OK, so that's not really a joke. It is the setup for Badges of Fury, an Asian film that is a joke.
Investigating this string of so-called “Smile Murders” are two police detectives: the grizzled old pro (Jet Li, The Expendables 2) and the young renegade (Zhang Wen, The Guillotines). Having Li in a film used to be a surefire sign of quality; however, now that he's past his prime — by his own admission — he can't tap into his greatest talent: martial arts.
Thus, Badges of Fury is an action comedy. Too bad that with the action, the real bravura shots and sequences are made more by computer than man. And it's only a comedy if the viewer considers sped-up motion and “bo-i-i-i-ng” sound effects as funny. If the viewer does, he is 5 and should be watching cartoons.
Perhaps the movie's appeal is lost in translation, but I doubt it. You don't need no stinkin' Badges. — Rod Lott
