running on karma

no.95 Running On Karma

There isn't enough I can say about this film. It's an excellent example of how Hong Kong film can mix every genre under the sun and get away with it. It's an action film, at the same time, a love story, a kung fu movie, a comedy, a piece on fate, destiny and religion. Only Andy Tu can pull off something this perfect.

Biggie (Andy Lau in a monstrous muscle suit) left the monkhood (is that even a word?) because his faith was tested - karma was no longer a concept, but a visual medium, literally. It's almost like being at Gram's as a kid, watching tv with the big plastic dial that moved the antenna on the roof, the picture is there, but blurry and off center combined with a bad transmission being beamed to Kirk on the original Enterprise. We are asked what is karma, have we lived a life where we have done good and are we able to look at ourselves in the mirror and see that we've bettered our path?

We see that Biggie has bettered his path, it appears that he has been in a karmic loop with a man who changed his current life - when they are pitted against one another, Biggie takes a big step to release himself from the bond of their souls. He has tried to help Yee better her path until he realises that he has not indeed seen her karma, but one that she is tied to.

Biggie isn't huge as a comic gag, although, it certainly is, and not due to the villains he must overcome in order to help Yee. He is utterly huge because his greatest enemy is fate and the force of destiny; both much larger than any foe who might stand at his ready.