Despite having an amiable cast and a crew that has been behind many of the better Hong Kong historical comedies released over the years, Jeff Lau's Chinese Odyssey 2002 never really picks up any steam during its' running time, instead leaving behind a shallow stream of tired retreaded jokes that the actors seem to be reciting in order to make their next mortgage payment.

To its' credit, judging from the results of a simple Google search, Chinese Odyssey 2002 does have its' share of fans who seem to love the film, so perhaps this might be a case of the old grizzled Hong Kong movie viewer rearing his ugly semi-buzzed head. But, honestly, I didn't find much of interest here. Really, how many jokes about misplaced and/or misinformed gender identity can one be expected to take in a single sitting?

It's a one-note riff that's been noodled on many times before and since in Hong Kong comedies, and Jeff Lau (who both wrote and directed this movie) doesn't offer any sort of fresh new take on the stale old cinematic chestnut. Perhaps because it's most of the levity is leveraged against the fact that supposedly people here believe that Faye Wong (who will always remain forever ultra-cute to me since the first time I watched Chungking Express) is a man just because she wears men's clothes that I found myself looking at my watch more often than the on-screen shenanigans.

Keeping these things in mind, I will still give Chinese Odyssey 2002 at least a mild recommendation. It's a lovely looking film, almost akin to a higher-tier entry in the wuxia or historical epic genres. Really, it's loads better than most Hong Kong comedies, which tend to look like they were shot with some guy's old broke-ass super-8 camera -- and I'm sure most Hong Kong movie fans will at least enjoy that, as well as the interaction between the lead actors. But comedy is a fickle mistress, and, at least in this case, I really wasn't willing to listen to what she was saying.

RATING: 5