How Long
10 tapes / 20 episodes
Who
Wong Hei,Marco Ngai,Foo Ming Hin,Tong Pou Yue,Chu Mi Mi and plenty of familiar faces.
What and Where
Set in modern HK,as the name obviously suggest,it is a serial about W.P.U aka Witness Protection Unit in the HK Police Dept,interwoven with simple love story tales,familial relationships,friendships and the difficult choice of whether to choose to be on your brother's side or to uphold justice by helping the police to nab the crook of a brother.
The Plot
Pretty simple.We are introduced to Wong Hei from the 1st second.He is Happy when he is an undercover cop but on all other times,he is Chan Fu Kwai,the only son(the other a daughter) of Chu Mi Mi,a fortune teller and her over generous hawker father at the Miu Kai.He became such right after his graduation from the academy and his parents knew nothing of it.He was cocky and tried very hard to get the trust of the big boss himself.But the thing is,during one time he noticed that his supposed big boss talked to a walkie talkie,meaning he must have been reporting to another bigger boss,so that held his interest eventhough the case was later solved,he was transefred to WPU and everything was ok.Anyway,during one of his undercover jobs,he met Foo Ming Hin,a thrid rate actress from Malaysia.Unfortunately,it wasn't a fairy tale first meeting coz she saw someone being shot and it just so happens Ah Hei was there,so she thought he was the one who did it.Being a very righteous girl,she signed a contaract for protection by the police,thus enters the WPU unit,consisteing of Wai Ying Hung as the lady boss,Marco Ngai as the arrogant rich man's son,and plenty of others.They tried to protect her,but unfortunately being an actress she had to go to promotion to find work so they had a hard time saving her life,but they did.Poor girl coz after the protection's over,she was homeless,until she became housemate with a member of the WPU,Internet who was actually in love with Marco Ngai.But fate would have it,Marco fell in love with Tong Po Yue,his childhood friend,the only sister of another mega rich guy which we later know is the Bigger Boss as mentioned above.Anyway,where's Ah Hei?Well,Ah Hei was later promoted to WPU(he hoped for O-Kei) and became enemies but later friends with Marco and also one of the 2 best members of that team.He fell in love with Foo Ming Hin,but at the same time Tong Po Yue became fascinated by him during the time when the WPU unit were to protect the brother from further bomb threats from the Vietnamese triad society.Then later many many things happened.Internet became prtegnant with Marco's child but he was still md ly in love with Tong Po Yue.Foo Ming Hin became the object of desire of the Bigger Boss and to launder money,chose her to be the heroine in his new film.But AH Hei wasn't very pleased and they broke up becaue the girl genuinely believed that her boss was a gentleman.And when Tong Po Yue knew about her brother's criminal actions,she was nearly killed by her brother who had already murdered his wife.Would she keep quiet or would she do the right thing?Ahhh,the difficulties of reel life.
WP WHAT?!
Witness Protection Unit,formed in 1995.Very well equipped with the latest technologies according to this serial but with Marco Ngai as the protector,I seriously doubt that the witness can ever reach tye court safely.Anyway,you may ask,what do they do?Well,when a someone were to witness a murder or a crime,and they're theretened to the point that the police feels that they need protection,they will be assigned to such WPU unit.They will provide a 'safe house' ,meaning cameras and police officers everywhere 24 hours a day with absolutely no freedom at all,that is until either the witness is dead,or the bad guy's dead,no trial or the witness reaches the court safely and testified.You may wonder,how long would that take?Depends on the commencement of the date of the court trial.With that the witness will have to sign a contract agreeing to such 24 hour supervision and protection.Serious stuffs.And according to this serial,every officer reads their files in English and they wear only black coats,white shirt,black ties.Female Officers can wear other colours.Reminds me of Men In Black.You could call them that,maybe Men in Black With An Ear Piece In Their Right Ear Who Carries A Laptop And A Gun Everywhere And Does Not Protect Us From The Scum Of The Universe,Only The Local Scums.
Any Funny Bits
Plenty.This is basically a comedy at first,then later it became a full fledged drama,like Burning Flame.Do look out for the scenes between Ah Hei and Marco,Ah Hei and Tong Po Yue and that wicked banter between Ah Hei and that Bigger Boss.Also,never forget the scenes between Ah Hei and his superior who was his middleman,like his informer and a father figure when he was an undercover cop.The way they talked,it was like father and son,only less serious and funnier.Also don't forget to look out for scenes between Ah Hei with his younger sister.They're really like real borther and sister,the way he would reprimand her and the way she would tease him.Good stuffs here.
The Love Stories
Nothing complicated here but quite a few twists.At first,Ah Hei and Foo Ming Hin.They broke up,patch up,broke up and patch up again at last.Nothing different but they do look nice together.AND for the first time in TV History,Ah Hei KISSED his co-star and when I say kiss means right on the lips for a few seconds!Ok,nothing fantastic but well,something new from AH Hei who had become,lately formulaic.Then there's Marco,who fell for Tong Po Yue.But Tong Po Yue fell in love with Ah Hei,becaue she thought that he thinks like her,artistically and he dared to criticise her artwork.But Internet fell in love with Marco,and they slept one together but the guy well,didn't want her anymore.But she became pregnant.When he found out and when Internet risked her life to save him,he knew he must marry her,but alas he still have feelings for Tong Po Yue.What a man like him to do?????
