Plot: What’s it about?
The God Of Cookery (Stephen Chiau) is just that and he reigns as the ruler of the culinary underground, as well as all things involved with preparing food. He is loved by the media and people will flock to enjoy his delights, but he is much more of a legend inside his own mind. He is cocky and cares little for people other than himself, which could land him into a lot of trouble if he fell from grace. And fall from grace he does when a rival (and very jealous) chef reveals him to be a mere con artist and even makes public his more underhanded business practices. This new chef uses his time well to demonstrate his own skills and ends up as the new title holder. So the previous holder is down on his luck and down in the dumps, but he isn’t about to give up on this one. He enlists the help of a common street vendor (Karen Mok) and the two prepare for his return to his now lost glory. But it won’t be easy to face and overcome the new title holder, so they will have to work double tough to be ready to face the challenge.
This turned out to be a difficult review to pen, as the disc and movie seem to warrant much different recommendations. The film itself is amazing and I would place it among the most fresh and original films of the 90s, which isn’t saying too much but is still a nice compliment. When folks think of Asian movies they think Jackie Chan kicking someone’s rear or Chow Yun Fat shooting someone’s head off, which is all well and good. I like those kind of movies and I own those kind of movies, but there is much more to Asian cinema that those aspects. This is a prime example of that, as this movie is loaded with intense visuals and a healthy dose of slapstick comedy. If you’ve seen the God Of Gamblers movies, then you’ll quickly realize this is a spoof of those films, but this is a loving tribute and it shows. Always entertaining and one of the funniest movies in years, The God Of Cookery delivers the goods as a feature film. But this disc just doesn’t do the movie justice in the least, with poor visual quality and a total lack of supplements. This disc has a high ($50 MSRP) price tag and as such should contain much more than it does. I recommend this disc as a rental and if you fans can find a lower price, jump on it.
This film was directed by Lee Lik Chi and Stephen Chiau, who combine to deliver a wonderful film that takes aim on the conventions of Asian cinema. The two have created what I would call The Naked Gun of Asian cinema, as it spoofs the other famous flicks and does so in a loving manner. This is much more than a spoof though, as it rises above that status to create an entire new genre of film. What that is I am not sure, but this is much more than a simple slapstick piece. The comedy is low brow at times, but also draws upon film fan’s knowledge of Asian cinema and I think those moments are the most potent. If you want to see more of Chi’s work I recommend The King Of Comedy, Once Upon A Time A Hero In China, Magnificent Scoundrels. As for Chiau, you can see him right in this film as the original God Of Cookery. Chiau (Lawyer Lawyer, Gorgeous) turns in a superb performance and captures the dramatic & comedic aspects of his character without any trouble at all. Also very amusing and effective here is Karen Mok (4 Faces Of Eve, Heaven Can’t Wait), who plays her role with energy and total dedication. The cast also includes Vincent Kok (High Risk, Big Bullet) and Russ Price (Black Mask, Who Am I?).
Video: How does it look?
God Of Cookery is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. This is a pretty weak transfer for a newer film, but all in all it is more than watchable and ends up in about the average section. The print shows debris and some grain at times, while it is free from all but minor compression problems. The colors seem solid, but some small discoloration is present in some scenes. The contrast is strong for the most part, but again falter from time to time also. This movie deserves a much better transfer and consumers deserve better with the high price tag on this title.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release includes Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in Cantonese and Mandarin and while they are effective, they don’t offer much in terms of surround use. A few action driven sequences make good use of the surrounds, but usually this is a more limited track. The music emerges in fine form and does spark the speakers on occasion, which was a pleasant surprise. The dialogue on both tracks is smooth and no volume issues arise at all. This disc has English, Chinese (traditional), and Chinese (simplified) subtitles also.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains some talent files, but that’s all. With such a hefty price tag I’d expect a little more than this, but this is a bare bones releases.
