Sci-Fi and Comic Wonders

I Love Maria

Dir: David Chung
Scr: Yuen Kai-chi
Prod Co: Golden Princess
Cast: John Sham, Sally Yeh, Tsui Hark, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Lam Ching-ying
1988 | Colour | DCP | Cantonese | Chi & Eng Subtitles | 99min

In this ambitious blend of sci-fi, action comedy, and crime fiction, Tsui Hark teams up with wild-haired John Sham as co-producers and male leads, playing an ex-member of a crime gang and an eccentric scientist, initially from rival camps but eventually forming allies. Pre-dating the era of computer-generated effects, the film conjures a futuristic world with meticulously crafted sets, costumes, and props. Sally Yeh shines in dual roles as Maria, the crime boss’s girlfriend, and her robotic android counterpart—a sleek, metallic creation reminiscent of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Other robots are styled after Japanese manga.

The story kicks off with a terrorist gang robbing a bank using a giant robot, leaving the police outmatched. Whisky (Tsui Hark), a former gang member, defects and befriends a police scientist (John Sham) in a pub. When the gang’s leader deploys a new android, modelled on his girlfriend Maria, to hunt down Whisky, the eccentric scientist reprogrammes it to fight for justice. The stage is set for a climactic showdown between the evil Maria and her reprogrammed double. Directed by veteran cinematographer David Chung, the film dazzles with explosive action sequences and thrilling fighting scenes choreographed by Ching Siu-tung.

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