Two former thieves are tricked by a cop into helping at a wayward youth center and taking down a scheming real estate mogul in Sammo Hung’s THE OWL VS BUMBO. The 1984 comedy is now on Blu-ray from 88 Films.
The Owl vs Bumbo is a fun, if airy, Hong Kong action comedy starring martial arts cinema master Sammo Hung, George Lam, Deanie Ip, and the very first role for worldwide superstar Michelle Yeoh! Directed by Sammo Hung himself, from a script by Lai Ling Chueng, The Owl vs Bumbo is nothing to write home about but an enjoyable diversion that gets some laughs, a bit of drama, and a decent amount of action; not a ton, but moments.
Of our titular characters, Shanghai Shanghai’s George Lam is The Owl; Sammo Hung of oh so many things, but let’s just toss out some I’ve covered, like Rosa and She Shoots Straight, is Bumbo. Both are thieves (and since they’re our heroes, only steal from asshole rich folks) who have retired. A bitter ex-cop follows both and blackmails them into volunteering at a school for wayward youths, ending up reforming both and disrupting a criminal enterprise.
Along the way, choreography moves them into fighting (a moment in a hotel room when they misunderstand why they’re there), some aerobics, a fun dancing sequence, other comedic bits, and a large warehouse fight toward the end, keeping it active and shifting. Unfortunately, the women characters, both Deanie Ip and Michelle Yeoh, are sidelined; used more as props, love interests, or pushed down (even if it feels inadvertent), such as trained teacher Michelle Yeoh having trouble connecting to her class, but only the first time in the room dude can get through. That sort of thing. Sadly, Yeoh doesn’t get to fight, this is her debut and she hadn’t really had the training yet, that came after The Owl vs Bumpo.
As he does with his direction, as seen in the Lucky Stars films, Hung keeps things moving at a solid pace, never letting scenes drag on, and pushing with the energy and timing that come with martial arts mastery and transformation for film. Even at this speed, it is a little meandering and never really focuses too much on the full plot; there could be more to dig into with the reformed criminals, who is controlling them, or even the “kids” they are working with. Each part is half-formed, and could be the focus of a full film on their own. With that, the tone can shift oddly from comedy to drama, and it’s a bit of a whiplash. But that’s a bit normal for the era and place, so it’s expected. But that doesn’t stop it from being jarring.
The Owl vs Bumpo is a fully enjoyable comedy. Nothing special, but in no way a bad film. It does its job well, with Sammo Hung being the delight he always is. I love to watch the guy. And he loves to make movies, and it shows.
The Packaging and Presentation
88 Films puts The Owl vs Bumbo on a single disc Blu-ray, region A/B, with the pair and title on the disc. The black see-through Blu-ray case has a double-sided sleeve with original and new art by Sean Longmore. Inside is a fold-out double-sided poster of the same set of art. It has a slipcover, with each side featuring different art. In a nice touch of package design, a U-strip across the bottom of the package contains the technical information.
88 Films gives a 2k remaster from the original camera negative. It looks good for what it is: a quick 80s Hong Kong comedy. So maybe a little soft and fuzzy, but the transfer still makes it look pretty good. Plenty of great use of color, and the details remain clear. The audio is in Cantonese with new English subtitles.
The Features
88 Films puts two main features on the disc, both new.
Commentary
Hong Kong film expert David West gives a solid commentary, covering all aspects of the film, with a focus on Michelle Yeoh as the new face here (since 88 Films has covered many Hung and Lam films). Detailed and interesting. 
Those who Kam-Bo Teach
Ricky Baker (here I sing the song from Hunt for the Wilderpeople) gives a fun appreciation of the flick. (18m)
Trailer
A fun trailer
Image Gallery
BTS, production stills, and marketing
Final Notes
The Owl vs Bumpo is a fun, light flick that delivers solid entertainment for those who dig Hong Kong comedy (with a dash of martial arts). Not the first thing I’d steer a new fan of the genre or director/star Sammo Hung, but a delight nontheless. The disc looks pretty darn good, and the two features are slight but do enough to enhance the film.