Cat vs. Rat (1982) Review

Director:  Lau Kar-Leung

Starring:  Fu Sheng, Adam Cheng, Kara Hui, Gordon Liu and Wang, Lung-Wei

Action Directors: Lau Kar-Leung, King Lee King-Chu, and Hsiao Ho

Plot: Cat and Rat, two students of the same Sifu, are always fighting to determine who is the best Each student battles the Sifu and learns new techniques, hoping to best the other.  One day the incognito Emperor is saved by Rat. The Emperor wants to make Rat an official but the Rat doesn’t believe the man is the real deal.  The Cat saves the Emperor on another occasion and receives the position, much to the chagrin of the Rat.  The Rat tries to get revenge with the assistance of his sworn Rat Brothers.

The movie was good for the most part.  I would watch it again.  I enjoyed Adam Cheng’s performance in the movie as Jien Chiu, the Royal Cat. I think he played the part of the serious, straight man well to Alexander Fu Sheng’s silly arrogant and annoying Bai Yu Tong, the Brocaded Rat. I also enjoyed Lydia Shum Tin-Ha as Bai Yu Tong’s pushy and over the top mother.  You can see why Bai Yu Tong turned out the way they did.

Gordon Liu, Kara Hui, and Johnny Wang Lung-Wei were also good in their roles but were unable to showcase their fine fighting skills.  I would have liked the movie more if these fine actors were given more fight sequences.  The fighting was choreographed well in this film, so it is a shame Gordon, Kara and Johnny’s superb fight skills were underutilized.

My favorite fight sequences were between the Sifu and his two students.  So many different weapons were used as he tried to teach each student that they were equal. Even though these were my favorite sequences, I do think the movie spent too much time, in the beginning, focusing on the rivalry between the two students.  If there had been less of the students fighting maybe there could have been more of Kara and Gordon showing off their skills.  

Another waste was Lung Tien-Hsiang as Shui Shueng Pui who announced himself as the River Rat in one scene.  Then he wasn’t the River Rat at the end. Hsiao Ho plays River Rat at the end but I thought he was just a servant throughout the movie.  That was a bit confusing to me.  Maybe the subtitles got it wrong but Lung Tien Hsiang should have been the River Rat at the end.

Overall, Cat vs. Rat is an ok movie and should be viewed once by all Alexander Fu Sheng fans.  The storyline is good as are the fighting sequences.  The actors are excellent in their roles and I also enjoyed the comedy.  The Bai Yu Tong character, however, was very annoying in this story and I wanted to slap him a few times.  

Final rating:  3 out of 5 Rats

Cat Vs. Rat is available on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play Store.