Heaps of cheesiness and cringe, but also genuine gasps of awe await those who dare to experience this break-dancing kung-fu romantic comedy from 1980s Hong Kong. Criminally absent from all the lists and compilations of best street dance movies and worst 80s crimes against good taste, this hyperactive extravaganza is an early masterpiece by the genius of action choreography Yuen Woo-Ping and future martial arts megastar Donnie Yen. But do not expect any of the gracefulness of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the physics-defying spectacle of The Matrix trilogy, nor the restrained grandeur of master Ip Man. Mismatched Couples is closest to Yuen’s martial-arts slapsticks with Jackie Chan, like the groundbreaking Drunken Master, but this time he also fully embraced the wildest and most bonkers elements the 80s had to offer in terms of aesthetics and life-style fads. Even the legendary Breakin‘ 2: Electric Boogaloo is left humiliated by this audiovisual onslaught of youthful glee and later-regretted fashion choices. Regardless whether they are diving into the lower depths of vulgar comedy, or rising to spectacular highs of grandiose acrobatics, the filmmakers approach all scenes with a stylistic mixture of cartoon hysterics and insane creativity. Mismatched Couples is a barrage of killer moves, fancy hairstyles, flashy outfits, polo shirts, boomboxes, BMX bikes and RC cars, all featured in scenes you would never dared to imagine and which will leave your jaw on the floor.
