Twice the fun - and problems - in sequel

THREE decades in and a couple of dozen films later, 59-year-old Hong Kong director Johnnie To still defies categorisation - not that it's a good thing for a filmmaker to be pigeonholed, but for someone who has dabbled in every imaginable genre and is as prolific, it's not entirely surprising that he's had his fair share of hits and misses. In other words, he entertains the masses as often as he sometimes also frustrates them.

In his farcical 2011 rom-com Don't Go Breaking My Heart (co-directed with regular collaborator Wai Ka-Fai), the award-winning auteur tackled a mainstream genre after years of dabbling in gangster dramas. Its box-office success probably has something to do with To coming up with Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2. The sequel not only rounds up the old cast, but even throws in Hong Kong's Miriam Yeung and Taiwan's Vic Chou for added star wattage and broader appeal.

Luckily, bigger also turns out to be better. This sequel comes with twice the fun and even more eye candy than the original. But the problems inherent in the first film - weak characters and silly scenarios that only a diehard romantics would buy - are magnified in the sequel, so those who hated the first film had best stay away; those who loved the first outing will be in for a real treat.