One of Lau’s most beloved works—a showcase of stupendous kung-fu slapstick comedy laced with riotous one-liners, as a royal prince goes undercover with a con artist to unravel a conspiracy related to the throne.

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Ever seen a world-class musician at one with his or her instrument, where there is no more musician and no more instrument, only the one-ness of pure music? 

Lau Kar-Leung similarly achieves this purest sense of ‘flow’ in the climactic sequence of Dirty Ho, where Gordon Liu and Wong Yue showcase their kung-fu prowess in unison and with perfect complementary timing as they battle conspirators threatening to influence matters of the throne. 

It is a stupendously choreographed and edited sequence and arguably one of Lau’s finest moments as an action director. 

Liu is the 11^th royal prince who goes undercover as a jewellery trader with a refined taste in art.  He befriends the titular con artist (Wong) who becomes his disciple. 

“I must learn from you, Master.”

Dirty Ho begins in medias res and doesn’t quite seem to land on a sure footing from a narrative point-of-view until nearly halfway, which may be a point of detraction in an otherwise highly entertaining work. 

Part of its enduring charm is how Lau employs kung-fu as slapstick comedy in just about everything, most memorable of which is the wine-tasting sequence that is already a strong barometer as to how precise rhythm and movement are in this film. 

Moreover, the film is laced with riotous one-liners, making it impossible not to laugh, or simply be impressed. 

If you love Jackie Chan’s early brand of physical action comedies, Dirty Ho is a good introduction to the martial arts genre’s ‘B-side’, where its more bewildering aspects are portrayed with a sense of fun, goofiness, and in this case, masterly flow.

Grade: B+

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