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| Images courtesy of 88 Films |
The Blue Jean Monster (1991) is a strange genre-crossing oddity, that combines a police procedural, a sci-fi monster flick, and silly slapstick comedy into a messy stew of ideas. The film starts out with a visit to a Buddhist temple. Joe (Shing Fui-on), a young cop, is praying for good luck with his expecting wife Chu (Siu-Fung Wong). Unfortunately for them, they fumble the ritual and receive a bad omen for their troubles. Later on while chasing some criminals, Joe is ambushed by them and murdered. Lucky for him, a spirit in the form of a cat sits on his body and channels a lightning strike, which brings him back to life for some reason. Now he has to fight crime as a zombie that has to be recharged periodically with jolts of electricity, which is a shocking development.
Much of the film's first half is comedy based around Joe's incredibly slow realization that he is undead. For being a detective, he is not adept at picking up on clues, even ones as obvious as him having a giant hole in his stomach that won't heal with his intestines poking out. It's reminiscent of Dead Heat (1988), another movie about a cop who gets turned into a zombie, although the protagonist in that film understands his situation far more quickly. Some of the humor in The Blue Jean Monster works from the sheer ridiculousness, but it feels like they just threw every idea out there and hoped some of it stuck. Did you ever want to see someone spray breast milk all over a zombie cop's face? If so, this is the movie for you!
The special effects are excellent, and for the most part, the action is snappy and well-shot. It channels the same type of zany energy as the Mr. Vampire franchise or Encounters of the Spooky Kind (1980); fans of those types of films will likely find this one amusing. Shing Fui-on has great comedic timing, and carries the entire film with his performance. While The Blue Jean Monster isn't breaking any molds, it is a fairly entertaining little B-movie that is worth spending an evening with.
88 FILMS SPECIAL FEATURES
- Double Walled O-Ring featuring new artwork by James Neal
- Double-sided foldout poster featuring New and Classic Poster Art
- Brand New 2K Restoration in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio from the original negatives
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ presentation
- Original Cantonese Mono with English Subtitles
- Man Made Monster - An Interview With Assistant Director Sam Leong
- Hong Kong Trailer
- Stills Gallery
- Reversible cover with new artwork by James Neal and original HK Poster Art
--Michelle Kisner