfair of me to give it an actual score cuz I haven't sat through the whole thing, but I won't be doing that - so just assume the worst for this one as far as my opinion of it goes... I'm also very ignorant about these characters, so I'm sure I'm not the target audience for this.


Reviewed by: Inner Strength
Date: 01/14/2002
Summary: AVERAGE

Although I have only seen a handful of new animation films over the last few years, this one didn’t really impress me. It has it’s moments, but this is really for kids, although the cast list is pretty impressive.

Rating: 2.5/5

(This rating is based on the years release and genre, I’m not comparing it to older or newer films.)


Reviewed by: MrBooth
Date: 10/10/2001
Summary: Not much to add

MASTER Q 2001 - Directed by Herman Yau, best known for his CATIII work, this is quite the departure. It's a simple & sweet tale of two young lovers (Cecilia Cheung & Nic Tse) who lose their memories in an accident, and are exploited by their selfish councillor mother and a triad don respectively. Master Q and Potato, feeling responsible for their accident, look out for their best interests. I'm sure most people know that Master Q & Mr Potato are HK's first fully CG characters, and they're pretty well done from a technical standpoint. Not brilliantly integrated with the real world at all times, but animated with character. In fact, they blend better with the real world than the real actors do with them. With the exception of Nic & especially Cecilia, the other actors in the movie obviously have real trouble acting into 'empty space', and tend to resort to overacting to compensate. Perhaps this was deliberate, but the overall feel of the movie ends up like a Children's BBC production. That's not to say that it isn't enjoyable, and raised smiles throughout, but it never reached a laugh. Worth seeing, but not rushing out for. Rent or borrow :)


Reviewed by: Sydneyguy
Date: 08/17/2001
Summary: Light weight comedy/romance movie!!

Well the movie is almost like a dream, next thing you know it's over!!
The movie went very quick for me, but i am not sure why!!

There are funny bits in it, all having to do with Master Q and shorty, but the rest of the movie is almost a fill in for those funny parts!!

I think a bit more time developing the script would of made this much better!! Cecelia Cheung's mum and the mum's assistant, if given more time to develop their nastiness, would of helped the overall movie!!

Light weight movie, which is good for a once viewing.

6/10


Reviewed by: bastardswordsman
Date: 07/19/2001
Summary: I had a fun wednesday evening...

...watching this film. My expectations were pretty low and I wasn't too enthralled by the first 15 minutes or so (the animation at first I found quite distracting), but thereafter, I was thoroughly entertained. The 1-ply plot doesn't make much sense, but somehow I don't think I'm the target audience (although there were a few adult-oriented gags).

Good performances all round and plenty of gags, plus impressive animation and chroeography are all present in Master Q, which initially for me was a hesitant purchase.


Reviewed by: Paul Fonoroff
Date: 05/22/2001

A technological breakthrough for Cantonese celluloid animation, Master Q 2001 is fettered by a tedious screenplay of the sort that helped foster the last decade's cinematic decline. Though directed by Herman Yao, the film is marked by the strengths and weaknesses of producer/co-writer Tsui Hark. Brilliant in its overall concept and hi-tech innovations, these virtues are considerably negated by the most low-tech but ultimately the most important ingredient of all: a sparkling blueprint to bring the various components together. It is the same factor that sunk Tsui's last film, Time and Tide, and a host of others in an uneven career that has helped define Hong Kong cinema for the past twenty years.

Based on a beloved comic book whose characters are familiar to all Chinese audiences-particularly the title character and his endearing sidekick Potato-this latest movie version is by far the most inventive. Tsui Hark has gone all out in creating 3-D animated figures that match seamlessly with the human performers. Headed by teen idols Nicholas Tse and Cecelia Cheung, Master Q 2001 is a sure thing for kids on Easter holiday break. But it is a popularity that will fail to crossover to more mature audiences, and one that will dim as the years take their toll.

Since the most notable element is the "state of the art" special effects, as 2001 becomes history there will be little in Master Q 2001 to wow succeeding generations on the level of, say, the sequence in Anchors Aweigh where Gene Kelly dances with Jerry the Mouse. The technique is over a half-century old, yet Kelly's artistry continues to amaze long after its "innovations" have been superceded by numerous generations of special effects wizards.

This is not to say that Master Q 2001 doesn't have its moments. Potato has some hilarious scenes, and Law Kwoon-lan's burlesque of a certain Hong Kong politician gives the movie a fleeting adult-satirical dimension. Nicholas Tse interacts well with the cartoon characters and gives further proof that he is the most stellar member of the newer generation of idols, animated or otherwise.

2 1/2 Stars

This review is copyright (c) 2001 by Paul Fonoroff. All rights reserved. No part of the review may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Reviewer Score: 5

Reviewed by: MilesC
Date: 05/21/2001
Summary: Paper-thin, but enjoyable for what it is.

Although the live action storyline, involving Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung as an amnesiac couple who get mixed up with triads, is exceptionally thin and underdeveloped, Master Q 2001 remains a landmark movie for its innovative mix of computer animation with live action. The computer-animated characters are the focus of the film, and, as such, they get the job done; while their antics aren't generally sophisticated, they kept me consistently smiling and entertained. Also welcome is the large supporting cast, which includes many of the most recognizable character actors in Hong Kong. Whether they're doing anything amusing or not, it's fun to see these familiar faces, who seem like old friends by now.

Master Q 2001 is not a heavy film, nor is it aimed at a demographic that is interested in complicated textual analysis. All I can say- and all I need to say- is that, taken for what it is, a movie for kids and nostalgic adults, it's a reasonably good time.