The Blue Jean Monster

The Blue Jean Monster has few generally recognized qualities, but it deserves attention as one of the oddest pastiches of Hong Kong cinema. Very little makes sense here, from the title itself to the bizarre mix of genres, but that is what ultimately makes this crazily insipid work appealing. Like Robotrix, which was produced by the same company, Paragon Films, and which opened in cinemas only a week later, the basic premise smacks of RoboCop. But in practice, apart from the motif of reviving a slain cop, the film takes a completely different path that is rather more similar to the trash flick Dead Heat, as the good cop is not resuscitated as a robot, but as a walking corpse that has to be regularly recharged with electricity. This is fleshed out into an insipid pastiche in which goofy comedy with grotesque acting and loads of bawdy humour predominates, though horror elements, action scenes and essential special effects are given space in the film. (15/08/2021)