《唐人街探案2》

Starring: Wang Baoqiang, Liu Haoran, Xiao Yang, Wang Xun, Liu Chengyu, Shang Yuxian, Yuan Hua

Director: Chen Sicheng

THE release of “Detective Chinatown 2” is a rarity, in that it’s a non-English movie getting distribution from a major U.S. studio (Warner Bros.) and all on the occasion of the Chinese New Year.

But fear not, those who have never seen the first “Detective Chinatown” — the shenanigans here are so broad, with two mismatched detectives trying to solve a twisty case under a time crunch, that seeing the original is far from a requirement.

Director Chen Sicheng’s “Detective Chinatown 2” centralizes these antics in a chintzy travelogue’s idea of New York City, with Times Square, Union Square, Chinatown and Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York” prominently featured. Our guides through this outsider’s view of New York are calculated boy genius detective Qin Feng (Liu Haoran) and his high-energy, squeaky-voiced uncle Tang Ren (Wang Baoqiang), also a reputable detective but with far less grace.

The two are mismatched from the beginning, with Tang Ren appearing bombastic, boyish and clumsy, but with a knowledge of ancient Chinese culture that always seems to lead to the missing clue. Chen dresses up Qin’s brilliance, on the other hand, with extensive CGI sequences where he can visualize a map of New York City, going so far as to pull out buildings like he was playing with a toy set. But this is another moment in which the movie is better at being flashy than logical.

The two detectives are in the United States to try to get a US$5 million reward for solving Chinatown case involving a wealthy man’s son, competing against other detectives who are created with even more broader strokes than they are: two bald twins, a muscle man who could be Jason Momoa’s stunt double, a young woman with blue hair who can hack everything, a man dressed up like Sherlock Holmes who works with his daughter, and more.

True to how the first “Detective Chinatown” plays out, there are many unexpected turns during the investigation, like in how a prime suspect becomes a third member of the crime-solving duo. Soon enough, they’re all being chased throughout the city and by the goofiest of bad guy goons, all while trying to solve a central question that a fair share of viewers will figure out before the end of the opening credits.

There are plenty of moments that will have international audiences laughing at the United States: When a sourpuss police chief with a Trumpian haircut says we should “also build a wall in the West,” what does that say about us?

Chen continues to show that he has a strong balance of style and storytelling, creating visual jokes out of packed sequences and telling his story in a way that’s in-your-face, but in a manner that you don’t want to look away. Even if it’s not that funny, “Detective Chinatown 2” proves to be snappy and persistent, complementing its bright color palette and energy with basic goals to alternate between silly, dark and slightly clever.

The movie is now being screened in Shenzhen.

(SD-Agencies)