Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Four


I had such high expectations for TF so in a way, I felt it disappointed me. The cases were kind of boring and a lot of questions were left unanswered. However, I blame the latter problem on the editing since it was originally supposed to be 30 episodes but was shorten down to 25 episodes. I'm usually all for shortening dramas but this time around, I actually wished TF was longer. I also heard that the TV version cut/edited out a lot of Ron Ng and Sammul Chan's scenes in order for TF to end earlier so that "The Gem of Life" can air near the TVB Anniversary. I think I watched the unedited version so at least I was able to watch this drama "completely". TF began really well, got boring in the first half, was good again the second half, and then got draggy near the ending. The best part about TF is the relationship between Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Sammul Chan, and Kenneth Ma.

Raymond Lam: I really liked his character in the beginning but was annoyed with him when he started to fall in love with Kate Tsui. I hated how he was smart when it comes to everything but love since he was tricked by Kate so many times that I have lost count! In a way, his character is realistic in that sense since love is blind for a lot of people. However, Raymond portrayed this role well and he looked so handsome when he wore white. 5*****

Ron Ng: I was looking forward to watching Ron in here since I haven't seen him in a drama since "The Brink of Law". His character was cool but a bit bland for my taste since he didn't really do anything but kill people. I wished his character showed more emotions/softness near the end though. 5*****

Sammul Chan: I like him in here since he was the comic relief; however, he can be annoying since he was indecisive and aloof when it comes to love. This was a nice comeback TVB drama for Sammul. 5*****

Kenneth Ma: I ended up liking this character a lot since I initially thought he would be boring since he's such a "goody two-shoes" but his character went through a lot and he was able to show a lot of emotions. 5*****

Kate Tsui: I think Kate looks the best in here since I actually thought she looked quite pretty in her costumes. Her character was interesting but Kate made the role too one-dimensional with her mediocre acting. This role reminded me a lot of the Michelle Yip's in "Lofty Water Verdant Bow" but not as lovable and cute. She was a little bit better at playing evil in here than in "Moonlight Resonance" though. 3***

Selena Li: I was slightly annoyed with her character in the beginning since she kept following and bickering with Kenneth Ma, but I love her after her father died since she matured a lot; she had a nice character development. Selena also looked pretty in her costumes even though they were extremely bright and colorful. 5*****

Vivi Lee: She's not the most attractive actress but I really like her in here since her acting is not bad for a newcomer. When she cried, I wanted to cry with her. I wished she had more screen time though; I look forward to more of her dramas in the near future. 4****

Cilla Kung: She's cute but she's really stiff when it comes to acting. She's not the worst newcomer ever but it didn't help that her character was not all that lovable. 2**

Raymond+Ron+Sammul+Kenneth: I don't really have a favorite constable since they each have flaws but I love them together since they complemented each other well. Initially, I wanted Bosco Wong to replace Kenneth but I don't think Bosco would have done as well as Kenneth. 5*****

Raymond+Kate: They don't look bad in terms of looks but they have zero chemistry together. I'm glad they didn't end up together since Kate is truly evil. Kate should have died instead of being alive with a disfigured face, but her ending is left open-ended so I think she will eventually die. 2**

Kenneth+Selena: They are the only official couple in here but I wished they would have shown their wedding since that would have been cute. They are adorable together and I want to see them as a couple again. It's ironic because I didn't like them as a couple in "The Master of Tai Chi" and I actually wanted Selena to couple with Raymond before watching this but I'm glad she was coupled with Kenneth instead. 5*****

Sammul+Vivi: I like them a lot together too but too bad, they didn't end up together. Optimistically, I think they will eventually end up together when Vivi finishes her studies and when Sammul decides to settle down. 4****

Ron+Cilla: They're not even a couple since it was pretty much one-sided throughout the drama and it's not even clear if Ron even likes Cilla at the end. I think Ron feels touched/pity for Cilla more than actually loving her. 1*

Themesong by Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Sammul Chan, and Kenneth Ma: 4****

Rating: 3*** The ending was left open-ended so I sort of wish there would be a sequel but it didn't receive high ratings so the chances are pretty slim.

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