I'm a huge fan of Harold Lloyd, the star of the silent screen, but not so much of his talkie era. It's not his fault - he's still a likeable character and his voice was pleasant enough. But when the laughs depend on the script rather than the visuals, the peculiar talent of Lloyd is sidelined.
Not that there aren't some funny things on screen - it's just that the flashes of wit and zippy pacing are gone. Harold plays a boring character, a fish out of water who gets caught up in city politics against his will. He uses his Chinese connections and wisdom (he's a visiting missionary from Asia) to come up with a way to beat the city system.
It's probably funnier than a lot of today's comedies, but because of its time frame there are racial slurs dropped casually throughout the film. (The Chinese characters are presented with respect in the script, but the white characters refer to them by an old-fashioned pejorative.) Other than that, the worst language is "Holy Cats!" The supporting cast is excellent, and the give-and-take between Lloyd and George Berbier is particularly enjoyable.
Not that there aren't some funny things on screen - it's just that the flashes of wit and zippy pacing are gone. Harold plays a boring character, a fish out of water who gets caught up in city politics against his will. He uses his Chinese connections and wisdom (he's a visiting missionary from Asia) to come up with a way to beat the city system.
It's probably funnier than a lot of today's comedies, but because of its time frame there are racial slurs dropped casually throughout the film. (The Chinese characters are presented with respect in the script, but the white characters refer to them by an old-fashioned pejorative.) Other than that, the worst language is "Holy Cats!" The supporting cast is excellent, and the give-and-take between Lloyd and George Berbier is particularly enjoyable.