Film Review: Walk In 奪舍 (1997) - Hong Kong
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
I rated it 6.5/10
Rating: ★ ★ ★
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In the gloriously chaotic world of mid-1990s Hong Kong cinema, where genres collide like cars in a freeway pileup, Herman Yau’s “Walk In” arrives as a supernatural body-swap comedy that never quite decides what it wants to be — and somehow that’s part of its scruffy charm.
The premise is pure Category II pulp poetry. A dedicated but gravely injured policeman (Dayo Wong) finds his soul in need of a new home after a botched robbery leaves him paralyzed. Through a Taoist “walk-in” ritual involving a comatose small-time crook named Chicken (Danny Lee), the cop takes up residence in a body that comes with its own messy baggage: triad troubles, multiple wives, a colorful sister (Ada Choi), and a general reputation for being a stuttering loser. What follows is less a seamless possession than a comedic identity crisis, as the straight-arrow cop tries to clean up Chicken’s life while the original occupant’s habits and consequences keep crashing the party.
Danny Lee, that granite-faced icon of righteous Hong Kong cops in classics like The Killer and Law with Two Phases, is the film’s secret weapon. Here he’s asked to play against type — first as the catatonic vessel, then as a body inhabited by a younger, frustrated soul who gradually channels Lee’s familiar authority. The transition is uneven but often delightful; you can feel Lee relishing the chance to do physical comedy and vulnerability before slipping back into his tough-guy mode. Dayo Wong brings his deadpan timing to the setup, and the supporting women (including Jacklyn Wu and Ada Choi) orbit the central male chaos with varying degrees of exasperation and affection.
Herman Yau, a director who has trafficked in everything from Category III shockers to ghost comedies, keeps things moving with his usual energetic inefficiency. The film lurches from supernatural setup to domestic farce to triad action without much warning, which will frustrate viewers who prefer tidy storytelling but will delight those who love the anything-goes spirit of ’90s Hong Kong filmmaking. There are moments of genuine cleverness in the body-swap gags, some heartfelt (if rushed) family drama, and an action climax that reminds you why these movies were catnip for late-night video store browsers.
Yet “Walk In” never quite transcends its B-movie roots. The comedy is hit-and-miss, the tonal shifts can feel jarring, and the script occasionally settles for easy slapstick or convenient plot resolutions rather than mining deeper emotional territory. At its best, it captures that peculiar Hong Kong alchemy of blending the spiritual, the profane, and the ridiculous; at its weakest, it feels like several half-formed ideas fighting for screen time.
Still, for fans of Danny Lee’s filmography or anyone nostalgic for the wilder shores of Dayo Wong’s early cinematic days, this is worthwhile territory. It’s not a great film, but it’s an entertaining one — the kind you watch with friends, beers in hand, and a willingness to forgive its messiness in exchange for its heart. (Neo, 2026)