Why don’t average middle-aged men take up criminal careers? If that seems like a stupid question, it is. Yet here is a film, albeit a “comedy,” in which two middle aged men decide “it’s the criminal life for me,” but get in way over their heads. How did they not see that coming? Not sure.
This film is mostly not about the two middle aged guys, but the career criminal who finds them. Mui Lam-tin (Aaron Kwok) is brazen and ruthless. He has a very affected way of growling through an overbite and insisting on being thanked. That could be comical, except it’s hard to take lessons in manners from a guy who shoots cops. In the opening, Mui engineers a bold and ugly street robbery that involves flash grenades and cop-killing. He makes his getaway in a school bus. If you’re asking, “HOW?” you are not alone.
Unfortunately for our main guy, he had to stash the cash in the back of a cab. The cab is driven by Robby (Gordon Lam), who has little money and a very pregnant wife. He messes around with his middle-aged bestie, Mo-yung Fai (Richie Jen). The latter owns an unprofitable nursing home. These two decide they need more money and to get some, they need a gun. Turns out, of course, getting a gun in Hong Kong is not quite as easy as getting one in the United States. Mischief ensues.
Neither man, of course, realizes there’s a bagful of cash in the trunk of the cab. So, while they’ve embarked upon criminality, they actually have a date with a 
genuine criminal. Isn’t that fun? Everybody in this film is either a frustrated mediocre cop or some degree of criminal with no in-betweens. When the new-to-criminal ventures meet the veteran criminal, I feel like it should be more fun, like a Yoda kinda of thing. The problem is Mui is just too ill-tempered to deal with for long … and because he’s already killed people, it’s hard to like him. Meanwhile, I’m not happy about the two mediocre buds who decide criminal life begins at 50 (or older).
Have you ever heard the Beach Boys cover of “Rock and Roll Music?” I love the Beach Boys, but there are songs they just shouldn’t cover. This is what Rob N Roll feels like – there are elements here of a fun film, one of those rollicking Ocean’s Eleven joyfests … but they don’t come together, and it just feels wrong. Are we rooting for the mediocre guys to give up their mediocre lives and become mediocre criminals (leading to mediocre prisoners)? Are we rooting for the hardened criminal who shows a sensitive side only after shooting a bunch of policemen? Are we rooting for the police who don’t seem to know what they’re doing? Rob N Roll feels like a bad cover of a song you love.
There once lived two pals from Hong Kong
Who decided their lives were all wrong
These middle-aged fools
Became criminal tools
They’ll be apprehended before long
Not Rated, 98 Minutes
Director: Albert Kai-kwong Mak
Writer: Ryker Chan, Albert Kai-kwong Mak, Uen-Ching Man
Genre: Overbites are funny!
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: I’m guessing you have to love one or more of the actors
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who scratch their heads at the plot
