The Blue Jean Monster – 88 Films

Directed by: Ivan Lai
Written by: Ng Kam-Hung
Starring: Shing Fui-On, Pauling Wong, Gloria Yip, Amy Yip, Tse Wai-Kt, Jun Kunimura
Year: 1991
Country: Hong Kong
Running time: 95mins
BBFC Classification: 15

With the (seemingly never ending) wealth of films from the 80s/90s Hong Kong cinema ripe for re-release it’s great that odd, fun titles like The Blue Jean Monster are getting slick new releases. With it’s could have only been spawned in 80s/90s Hong Kong concept and attitude, The Blue Jean Monster is full tilt bonkers mayhem, inappropriate comedy, and awesome stunt filled action.

Shing Fui-On, in one of his only leading roles, (he was a renowned supporting player through the 80s/90s), is belaboured cop Tsu Hsiang juggling his stressful profession, his-about-to-give birth wife Chu (Pauline Wong), and a wayward sort of adopted son (bemusingly named) Power Steering (Tse Wai-Kt). He crosses paths with a violent gang mid robbery giving chase and in the ensuing shootout/showdown he’s slain in the line of duty. However, and swiftly, he’s resurrected via cat urine (yep!) and lightning becoming a living dead cop! Attempting, to assimilate back into normal life and see the birth of his first child, hijinks ensue as Tsu Hsiang gets to grips with his new undead powers, copes with his ever-demanding wife, and keeps himself fully charged via frequent shocks of electric power (!). Meanwhile, the leader of the robber gang (the legendary Jun Kunimura: Treasure Hunt, Audition, Kate) is after the money form the robbery that Power Steering’s girlfriend (Gloria Yip), through much convolution, has come into the possession of and hidden away, leading to the inevitable (but very welcome) Hong Kong action blow out come the finale.

Much more a bawdy comedy (with plenty of innuendos and silly bedroom shenanigans!), than the full-on action/horror hybrid it promises, The Blue Jean Monster is still a lot of crazy concept and low budget ingenuity fun. Shing Fui-On (The Killer, City Cops, The Saint of Gamblers) carries the film with his totally committed performance, equal parts great at the action and the physical comedy that comes with being undead. A sort of zombie Robocop, Shing Fui-On is superb and likable cutting through some of the sometimes-grating mugging of the supporting cast (Pauline Wong and Tse Wai-Kt are particular offenders!), switching from affable everyman to unstoppable undead cop with ease. After an action-packed opening the flick settles into more of a sex comedy vibe with mixed results: some of the “comedy” either not landing or having dated very badly (though not sure it was fully appropriate even back in the less pc 80s/90s!).

However, this doesn’t derail the film as there is still a lot of fun to have with Tsu Hsiang getting to grips with his undead situation, a great cameo from the ever-lovely Amy Yip (Sex & Zen, Robotrix) out to seduce Tsu Hsiang, and of course a good helping of barn storming action. The opening robbery is a doozy and ensuing car chase features some awesome Bruce Law orchestrated stunts. But the best is saved for the epic showdown where Tsu Hsiang takes on the gang of criminals in a surfeit of fierce firepower, dangerous burn stunts, and even some cool axe/chainsaw-fu.

Certainly, dated in some respects and not always successful in balancing its various elements and characters (may have been even better as just a straight up action/horror hybrid!), The Blue Jean Monster is nonetheless still a heap of gerne bending fun if you can get with its funky vibe featuring a great performance from its lead and some top-notch action.

88 Films will release The Blue Jean Monster on Blu Ray 4^th December 2023.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Double Walled O-Ring featuring new artwork by James Neal: not available at the time of review.
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring New and Classic Poster Art: not available at the time of review.
• Brand New 2K Restoration in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio from the original negatives: film looks great and sharp, though does on occasion highlight the low budget of certain scenes, but the film has probably never looked better.
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original Cantonese Mono with English Subtitles
• Man Made Monster – An Interview with Assistant Director Sam Leong: informative chat with Hong Kong Producer/Writer/Director Sam Leong about his involvement in the film and working with director Ivan Lai. He’s quite a serious person but incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in the Hong Kong film industry (having worked on loads of productions including The Imp, Thunderbolt, and Shamo). Some great anecdotes about the making of the film (it was actually inspired by ace cult US movie Dead Heat: if you’ve not seen it, do so now!), the Hong Kong film industry at the time (late 80s/early 90s), and his and Ivan’s careers. Good stuff and could have listened to him talk about the Hong Kong film industry of the 80/90s for much longer.
• Hong Kong Trailer – great trailer that showcases the bonkers tone of the film very well (though spoils a lot of the great moments!).
• Stills Gallery – neat stills gallery showing images from the film, behind the scenes, and candid shots of the main cast. Mainly great as it’s another excuse to listen to the film’s ace score which plays over the stills!
• Reversible cover with new artwork by James Neal and original HK Poster Art: not available at the time of review.