I Love Maria 4K 1988

To many today, this story will seem like utter nonsense. However, if you look closely at the details, this simple tale of a cyborg girl who becomes a pawn in the hands of gang members and outright ne’er-do-wells—the film’s protagonists—turns out to be quite stylistically coherent. It’s a mix of completely insane cyborg battles, created in the tradition of the “Transformers” cartoons and the “Robocop” films that were all the rage in those years, spiced with a distinctive blend of adventurous and underdog humor. Futuristic action spiced with bizarre jokes. Not the easiest combination, by the way. That’s why I can’t give the film the lowest rating. I’m sure that if this film were remade today (even exactly as it is, without special effects), with a slight shift in emphasis, it might even be a hit. Alas, the female lead didn’t come across as very convincing in this film. Even Tony Leung Chiu-wai (who played a small role as a strange scientist) wasn’t convincing.

There’s not much more to say about this movie. Because there’s nothing to say. To be honest, throughout the entire film, I couldn’t shake the strange feeling that this dusty old gem—which isn’t considered particularly significant even in Hong Kong—is actually quite competitive compared to *Transformers*. There was something sincere about its reckless, aesthetic kitsch and the energy the filmmakers brought to the film.