The April 2011 A - Z Blogging Challenge - W is for Weng Weng!

We're in the homestretch of The April 2011 A - Z Blogging Challenge now! I can see the end just a few letters away...but tonight we're still deep in it - and after a couple of nights ago, it's time to double down on the U...yes that's right! Double U! And then we're going to double it again - because tonight the spotlight falls on a small package of big talent....yep...

W is for Weng Weng!

I was first introduced to the magic that is Weng Weng when I spotted the title For Y'ur Height Only on Netflix - hmmmm, a play on a Bond title, and somebody in it is either very tall, or very short. But, why not have Buddha Man take over at this point?

For Y'ur Height Only (1981) Firstly, that typo is courtesy of the filmmakers, not me. Secondly, it's neat to still be logging firsts in my movie watching after so many years. This was my first martial arts/James Bond knockoff starring a little person! Filipino star Weng Weng is the tiny actor in question, listed in info on the DVD as 2'9'' (?!) He may be short, but he's not short on talent! Well, actually he is. But you gotta give the guy credit as he jumps right into the action as secret agent 00, the best man for the job when Filipino bad guys do...well, villainous things. There was definitely no plot to get in the way of the story here, which basically had the bad guy sending his minions to kill Our Hero, but instead getting their comeuppance most usually through kicks and punches to their crotch, the body part closest to 00's reach. He also has a great trick where he comes sliding on the floor from around a corner, shooting his tiny little pistol at the bad guy lurking there. The movie seems to be pretty clever, spending the first several minutes just letting the audience marvel at what they are seeing as 00 mops up on a few bad guys. Just when the novelty of the little guy kicking tushie is wearing off, he's called into his boss's office to be given a classic dubbed briefing and a pile of gadgets to use. So now we get to watch 00 continue his mission with a poison detecting ring, little machine gun sized for him, and a remote control Oddjob hat (!) Finally, this too starts to get a little old, and they filmmakers play their final trump card: they send 00 back into the office where his boss gives him this adorable little jet pack! Oh my golly, the sight of this tiny little man on pretty much totally visible cables "flying" about 7 feet off the ground with a little flame and smoke coming out of only one of the jet pods on his back had me cackling all over the couch right through the end of the movie.

The best part of this whole blog thing: getting to show this stuff.

All in all, this one has a lot going for it, including love scenes, gun battles, fist fights, surveillance and sneaking around, all of which is made that much more exciting because the guy doing it is knee high! There's also a climactic little person martial arts free for all, frequently hilarious dubbing, a musical score that will remind you of a certain British spy's theme song without waking up the musical copyright lawyers; and the moment you had to know would be in there: the moment when 00 does something so dangerous the filmmakers have him doubled by a big doll. Now that is cinema! Check this one out!




That will wrap us up for this post! Always remember...it is better to look good, than to feel good. And you...look...MARVELOUS...!