Wars of In-Laws II (野蠻奶奶大戰戈師奶) is the modern sequel to the well-received 2005 comedy of the same name and the first high-definition TVB series broadcast on the new HDJade channel. Once again, the patience of Myolie Wu’s character is tested to the limits by her “barbaric” mother-in-law (Liza Wang). Trapped in a “war” of unreasonable demands, disagreements, and arguments is the character of Bosco Wong who tries to be a good son and husband. Below are some of the memorable scenes from the first episode.
THEY PUT ME ON PATROL FOR THIS?
While on street patrol, “Lai Man” (Myolie Wu) meets “Ah Tak” (Bosco Wong) for the first time as he suspiciously hides from two attention-deprived girls. As they argue about who’s more deserving of a date with him, “Ah Tak” begs “Lai Man” to remain silent as he sneaks away. Myolie’s expressions in this scene are priceless; I can just imagine Dayo Wong with those same sarcastic eyes as he prepares to deliver a witty comeback.
LITTLE GIRL, I’LL SAVE YOUR TEDDY BEAR!
“Lai Man” demonstrates her potential to be a bodyguard as she leaps, dives, and spins to the rescue of a little girl’s teddy bear caught between the doors of a moving bus - I’m surprised the theme song of the Indiana Jones films isn’t played here. Of course, “Ah Tak” is present to record her display of acrobatic moves, but before “Lai Man” can return the bear, she trips on something and flings it onto the street. It’s funny how he immediately lowers his camera phone in disappointment. This scene shows us that Myolie’s character in the sequel is more clumsy than before.
I CAN’T FEEL MY LEGS ANYMORE
During their fourth encounter, “Ah Tak” and “Lai Man” are handcuffed together. As they search for someone to help them cut the chain, a loud and ferocious-looking dog blocks their path. [It's an unwritten rule that the appearance of a wild dog in TVB series should lead to the rescue of a maiden in distress.] To avoid looking into its eyes, they roll their own and slowly run into a dead end. At first, “Lai Man” tries to protect “Ah Tak” from being attacked because her duty as a police officer is to protect citizens. However, her attempts to scare off the dog by making barking noises turn into whimpering cries, so he is forced to carry her as it charges forward. [Rarely do these wild dogs attack.] Here is where everything becomes fairytale-like: the dog has mysteriously disappeared, “Ah Tak” turns into a prince with sparkling white teeth, “Lai Man” is now a blond princess, and the whole scene takes place in a brightly-lit area. I know all this is ridiculous, but I can’t help but laugh at these fantastical moments. At least we know the series doesn’t take itself very seriously.
Despite some exaggerated scenes in the first episode, I am looking forward to watching the rest of Wars of In-Laws II. Aside from Healing Hands III, the original Wars was my favorite series of 2005 because the cast had great chemistry together, most notably long-rumored couple Bosco Wong and Myolie Wu; they make such an adorable couple on-screen. The storyline was engaging enough and there were many amusing comic moments. This time around, the series is more entertaining and it’s a pleasure to see that the three leads have retained that chemistry. Although I’m a bit disappointed that this sequel has to be “sacrificed” during a period of low ratings, Wars of In-Laws II is the perfect light-hearted comedy to usher in the New Year.
KEVIN CHENG & NIKI CHOW
BERNICE LIU
TAVIA YEUNG
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