Poor Daddy/My Son Was a Hero (怕老婆/兒子英雄)

Although opening segment is slow and barely visible because of bad print, hang on because the print improves and so does the pace. Despite being lightweight, its comedy, child hero, cliff-hanging, and wonderfully hiss-able villain make this pleasantly watchable. The alternate titles reflect an interesting aspect of the film: its focus shifts between the son's view of his father ('Poor Daddy'), the father's view of his son ('My Son Was a Hero'/'兒子英雄'), and the father's view of himself ('怕老婆', which translates to 'Henpecked'). Interesting to compare this woman's agressive way of dealing with a weak husband whom she found repulsive, versus that of the title character in 'An Orphan' (1929), who wallows in self-pity.

Related:

An Orphan/The Orphan Of The Storm (雪中孤雏)

Uniquely crafted tale, told largely in title cards rather than imagery, suggesting that the protagonist was a Cinderella-like victim of human cruelty, while at the same time making it clear that her negative psychological responses were at the root of her problems. Wonderful acting by the three most villainous characters, along with a surprisingly modern look of both the cinematography, and the lead couple (who co-directed!).

View...