Dismiss the paper-thin plot, and simply sit back and enjoy the wacky humor and rich characterization of this sadly overlooked comedy.

Star Michael Chow is in top form as the head of a small police station on a sleepy island near Hong Kong. When a murder occurs on the island, an overzealous HK officer, played to perfection by Michael Wong, is assigned to investigate. This sets the stage for the inevitable clash between the gung-ho city cop and the slacker country cop. Or are things really all that black and white? By the movie's end, the two cops have come to understand and appreciate each other as officers and as human beings. Throughout the film the audience's sympathy for both men grows, as we begin to see their strengths and failings, their frailties and their innate goodness.

The two Michaels offer wonderful performances. Michael Chow draws a complex portrait of a lonely cop with little hope in his life and yet who possesses a good deal more wisdom than is initially evident to the viewer. Michael Wong gives us a good-natured parody of his usual screen persona, complete with hilarious mistakes in his Cantonese dialogue.

The secondary characters are all well done in their brief roles, with Shing Fui On shining in his comic portrayal of the bumbling cop who moonlights as a Daoist priest. The village setting is a definite plus; and additional kudos are due to the composer of the music, which effectively underscores the droll elements of the screen play.

Whenever I want a gentle laugh over the absurdities of the human comedy, I put The Case of the Cold Fish in my DVD player. Director Jamie Luk and company can be proud of this one.