What Would You Do If
You found out that your brother,someone whom you have loved and respected for years was actually a criminal,a smuggler and ultimately,a killer?Someone who killed your beloved sister in law?Someone who would thereaten your life when you pretended to have forgoten about everything?Tong Po Yue chose to pretend for longer time as someone who has amnesia.Then when she couldn't,she tried to run away but alas,caught again.Only thins time,Ah Hei's there to almost save her when the brother of hers almost killed him.She got a gun and well,she shot her brother,but he didn't die of course coz then we would never get to see the mano-a-mano fight between Ah Hei and that guy with Foo Ming Hin looking on,desperately trying to help but abosultely useless in that dept.
The Weirdest Names
So Foo Ming Hin's character's name,APPLE is not weird.Plenty of people called APPLE.But makes you wonder,why not PEAR,ORANGE or other fruits?Why APPLE?It makes her sound so shallow.It shouldn't be the name's fault coz her character itself is shallow.FU KWAI which is Ah Hei's name.Now that shouldn't be weird because chinese names,though in English sound weird but actually they have deep meanings,like KEANU (which is actually Hawaiian ).But the weirdest one would be INTERNET.Would you call yourself INTERNET?What about WORLD WIDE WEB?OR E-MAIL?I know,the serial's trying to tell us that they're aware of such modern concepts but please,INTERNET?But then,a name's a name.So people shouldn't laugh or ask "WHY AH?" when there's a name like,River,Leaf,Rain,Rainbow,or even yours truly,FUNN.Why be Mary and Jenny or Sabrina when you could adopt something your own?At least the situation like when you screamed Joanne!!!!! and ten thousand heads turned your way wouldn't happen.Hopefully.
The Best Performance
It had to be Ah Hei.He is too good here,too funny and too serious an actor,when he needs to be.He may not have the looks but everyone who saw this serial thought he was good and terribly cute.And he speaks way better English than the supposed overseas educated rich man's son.Something different from our Guy here and you’ll definitely love him here,if you haven't already in Food Of Love.
Should I Rent It
I looooved this serial,and I’ll bet that you would too,though I found the love story between Ah Hei and Apple pretty boring.This serial is something different.Other than introducing to us,like a long promotional film on the new dept called WPU,it also show to us plenty of other stuffs by giving us plenty of police investigations involving one villian from episode one right up to the last episode.Strange I know coz usually police drama has plenty of villians to choose from but this one gives you ONLY one choice,take it or leave it.And because of this attitude,we got to know the villian better,why he did what he did,why he would choose the life of crime and how much he actualy loves his sister.Almost like Kelvin Kam from Secret Of The Heart.The only difference is Dear Kelvin kills everybody,whether they hurt him or actually loved him,because of one thing ,GREED which is actually a wasted effort (For more,pls read my analysis of Secret Of The Heart somewhere in this site).Rent it.You'll enjoy it as much as everyone else did,if not much more.
Is It Better Than..
All the police dramas like DIF (for a review for DIF III,pls click on the title to bem yourself there),O-Kei etc?Actually those are heavy stuffs and this one is for light entertainment only.Something for you to laugh with when you're bored.So can't really compare.In fact this serial could not be said as a full fledged police drama because it just involves one nosy bodyguard from the police force who was so curious as to the villian's crimes that he often checks on his bank statements more than protecting the witnesses,which is actually his job function.A wonder that no people died ,which is to show that how efficient Ah Hei is.Side Beat?The latest serial with Ah Hei and Flora?They have the same formula but different dept.Somehow,Marco Ngai has perfected the role of an arrogant rich man's son who became humble after knowing a humble poor man's son.You can see this here,Side Beat and Burning Flame (which has Louis Koo,another guy who perfected such roles).Pls read my reviews for Side Beat and Burning Flame for more comparisons at the TV Serials page.
Interesting Facts
Ah Hei was nominated for Most Popular Actor at the 1997 TVB Birthday Bash but lost to Gallen who won for Old Time Buddies.This year,1999 he was again nominated for his role in Buring Flame but lost to Louis Koo of DIF IV.The award is not for merit in acting but for popularity.So this year,Louis is the popuylar one.If they were to give it for acting wise,Chun Pui would have won every year.He was soo good in Secret of the Heart that you almost pitied him,in Burning Flame where you really thought he was drunk .Why am I talking about someone not in this serial??Anyway,Ah Hei became mega star after this serial and it isn't difficult to see why,though this was a relatively small production that year.
Another interesting fact.See that woman who acted as Internet?Ever wonder where is she now?In prison in America I think for credit card fraud.In fact before hse left for USA,she cheated some money from her best friend Tong Ying Ying who subsequently cried her heart out coz it's hard erned money and a very bad friend.Anyway,she should be out now.She could have continued with TVB before she went back home to be re-arrested(purpotedly,rumour has it she rather go to jail than to be beaten in HK coz she owed some more money,and she also was involved in fights in the prison) but she wasn't truthful.She didn't tell them the turth.Like Louis he told them of his previous convictions but he survived coz he was honest.Poor girl.Should she be given a second chance???
You've got the title wrong, this review is about 'Deadly protection'. "Nothing to declare" is with Bobby Au-Yeung and it's Wong Hei's first series.
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