Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion


Reviewed by: kaysmile

April 07, 2006

Rating: two

Production type: Grand production- obvious from the breathtaking scenery, the promoted cast, and the large budget.

Storyline type and themes: Wuxia series, protagonists with moral dilemmas, what is one's own duties? The role of Chinese nationalism and conflicts between the Mongols and the Hans (Ming Dynasty).

TVB attempts to use this series to achieve record ratings because of the "different" storyline, achieve the success of wuxia series in the 80's and 90's, and promote Raymond Lam to be a top actor, since it is lacking young talent. It also attempts to teach a moral lesson along the way (which is really irksome).

Cast:
Raymond Lam as Fung Hung Lit
Bosco Wong as Hong Pak
Charmaine Sheh as Chun Mung Yiu
Sonija Kwok as Gum Bing Wun
Sharon Chan as Hui Ye Yuet
Derek Kwok as Pong Ban
John Chiang as Long Fan Wan
Suet Li as Master Yeen
Evergreen Mak as Lord Yin
Hui Siu Hong as General Hui

Length: 40 episodes, drags on.

Slight Spoilers Below

With a star-studded cast and promises of breathtaking views, and myself as an avid fan of wuxia series, I was looking forward to this series.

The plot is about the feud between the Mongols and the Han Chinese. It is set at the very beginning of the Ming Dynasty, not long after the Yuan (Mongolian) Dynasty is overthrown. Raymond Lam (Fung Hung Lit) is the descendent of Genghis and Kublai Khan. He had no memory of that at the beginning, but with the help of Derek Kwok (Pong Ban), a Mongolian loving villain, and Sonija Kwok (Bing Wan), he remembers his true identity. The majority of the series is about him trying to overthrow the Ming to restore the Yuan, so that his people (the Mongols) won't be oppressed as they currently were under the Ming.

On the other side, Raymond falls in love with the disciple of a holy sect, Charmaine Sheh (Chun Mung Yiu). During most of the series, he hides his identity as a Mongol prince from her because she is on the side of the Ming - she protects the King, along with John Chiang (Long Fan Wan), her sifu, etc.

In a nutshell, LWOLAP is basically about the conflicts between the two opposing sides:

Charmaine, Bosco, John versus Raymond, Derek Kwok.

Recurring themes:

1. Major theme: The fine line between good and evil.
What is up with TVB trying to illustrate morally dilemma'ed heroes? Raymond is torn between his love and his duties for his people. Although he carries out a fine performance, the plot isn't sufficient for it to be convincing.

For example, in the scene where the Mongols were deciding whether they should kill General Hui, Raymond asserts that "General Hui is a true hero. You cannot kill him!!" Although TVB again tries to reinforce the innate goodness of Raymond's character, it is out of character for him. In war, there must be sacrifices. If he always looks out for other people, then what about his duties to his own people? I understand that TVB is a family-oriented company, so trying to promote morality is a good thing. But still. Come on. It's cheesy!

Another good/evil character is Pong Ban, played by Derek Kwok. I enjoyed his performance because at first, he is shown as an emotionless monster, but viewers are told that he only does what he does for the love of his people.

2. Chinese nationalism: The Hans protect the Hans, the Mongols protect the Mongols; neither side is completely good nor bad. Good idea, but it gets so tedious.

3. Willing-to-die-for-one's-love. This again seems to be a recurring theme in wuxia, but I was not convinced at all. Raymond and Charmaine failed to convince me that they were willing to die for one another. What about the scene where Charmaine stabbed him, eh? I guess you can argue that she stabbed him not for herself, but for her people, and she can't be selfish by protecting her true love at the expense of her people. But still.

4. Brotherly bond. The chemistry between Raymond and Bosco was okay. Nothing spectacular, but nothing that made me puke either.

Okay, okay. I have a whole bunch of other themes in mind, but if I list them here, I'm never goning to stop. Others include long-lost father/son relationships. I mean, isn't it overused already?! Stop it, TVB!

The Good:
Good aspects of LWOLAP include the breathtaking scenery. China is absolutely beautiful. Everything seems so natural, and the outdoor scenes were shot beautifully. The set was well done as well, especially Raymond's first sifu's hut.

The costumes for everyone was varied and for the most part pretty. Sonija Kwok looked so pretty in this series! She looked equally good in the Mongol costume and the pastel colors of her Han costume.

I liked the performances of certain cast members. Raymond did a spectacular job, once again proving that he is capable of versatility. Sonija Kwok surprised me with her convincing attitudes of love towards both her sifu and Pong Ban. Power Chan was above average as the comedic little sifu, as was Bosco. Sharon was pretty good as well.

The storyline has so much potential. If only TVB would shorten it, make it less cheesy in terms of good vs. evil, then it would be much better.

The Bad:

As you can probably tell, the number one reason I dislike LWOLAP and other modern TVB series is their appeals to the viewers' consciences, which makes me feel like I'm sitting through Sunday school. "You shouldn't do this, that, nah nah." is the feeling I get.

I dislike the use of one's conscience in this series. I'm not saying people shouldn't listen to their conscience, but TVB makes it too much of a priority to be realistic.

Plus, why do they always have to spell out "so and so is innately good?" An effective portrayal would be for the viewer to grasp that themselves, instead of having a character tell you. For example, towards the beginning, when Raymond and Bosco were having that internal energy transfer, Raymond broke off his own heartbeat (?) to save Bosco. Then John and Suet Li goes, "Oh, he has a good heart." I mean, hello. We can tell.

Why do they have to drag the storyline on so much? It was about you fighting me, then I retaliate, because I love my people, etc. This makes it really tedious for the viewer.

Was the love triangle between Evergreen, Sharon and Bosco really necessary? And what about the "incestuous" relationship between Sharon and Bosco, and at the end, it worked out smoothly that she was adopted? I mean, please.

Certain things I want to mention
1. The scene when Charmaine stabbed Raymond. That was unexpected. I couldn't help but dislike her in that scene. How can she stab her lover? I know, it's for her people, as she later explicitly states. She did not do a good job in bringing out her sadness, regret, but knowledge that she did the right thing. And how come I get the feeling that she tries to make her eyes all big and sad? Maybe it's just me *shrug.

2. Sharon is a girl. In this series, she dates both Bosco and Evergreen. Her personality is too modern in this series, too open to be believable in the conservative Ming Dynasty.

3. Lord Yin telling his father he wants to fight for Sharon fairly. I know that highlights the virtue of his character and a sign that he will be a fair king, but again, this is unrealistic. He's a prince, for lord's sake.

4. The scene where Sonija stabs her sifu. This is supposed to be a really emotional and sad scene that evokes emotions and tears from the viewer. What a bad disciple, killing her master! I did not like Suet Li as Master Yeen so it failed to make me pity her. I just don't like her as an actress. The way she delivers her lines is forced, fake, and flat. Someone like Michelle Mai would have made the scene so much better. However, I did like Sonija in that scene. Kudos to her.

5. Sonija's suicide and death scene. Perfect job by Sonija and Derek. I was totally convinced he loved her.

6. Pong Ban and FHL (Raymond) seem gay, hehe. I kid. But PB is willing to die for FHL. I found their talk a little weird, almost as if it's a conversation between lovers.

End notes:
I'll give this series a 2, for the effort on TVB's part. Better luck next time.


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