Alright, rewind that tape and settle in. Remember those video store shelves packed with Hong Kong action flicks? The covers promised explosions, high kicks, and maybe a familiar face like Jackie Chan peeking out. Digging through those gems often unearthed chaotic treasures like Sammo Hung's 1985 outing, Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars (also known as Xia ri fu xing). This wasn't just a movie; it was an event – a glorious, overstuffed, sometimes baffling explosion of slapstick comedy and jaw-dropping practical stunt work that feels like a time capsule from another dimension of action filmmaking.
### More Stars Than You Can Shake a Nunchaku At
Part of the wildly popular Lucky Stars series (following Winners and Sinners and My Lucky Stars), this instalment throws the usual gang – Kidstuff (Sammo Hung), Sandy (Richard Ng), Rawhide (Stanley Fung), Herb (Charlie Chin), and Roundhead (Eric Tsang) – into another loosely connected plot. This time, they're enjoying a vacation in Pattaya, Thailand (a common filming location for HK crews seeking sunshine and affordable shooting) when they get entangled with assassins, an informant holding crucial evidence, and a couple of beleaguered cops, Muscles (Jackie Chan) and Ricky (Yuen Biao). Oh, and there's a beautiful actress, Wang Yi-Ching (Rosamund Kwan), who becomes the inevitable object of the Stars' lecherous, often hilariously inept, attention.
Let's be honest, the plot is thinner than the tracing paper used for the script amendments likely made on the day. It’s essentially a framework designed purely to link outrageous comedy skits with some of the most breath-taking action sequences of the era. And honestly? Back then, popping this tape in late at night, that's exactly what we wanted. The sheer star power crammed into this film is incredible. Besides the core group and the "Three Dragons" (Hung, Chan, Biao), you get blink-and-you'll-miss-them appearances from future legends like Michelle Yeoh (credited as Michelle Khan back then) and established stars like Sibelle Hu. It felt like half the Hong Kong film industry wandered onto the set for a day or two, a common practice to boost a film's appeal.
### Comedy That Hits (Sometimes Too Hard)
The humour in Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars is... well, it's very 1985 Hong Kong. The core dynamic relies on the five Lucky Stars being hapless, horny idiots constantly trying (and failing) to peep on or trick the women around them. Richard Ng's "invisibility" routines and Eric Tsang's general buffoonery provide some genuine laughs, born from impeccable comic timing honed over years. However, watching it now, some of the gags land with a thud, steeped in a kind of casual sexism that was par for the course then but feels jarring today. It’s a product of its time, for better or worse. Still, the sheer energy and commitment of the performers, particularly Sammo Hung anchoring the absurdity, often carries even the weakest jokes. There's an infectious, knockabout charm to their camaraderie, even when they're being complete pests.
### When Stunts Were Truly Insane
But let's talk about why this tape likely got worn out in so many VCRs: the action. Directed and choreographed by the legendary Sammo Hung, who gave us action classics like Wheels on Meals (1984) just the year before, the fight scenes here are phenomenal. Forget wire-fu trickery or CGI polish; this is the golden age of practical stunts, where physics seemed optional and pain tolerance was mandatory. Remember how real those impacts looked? That’s because they often were.
The sequence where Jackie Chan takes on multiple opponents in a gym, using exercise equipment as weaponry, is pure inventive brilliance. The final reel, set in a multi-level house, is an absolute masterclass in controlled chaos. Sammo Hung, despite his size, moves with incredible agility and power, taking on formidable opponents like Richard Norton and Yasuaki Kurata. And then there's that incredible fight between Yuen Biao and kickboxing champion Benny Urquidez's student – fast, intricate, and brutal. These sequences weren't just fights; they were intricate ballets of violence, meticulously planned and executed by stunt teams (often including the main stars themselves) who regularly put their bodies on the line. Watching it now, you can almost feel the bruises. You see real wood splintering, real bodies hitting the floor hard. It’s a visceral thrill that modern, smoother effects often struggle to replicate. It's worth noting that international cuts sometimes trimmed the comedy to foreground this incredible action, recognising its universal appeal.
### The Verdict on This Star-Studded Scramble
Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars wasn't exactly showered with critical acclaim upon release, but audiences loved the formula – stars, laughs, and mind-blowing action. It was a box office hit, solidifying the Lucky Stars franchise as a reliable crowd-pleaser. Seen today, it’s a fascinating artefact. The plot is negligible, and the humour has aged like milk in some spots. But the sheer energy, the undeniable charm of the performers (especially the core Lucky Stars ensemble), and most importantly, the absolutely world-class, bone-crunching practical action choreography make it essential viewing for any fan of 80s Hong Kong cinema. It captures a specific, manic energy that simply doesn't exist anymore.
Rating: 7/10
Justification: The score reflects the film's undeniable strengths – stellar cast chemistry, groundbreaking practical action sequences choreographed and often performed by legends at their peak. It's docked points for the extremely dated comedic sensibilities and the paper-thin plot that barely holds it together. It's a quintessential piece of 80s HK fluff, but the action elevates it considerably.
Final Take: A chaotic, sometimes problematic, but utterly exhilarating blast from the VHS past. Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars is pure, uncut 80s Hong Kong cinema – messy, frantic, stuffed with talent, and featuring action that still drops jaws decades later. Worth rewinding for the fights alone.