Wong Jing travels down a well-worn path with 1991's Dances with Dragon, which is a fairly typical comedic product for Wong, as it seems to make up for the lack of any really gut-busting jokes by increasing the number of them thrown at the viewer, and then cranking the volume at which they are delivered. As you might expect, this isn't exactly a recipe for success.

In the movie, Andy Lau plays Lung, whose life has that uniquely cinematic problem, in that he's one of the richest men in Hong Kong, but can't find a decent girlfriend. After a boat accident leaves him stranded in a small village and mistaken for an illegal immigrant, Lung takes up with shopkeeper Aunty Eleven (Deannie Yip) and her daughter, Moon (Cheung Man). Lung and Moon start to develop feelings for each other, but can a relationship between a rich city guy and poor country girl last?

That question has been the basis of dozens of romantic comedies over the years, and Wong Jing doesn't attempt to get anything new out of the chestnut. You're going to be able to see where Dances with Dragon is going the whole entire time, and there is definitely a sense of Wong just going through the motions. One might just say that he was being lazy, but perhaps it was more of a matter of overwork, as this was the fifth movie he directed in 1991.

At any rate, Dances with Dragon is a totally unremarkable production, being neither really good or really bad, just kind of there. A few bright spots do shimmer from time to time, particularly from the supporting cast, such as the always dependable Ng Man-Tat, who plays Lung's beleaguered sidekick. For the most part, though, this is the sort of picture that is inoffensive enough entertainment to kill off time during a rainy afternoon, but isn't anything you're going to be likely to remember years (or even weeks, really) down the road.

RATING: 5