I want to begin by pointing out that, were Project: Sex With Jordan Chan any higher on my personal agenda, I would probably enjoyed Spy Dad a whole lot more. But it’s not, so I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t because I’m a redblooded Australian male with a complete intolerance of any and all homosexual practice — it’s just that I don’t find Jordan Chan — or Jordan Chan’s naked backside, which also features in this film — particularly attractive. Either way, if Jordan Chan’s naked backside is what you’re into (so to speak), then Spy Dad may well be the film for you. Everyone else…
This is where words fail me. I feel I should be accorded a great deal of respect for my Spy Dad experience — not just because I watched the film, but also because I didn’t hang myself afterwards. To be fair, I probably laughed more (ie. three times rather than once) in Spy Dad than I did in Honesty, the last Wong Jing film I reviewed, but Honesty at least had some semblance of a plot to drive it. Spy Dad, however, has nothing.
I’ve defended Wong Jing many, many times before and will continue to do so, if only on the strength of his work on God of Gamblers. But I really don’t understand what’s happened since then; once upon a time WJ made his trash to last, but I can’t image anyone watching Spy Dad 10 days after its release, let alone 10 years. Sure there are some timely Matrix references and SARS gags, and the running Infernal Affairs joke isn’t bad, but otherwise… don’t waste your time.