Review: There's something about fart jokes that transcends language barriers, even as much of Stephen Chow's nonsensical, Cantonese witticisms often do not. Justice, My Foot! is a generally amusing effort with a healthy mix of Chow's shenanigans and action director Ching Siu-tung's slick wire fu. But like most of Chow's early films, the comedy is wrapped up into fast-moving, colloquial dialogue and situations that will baffle many Western viewers.

The film is a parody of both courtroom dramas and Qing-era period pieces that follows Chow's well-used formula of a talented jerk falling flat on his face and rising up to meet the challenge as a more humble being. But this time, the formula is not as well-defined or as entertaining as in later works like The God of Cookery. Chow plays a celebrated criminal defense lawyer named Sung Shih-chieh who retires from guilt over his successful defense of the guilty and the accidental death of his infant son. While this may not seem like much of a comedy, Chow displays a knack for riding the line between nonsense and drama. Sung is soon drawn out of retirement after his sassy wife (Anita Mui) comes to the defense of a woman framed for murdering her husband. But just as the trial begins, a corrupt official (Ng Man-tat) has Sung arrested for contempt of court. On his way to jail, Sung is nearly skewered by assassins hired by the real killer (Yuen King-tan), but is rescued by his kung fu-fighting wife, her two servants, and a martial arts hero caught up in the struggle (Eddy Ko Hung). Sung pretends to go insane in order to get released from prison and after recovering vital evidence returns to the trial which is now presided over by a weak-kneed Inspector General (Paul Chun) and three corrupt magistrates all guilty of ignoring or covering up the murder.

As a comedy, Justice, My Foot! relies heavily on the dialogue which doesn't do non-Cantonese-speaking viewers much good. Seasoned Chow fans and Hong Kong movie viewers will pick up on some of it, but the film just isn't as funny or easy to follow as Chow's more recent films. But the film is far from a lost cause. Chow is at his best when spontaneously beating a client while making Bruce Lee yelps or buying elevated kung fu shoes in order to look down on his wife who is normally taller than he is. More visual, or audible gags are generally base, but undeniably funny. Highlights include Chow's homely maid (Mimi Chu) who stuffs her petticoat with a pair of water balloons, a reference to Silence of the Lambs, pictures of Chow's parents who look suspiciously alike apart from a wig, and the simple sight of a pair of guards, one tall and thin matched with one short and fat. Chow also pokes fun at a pair of homosexual men and tosses his kid's dirty diaper on a guard's face. The topper is Ng Man-tat's chronic flatulence that gets better when Leung Kar-yan chimes in with perfect comic timing. Ah, yes. Nothing but highbrow entertainment here.

Chow and Anita Mui make a great screen couple with Mui delivering another standout role as Chow's feisty wife. Her main gag is that she's this pregnant woman with great kung fu skills who repeatedly has to come to her poor husband's defense. This is where Ching Siu-tung's excellent wire fu action comes in. My favorite moment is Mui's light step kung fu display as she barely lands her foot on a jiggling cube of bean curd that is being held aloft by a vendor. There are several decent wire fu battles involving Mui and longtime Ching Siu-ting associate Eddy Ko Hung who plays a stereotypical kung fu hero. Ching is truly the master of making non-fighters look good onscreen and Mui becomes the perfect picture of martial grace and fierceness despite limited training. Vividly-lush cinematography from award-winning DP Peter Pau also provides a big boost to the film's look while director Johnnie To proves to be just as capable of doing comedy as he is action.

A story less-focused on Chow's verbal sparring in the courtroom would have been nice, particularly in the end, but Justice, My Foot! manages to remain engaging and consistently peppered with just enough stylish action and slapstick.

Chow plays famous barrister Sung whose reputation as a fast-talker and slippery wordsmith are legendary. After taking a case that finally twinges his conscience and at the bequest of his wife (Mui), Sung decides to retire from the courtroom and concentrate on family life. His peace and quiet is not long lasting though as he is persuaded to take up the case of a wailing widow (Ng) who wants to prove that her brother-in-law murdered her husband. Unfortunately the odds are stacked against them when the accused throws money at the corrupt magistrate (Ng Man Tat) and persuades him to frame the justice seekers. Therefore Sung finds himself framed for contempt of court and possibly even the murder of his client's husband, leading to his imprisonment by the enemy. The skillful barrister must now try to trick his way out of prison, clear his name and win the case in quick succession.

It's maybe a good thing to first try and think about the positives that this film offers before concentrating on the numerous criticisms. Foremost among the plus points is the excellent chemistry between Chow Sing-Chi and Anita Mui; as with his partnership with Carina Lau in 'Forbidden City Cop', the two performers have a wonderful spark as the married couple who squabble, yet deeply love each other. Seeing Chow play such roles is a pleasant sign of comic maturity and something that seems to be becoming more emphasised as time goes on. The film also boasts fine period detail that effectively draws the viewer into the opening of the picture. This leads nicely onto the many bad points that sadly litter this big-budget comedy. As was said, the opening gives the impression that this will be another enjoyable comic romp from Chow, but it soon fizzles out. By the halfway mark of 'Justice, My Foot', most of the interest has disintergrated and the viewer ends up sitting their hoping for something special to happen; the wait proves to be in vain. It says something for the comedy on display when director and star have to rely on cheap flatulence gags for desperate laughs; even the customary Cantonese patter that usually earns a baffled laugh from Western audiences is incomprehensible here. The impressive supporting cast are pretty much wasted as well, with Carrie Ng in particular cursed with a hopeless role that calls on her to cry and little else. 'Justice My Foot' is mediocre and recommended only to strong Chow fans. A 3 star rating and that is probably a bit too generous.

PICTURE: The film is a big disappointment, but the disc is reasonably good. The picture is mostly crisp with few scenes suffering from softness. Colours and fleshones are very good. The only major gripe is the odd scratch and white blemish that appear during the film.

TALENT FILES: Stephen Chow Sing-Chi, Anita Mui and Johnnie To.