Melodramatic weepie for fans only

WAY before Korean drama serials brought about a new breed of self-sacrificing male protagonists who spoil the market for boyfriends and husbands everywhere, there was Julian Cheung's character, Man Cho, from the hugely popular Macau-set TVB series Return of the Cuckoo (2000).

His soft-hearted and selfless ways made women swoon, especially at the great lengths he would go to ensure his adoptive sister Kwan Ho's (Charmaine Sheh) happiness. The pair became such a hit the duo were named Favourite On-Screen Couple by the network. Fifteen years on, they reprise their roles for this nostalgic big-screen spin-off, targeted at fans. Their chemistry hasn't fizzled but the scattershot plot lets the film down.

Picking up from where the series left off, Ho returns unexpectedly to Macau from the US and old feelings start developing between her and Cho. The will-they-won't-they plot will keep hopeless romantics guessing till the end but it's all too melodramatic and soap-opera-like for the big screen.