Mismatched Couples (1985) directed by Yuen Wo Ping
May 28th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Yuen Wo Ping
Actors: Donnie Yen, Dick Wei, Kenny Perez, May Lo mei mei, Brandy Yuen
Donnie Yen busted out some ‘boombastic’ b-boy grooves coupled with some ‘shagadelic’ kung fu moves in this fun, hong kong comedy from 1985! I guess you can call it, breakdancing fu! I haven’t watched this joint since the days of my flock of seagulls hairdo from the late 1980’s! Donnie Yen has a special place in my piggy heart since his DRUNKEN TAI CHI was one of the 1st kung fu movies that I had ever watched on the big screen in NYC’s chinatown! Mismatched Couples featured a very young & mobile Donnie Yen which still proved to be entertaining 25+ years later!
The story teeters between the misadventures of eddie played by Donnie Yen and the relationship between his conservative sister and an older gentleman looking to make ends meet who Eddie befriends. Old man rivers’ only intention was to just secure a job at the sisters restaurant but a mismatched benny hill love story between Eddie’s sister & the geezer would lurk in the horizon!
The old man is goofy & as alert as Mr. Magoo but possesses some fine ass kung fu chops on occassion when he isn’t chasing his own tail!
Donnie Yen would display some furious breakdance moves which included some up rock, down rock, freezing, & freestyle techniques with some pop & lock variations all with a kung fu flavor of course! There were quite a few b-boy battle scenes that would have you on the edge of your seat in amazement & laughter at the same time! They include: The airport scene with the old man with the boom box vs kenny the punk in the jumpsuit with speakers built into his outfit; The crouching tiger hidden dragon tennis match between the punks vs Donnie Yen on a BMX bike; Donnie teaching a young lady how to pop & lock with a nice demonstration of the campbell lock techniques similiar to Rerun in What’s Happening!; The weightlifting scene between Donnie, the iron man, & the lady bodybuilder; And the B-Boy battle between Kenny vs Donnie Yen with the 2 demonstrating some real funky up-rock techniques as a prelude before switching over to some dynamic aerial moves with some down-rock b-boy swagger which included some baby freezes in the mix!
All would not be good in Mr. Rogers’ hood when the iron man from the weightlifting gym looks for revenge against Donnie Yen for upstaging him in a prior battle! This scene would bring back memories of the Last Dragon when Sho-nuff met up with Bruce Leroy but with a 80’s chinese comedic flare! This finale will showcase some fine kung fu action tempered with some slapstick that Jackie Chan would understand & appreciate!
All in all, Mismatched Couples was a fun, lighthearted comedy that is worth watching especially if you’re a Donnie Yen & Yuen Wo Ping fan! The mashup of breakdancing & kung fu was insane and it definitely showcased Yen’s athletic ability to the fullest! Seek & destroy, folks!
Stuntman & actor Michael Woods who was a student of Donnie Yen’s mother, Master Bow Sim Mark of Boston mentioned at a HK film retrospective event at the museum of the moving image that Donnie had asked him & his friends to show him a few breakdance moves in anticipation for filming Mismatched Couples! Breakdance & kung fu do share a lot of similiar fluid movements that require flexibility & attitude!
Tags: brandy yuen, breakdancing, breakdancing fu, dick wei, donnie yen, kenny perez, kung fu comedy, may lo, mismatched couples, yuen wo ping
Posted in movies, mr. c | Comments (0)
