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Unable to control his irresistible gambling habit and heavily in debt, Slipper/Fong (Jackie Chan)
and his buddy-partner Octopus (Louis Koo) quickly accept an offer for them to do a robbery. Offered three million dollars to do the job, they do not bother to find out what
it is that they have to look for and take out.
They find themselves driven to a hospital. Thinking it must be the expensive medicines they are to target, they begin to select and take them down from the shelves. But quickly, to their surprise and shock, they are directed to pick up a newborn baby, of a Mrs. Lee, and take it out. Bedlam breaks out. The lawmen, hospital security, the men hired to make sure the kidnapping succeeds, run after the two men with the baby. Everyone and everything get mixed up. Inspite of the hectic chase, the two guys, by hook and by crook, manage to escape with the newborn, for now. What happens next? What is this unusual occurrence about?
It turns out that a wealthy shady boss wants that particular baby to be his grandson, his own son
having died without giving him an heir. So desperate is he that he ups the reward to thirty million dollars for the child to be handed to him.
Although little Matthew (Medvedev) appears to be the central character, it is Jackie Chan, with his buddy Louis Koo, who draws in the viewers to enjoy watching him and his comic antics. Martial arts, more intricate and strenuous, span the movie where dangerous stunts are needed to escape the pursuers or to save the baby from close-calls, life-threatening situations and from being taken from them or falling into the wrong hands. The mix-up and jumbled plot used a lot of rehashed situations from past movies depicting babies in the care of adults. Fong and Octopus as total baby care givers is interesting to watch. They go from being leery to doting and then caring tenders. As buddies in the film they displayed a believable camaraderie. Fans of Jackie Chan and his kind of martial arts, would be entertained by
Rob-B-Hood
From protagonist to antagonist, Jackie Chan has taken the role of the bad guy instead of the good.
But viewers are given a character to feel sympathy for because of his weakness. Jackie as Fong made a mess of his growing up, went into gambling and thievery and getting into the kidnapping mess. Koo as Octopus his buddy is a womanizer and hates babies, wants his wife to abort their expected child. Both get arrested, serve their time, with a reduced sentence for their behavior and cooperation. Matthew is returned to his real parents and grandmother. The shady boss discovers that the baby is not the one that he thinks it is. Although there is no blood and gore, or cruelty, younger viewers should be able to see that Jackie has taken a bad-guy role, and showing his apathy and neglect of his family, until his father calls his attention. He is sorry and forgiven. Also that the martial arts feats and the situations the child is put into should never be let to happen. In filming no such sequence are made to take place. In the film, it is the computer generated images that imitate what is supposedly real-life but are not. Thus, the need of guidance for young viewers.
(Date Reviewed: 11 January 2007)
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