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| We review Goldbuster |
Available now from Well Go USA is the new Hong Kong film Goldbuster, which is the directorial debut of actress Sandra Kwan Yue Ng. It is an enjoyable zany romp that blends meta horror and screwball comedy into something that you would almost only expect to come from a Hong Kong comedy. Equal parts Scooby Doo, Abbott and Costello, and The Walking Dead, Goldbuster features some outstanding camerawork and lighting, excellent makeup and special effects, and a terrific ensemble cast. While the third act felt a little flat for my tastes, it still contains enough laugh out loud moments to make it worthwhile.
A pair of bumbling gangsters are trying to get rid of the remaining seven tenants in an old and run down apartment complex, which their boss is looking to flip for a huge profit. The gangsters use scare tactics to remove the group, in the form of ghosts and spirits. Not wanting to leave the only home that they’ve known for many years, the residents turn to the flamboyant ghost hunter Golden Ling for help in exorcising their ghost problems. The group of oddball tenants include two retired gangsters, a widow and his mute son, a pair of herbalists, and a quirky erotic internet star. Goldbuster is an unusual mixture of silly humor and adult oriented craziness that is downright hilarious at times. It also does a tremendous job at representing the horror aspects, making you question whether the horror is actually real at certain points in the film. The major issue plot-wise, for me personally, is the third act, which starts rather formulaic and slow as we are treated to a standard montage illustrating one of the main character’s growth and retribution.
Everything about this looks like a huge production and there’s no doubt that Ng had an experienced and well-trained crew to assist her in making her first film, and it shows on screen. It’s a beautiful looking production, with great camerawork, interesting camera angles and movement, perfect lighting and shadows, and superb cinematography. The set designs, costumes, makeup and special effects are top-notch, whether they are being used to create laughs or evoke a sense of terror that you traditionally expect in a horror film. The true horror effects easily rival any large American television or film production and are very impressive.
Ng gets the best that she possibly can out of this terrific ensemble cast. And they are fantastic, bringing the audience a true set of eclectic and oddball characters to the screen. They all deliver excellent performances whether they are drumming up laughs with wild antics or acting terrified by some of the horror elements that are presented to them.
Goldbuster is by no means a perfect film, but it’s more than entertaining and does manage to keep you on your toes trying to guess what’s going to happen next. With great production values, an excellent ensemble cast, and outstanding makeup and special effects, this is well worth watching for fans of Hong Kong comedies, meta-horror, or horror comedies.
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-Raul Vantassle