Unmatchable Match, The (1990) Review

“Unmatchable Match” Theatrical Poster

Director: Parkman Wong
Cast: Stephen Chow, Michael Chan Wai-Man, Vivian Chow Wai-Man, Shing Fui-On, Ricky Yi Fan-Wai, Lau Yuk-Gei, James Ha Chim-Si, Chow Cheong-Wa
Running Time: 98 min.

By Paul Bramhall 

When it comes to writing on Hong Kong cinema it seemed that for many years the late 80’s and early 90’s were usually referenced as producing an almost limitless amount of triad flicks, to the point that many were considered indistinguishable from one another. To a degree it’s a fair criticism, but the passing of time has meant that the sheer volume of entries that populated the genre back then has now become a blessing rather than something for noses to be turned up at. In a current cinematic landscape were the kind of triad flicks that populated the genre 30 years ago are effectively banned from being made (and if they were, would be classified as a risk to national security), then to have as many in the back catalogue to explore as we do means that running out of titles to watch is thankfully still an unlikely occurrence.

The Unmatchable Match is one such title, an early prototype for the likes of Infernal Affairs that would come more than 10 years later. Shing Fui-On (Her Vengeance, God of Gamblers) plays a pump action shotgun brandishing gangster who, in the opening sequence, takes part in a vehicular heist (the kind that The Fast and The Furious would replicate many years later) to relieve an armoured vehicle of the South African blood diamonds that its escorting. Enlisting the aid of trusted Triad member Chan Wai-Man (Dragon Lord, Bloody Brotherhood) to find a buyer, when Fui-On sends the deal to hell in a hail of bullets, the diamonds end up in Wai-Man’s possession, and Fui-On is more than happy to kill him to get them back. Enter burnt out undercover cop Stephen Chow (Curry and Pepper, Love On Delivery) who just wants out, but is given a final mission to get close to Wai-Man and find out the location of the missing diamonds from the heist.

Helmed by Parkman Wong, The Unmatchable Match would be the middle entry of the 3 times he sat in the director’s chair, with his directorial debut Final Justice released in 1988, and encore coming in the form of 1991’s Red Shield. Primarily an actor, Wong rivals Danny Lee in the number of times he’s played a cop, and while he frequently double hatted as assistant director, it seemed that taking on directorial duties wasn’t something he was keen to pursue. Out of the 3 movies he sat in the director’s chair, The Unmatchable Match is the only one in which he also contributed to the script, making it the most representative of his work as a filmmaker behind the camera. While it’s true that there’s nothing particularly standout about his sophomore feature, it still manages to be a solid entry amongst its peers of a similar elk.

A big part of the reason why The Unmatchable Match works is thanks to the chemistry between Stephen Chow and Chan Wai-Man. An unlikely pairing by all accounts, in 1990 Chow was still developing the comedic persona that would come to dominate his performances for the rest of the decade and into the 2000’s. After debuting in 1987 most of his early roles were played straight faced rather than comedic, including a role opposite Danny Lee in Wong’s directorial debut Final Justice, and playing alongside Shing Fui-On and Sandra Ng in Thunder Cops 2. It would be Look Out, Officer! and All For the Winner that were released in the back half of 1990 that really set him on the comedic path he’d become known for, making The Unmatchable Match’s May release during the same year one of the last times to see Chow play things straight.

Chan Wai-Man on the other hand had been busting heads since the early 70’s, punching and kicking his way through the 70’s basher era and contemporary actioners of the 80’s. While Wai-Man’s real life triad connections (those tattoos are all real!) and time spent as a boxer saw him convincingly headline triad flicks such as 1979’s The Handcuff and 1981’s The Club, the rapid output the genre took on in the late 80’s and early 90’s saw him become a regular fixture. The Unmatchable Match offers up of his more substantial roles, as a regretful triad separated from his wife and daughter due to his lifestyle, but with no clear way out to lead his life any differently. It’s a slightly gentler side (emphasis on ‘slightly’) of Wai-Man than what we’re used to seeing in his appearances from the era, and he clocks in a surprisingly affecting performance.

The pair bond over their respective circumstances, with Chow heading down the same path due to his girlfriend not knowing he’s undercover. Played by Vivian Chow (Happy Together, Devil’s Vendetta), she’s only used to seeing him getting hauled away by Hong Kong cinema’s number 1 cop actor – Danny Lee (Undeclared War, The Killer), and has decided if he can’t change his ways then she’ll emigrate to Canada. With the stress of his relationship falling apart, things are exasperated further when the good relationship he has with Lee in the roles of undercover and superior is blindsided by Lee moving on, and stepping into his place is the arrogant Alan Ng (Just Heroes, Hong Kong Godfather). With pressure mounting from all sides, it seems the only person Chow is capable of trusting is Wai-Man, even though he himself is only pretending to be a triad in order to get close to him.

The plot trope of the lines blurring between the roles of undercover cop and the gangster they’re assigned to get close to is one that’s been done plenty of time over the years, and despite the familiarity here it’s well executed, with both of their characters backed into a corner for different reasons. The narrative is interspersed with some impressive bursts of action courtesy of Sam Wong (most recognisable as the PRC coach that fights Jackie Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop) for the gun fights, and Bruce Law (Special ID, The Raid 2) on duty to choreograph the vehicular mayhem. The opening heist in particular immediately grabs the audience’s attention from the get-go, with Fui-On’s trigger happy gangster blowing up the armoured truck as it’s careening down the side of a mountain in an impressive fireball.

In fact anytime Fui-On turns up it usually signals a good time, with his shotgun blowing stuff to pieces in a way that only Hong Kong style gunfights could do. A highlight sees them in pursuit of Chow and Wai-Man through the corridors of a Chungking Mansions-esque building that eventually ends up on the roof, which amusingly sees the pair interrupt a drug deal between another group of triads who immediately panic at their unexpected guests. The scene is indicative of a number of subtle humorous touches throughout The Unmatchable Match which work in its favour, with Chow offering up some fleeting early glimpses into the persona that he’d run with for the rest of the decade.

As with so many Hong Kong crime thrillers of the era, eventually all parties end up at a half-built apartment construction site where Chow and Wai-Man find themselves outnumbered and outgunned by Fui-On and his gang. There’s nothing here that would give John Woo any concerns, however director Wong does an admirable job of working in the relationship dynamics between Chow and Wai-Man in their respective roles while attempting to stay alive against a mutual enemy.

More than anything The Unmatchable Match uses the framework of the triad flick to form an unlikely buddy movie, a fact that the title itself also alludes to, and from that perspective it makes for an enjoyable journey to watch the bond that develops between the pair. Perhaps a prime example of a Hong Kong movie that comes with a perfectly average storyline done plenty of times before (and since), but still manages to succeed thanks to the actor’s performances, imbuing the characters with a level of authenticity that perhaps isn’t entirely earned. Still, for those who enjoy the crime genre or perhaps want to check out a movie that features Stephen Chow rather than a Stephen Chow movie, then The Unmatchable Match is perfectly serviceable, if also instantly forgettable. Oh, and did I mention Shing Fui-On rampaging around with a pump action shot gun?

Paul Bramhall ‘s Rating: 6.5/10