But the über-coolness of the opening and several stretches of the film doesn't equal compelling. In fact, as Michael (Hong Kong hardest working young actor Shawn Yue), the world's best cop, with the best suit, tie, glasses, cool haircut enter a hostage situation via helicopter, we pray to god that we're watching some form of parody of über-coolness. Unfortunately, this is Ma's structure which turns out to be a blessing and a curse as we have actually forgotten about this early stylish stuff by the end. Meeting up, teaming up and hating Mainland cop Lincoln (Chen Kun - A West Lake Moment), he's after the murderer of his brother but is also dating Michael's ex-girlfriend Lisa (Linda Chung)...

The running theme of how wealth affects you and others will come to some form of fruition as I'll discuss later and we get of course the sense that we have a cop from the upper class as a lead character. Upper class means being distanced emotionally, including from your parents so Michael has a little life lesson to learn along the way in this investigation. Also in need of learning a little bit about women and how to conduct yourself as a man, Ma doesn't force issues down our throat but is clearly not one to squeeze fresh stuff out of the material either. Almost embarrassing but not quite. The calm, gathered sight of Lincoln vs. loud and stubborn Michael has the buddy cop formula written all over it and at best while ticking off aspects in the formula, Ma gets basic chemistry between our leads. Because in reality, ticking off a checklist makes for a tedious and uninvolving time. Cool for the sake of being cool and just punching in... why is Playboy Cops even welcome then? For this viewer anyway, it appears the film after a while as it introduces some grave darkness, violence and drama is molded out of a multi-moodswinging 80s/90s Hong Kong cinema. Because some of the best effective detours into bloodshed back then certainly didn't intrigue as cop genre-pieces but filmmakers knew how to push the dark buttons and Jingle tests out an old skill here. So surprisingly, he gets results.

After initially flooring us (because it's unexpected quality coming from this filmmaker) with some affecting, simple moments of characters bonding by just sitting and talking in a frame (especially the scene with Shawn Yue and his dad, played by Danny Lee), Ma doesn't necessarily show us an assured hand but does communicate the simple intent of such a scene that works with prior setup of Michael's distance. Now, drop the piano score in the background and next time there is even more learnt in the school of quiet drama. But it's the total turnaround in mood for the film's final reel that cements this likeability as a busy piece that shouldn't have worked then and certainly not when pulling out a xerox of it in 2008.

Jingle Ma keeps his eye for visually arresting, glowing images way back and focuses on a grainy, brutal time involving chainsaws and finger chopping that actually becomes basically affecting because of quiet moments created prior. While basically affecting doesn't get you more than an effect that lingers during the running time, you also look at Playboy Cops as having followed through on its themes. I commend a movie of the new millennium that dares to be flawed in favour of being very Hong Kong of a past era. So you did make an impression Jingle. Now learn from this and look a little at your past work with Clara Law and Eddie Fong too (1*). Life is a long filmschool for filmmakers so in 10-12 movies, perhaps Ma has gained some knowledge again. That's when I'll be back to examine his work again I reckon.

(1) Ma was the cinematographer on most of their work including The Reincarnation Of Golden Lotus, Farewell, China and The Private Eye Blues.

At first glance, however, this would not seem to be the case. The first scene has Michael (Shawn Yu), a rich heir who became a cop against his father's (Danny Lee) wishes solving a hostage situation by literally throwing money at the crook. It's done with Ma's trademark slickness, and leaves the viewer wondering if Playboy Cops is just another Hong Kong production that is an extended music video trying to disguise itself as an actual movie.

Things aren't helped by the introduction of the other main character, Lincoln (Chan Kwan), himself a heir who has become an officer. Lincoln's been brought to HK from the Mainland in order to assist in the investigation of his brother's murder. Even though Michael has been suspended for his tactics, he offers to help Lincoln, on the condition that Lincoln leaves HK afterwards, so Michael can get back together with his ex, Lisa (Linda Chung), who Lincoln is now dating.

For the first hour, Playboy Cops plays out like a lot of newer HK productions. The ridiculous nature of the plot (which was probably not helped by the fact that six people worked on the screenplay) threatens to take the movie off of the rails at times. But things are brought back via the performances of the lead actors that lend creednece to even the more ludicrous plot twists (think terminal illness) and some solid fight sequences helmed by veteran action director Stephen Tung.

Where Playboy Cops really gels together is during the final act. In an unexpected turn, Playboy Cops becomes not the promo material for its' young stars most HK productions seem to be nowadays, but a throwback to the "golden days" of 1980's HK film-making, with a violent confrontation between Michael, Lincoln, and the movie's "real" villain, culminating in a dark ending that has been sorely missed over the past few years.

It's a shame the rest of Playboy Cops couldn't match the passion and intensity of the finale, but as such, it still remains one of the better action/drama pictures to come out of HK in a while.