Protege de la Rose Noire 2004 Starring: Ekin Cheng Yee-Kin Charlene Choi-Cheuk-Yin Gillian Chung Yan-Tung Teresa Mo Sun-Kwan Directors: Donnie Yen and Barbara Wong

Synopsis

Gillian is a gifted psychologist who goes berserk if any one says her full name. Charlene is not only convinced she is pregnant but also an alien.The two meet as Gillian's parent's landlord is trying to rent the apartment for more than it is worth. Homeless the two find a friendship, until they see an advertisement for an intelligent beautiful young woman. Both convinced that they are indeed the right girl for the job, the friendship goes to rivalry in a minute. The take a ride to the Rose Garden in talkative Jim Lo's taxi. He talks on while both girls are desperate to make him stop. Arriving at Rose garden, it soon becomes apparent that they haven't enough money. Jim tells them to forget it, but to call him when they want to leave and he'll come and fetch them. As he drives away Charlene has a vision of him with his nose broken.

While the girls battle traps within the Rose Garden, almost getting hung, and finally imprisoned in a basement room, Jim Lo's evening continues. First he picks up a pregnant woman about to give birth. Then a crying child and an injured motor cyclist. Finally, two fighting triad members join the overcrowded taxi. It is precisely at this moment that Charlene and Gillian remember him and call for him to rescue them from their prison.

Jim of course turns up to try to save them. He is not exactly the most adept hero and after a number of false starts he finally digs a tunnel into the house to reach them. In the meantime Black Rose has returned and is determined to make the two girls her successors. After treating them to a look at her wardrobe she dispatches the two of them into the bath. While they are luxuriating in a bubble bath Jim appears through the bathroom floor to rescue them. Totally unprepared for this they scream. Rose hearing the commotion demands to know what they are doing. The girls pull Jim into the water, submerging him, while they slip out of the bathroom.

Now totally soaked Jim scans the clothes for something to wear. Unable to find anything but a Robin costume he put's it on. Once dressed he encounters Rose's robot Jacket. Jacket has been programmed by Rose to snip off anything male. Recognizing Jim's gender Jacket proceeds to chase him all over the room until finally Rose appears and calls him off.

Turns out that Robin came to work for Rose after Batman could no longer pay his salary. Rose can't believe he has forgotten how to put the flowers to sleep. Thretening him with Jacket she persuades him to pick a rose with his mouth, causing him to get hurt in the process. Convinced now that Rose is completely mad, Jim tries to convince the girls that it is time to leave. They are feeling that this is a comfortable place to live and are not inclined to leave it. Charlene notices that Jim is hurt and she tries to help him. Rose sees and now convinced that Jim is also her long lost lover she attacks him with a large knife.

The three hatch a a plot to drug Rose so that they can escape. The plot is almost disasterous as it is at this moment that Ivy, a former disciple of Rose, turns up with her all girl thug gang, the Ivy League. Fortunately for Jim because his nose is broken he doesn't sucumb to the fighting powder scattered by Ivy. Rose dispatches him to take care of Charlene while she battles the Ivy League and takes charge of Gillian. As Charlene revives she realizes she has fallen for Jim, luckily for her the feeling is mutual. They race back to the house to find that Rose has been hurt. The girls volunteer to train to help Rose defeat Ivy.

Managing to thwart Poison Ivy in a parking garage the threesome head back to the rose garden only to find that The Ivy League is there ahead of them and tthey are shut out of the house. Remebering the tunnel Jim dug to rescue the girls they set off through it. Unfortunately, The Ivy League is waiting for them. In the ensuing battle the Ivy League are defeated and the girls dispatch Poison Ivy herself. Once Rose is released she pronounces the girls her successors. She sets out determined to find the lover who left her.

Review

Black Rose began as a TV show in the 1960's. Teresa Mo was involved in the TV series and so was an obvious choice for Black Rose. While the TV series were comedic and well received this movie seems to have no plot. It seems to have been made as a new year popular star blockbuster designed to film quickly and make money.

The Twins are cloyingly cute and extremely noisy. Unless you are a fan they have nothing to reccommend them. The scene where they are being hung starts to have you hoping they won't get rescued if only to stop the screaming. Interestingly, despite their popularity as megastar singers, in the one part in the movie where they have to sing, both of them are totally out of tune. It is only the singing talent of Teresa Mo and Ekin that enables them to be brought back on key.

Ekin's fans are still wondering why he did this movie. Perhaps because Donnie Yen asked him. The action such as it is seems to be designed to give the Twins and Teresa Mo, opportunities to beat on him. Ekin, dressed as Robin and sporting a smashed nose seems unnecessary. But Ekin is a good sport about the whole affair which must have been embarrassing to film and for his fans even worse to watch. Unfortunately, once again he is destined to play Charlene's love interest. Despite the goofy get-ups and the assaults on his manhood, it is still Ekin and his natural good looks and veteran acting talents are still apparent.

Teresa Mo despite her fame as an actres in the past probably should have stayed retired. Her acting is over the top as the love crazed crime fighter. The movie never seems to make it clear why Faith Woo is so angry with Rose or why she is involved with crime, or indeed what those crimes are supposed to be. Nevertheless she is convincing as the bad girl. Among her gang however is Chris Yen, the director's sister. She is a serious a martial artist like her brother and it is clear from her fight scenes with theTwins that she is having to seriously hold back to keep from hurting them. It might have been better if she had faced Ekin rather than havong him deal with the gun. His martial arts skills while not comparable would have at least allowed Chris to show off hers in a better way.

In this movie there are many bad jokes and comedic prat falls, It has no real plot. Only the action direction of Donnie Yen enables the untalented Twins to aquit themselves halfway decently. To enjoy this movie you have to be a die hard fan of either The Twins or Ekin as it has nothing else to recommend it.

The movieis put out by Universe Laser on both DVD and VCD. It has a Mandarin and Cantonese track and chinese and English subtitles. There is also a photo gallery and the trailers for the movie on the DVD.