A series of mishaps happen during a quarantine in this pretty fun Hong Kong comedy featuring an all-star ensemble cast.

When three people are interrogated by the Pandemic Task Force, they have learned that the trio not only are infected by coronavirus, but they all were at the same location. That location is the Grande Hotel. William Wong and Chu Lai Ying are planning to get married in two weeks at the hotel. Uncle Kau, under the iron grip of his businesswoman wife, is given a chance to break free and head to the hotel for fun with his friends. Rival Triad bosses Dragon and Thunder are also at the hotel conducting business. However, things for all about to take a turn for the worse.

The hotel has been put on lockdown for two weeks. William and Ah Ying are in shock because their wedding was set to be on the last day. Uncle Kau can’t have the “fun” he is looking for now, and the two rivals are now forced to be roommates. While they deal with their own troubles, more chaos ensues. Manger Danny Chan is forced to rehire a staff member he had just fired and set up a room for she and her young daughter. Hotel President Tommy Lee attempts to leave the hotel despite his promise to be there for the guests. Can everyone survive this quarantine and each other for the next 14 days?

With the decline of local productions in Hong Kong as opposed to their constant co-productions with Mainland China, leave it to Vincent Kuk and a slew of writers to come up with a fun, ensemble cast-led film set during the darkest of our recent times, the coronavirus pandemic. Yes, the pandemic is not a joke and while it is not a laughing matter, having the film be a series of stories set within a quarantine at a hotel and is a comedy may be the thing everyone needs to tell yourself, “Hey. I know we’re in a pandemic, but I can still have a good time making the most of it while in quarantine.”

The ensemble cast, made up of Hong Kong veterans and new generation stars, are great in the film, with a focus particularly on three stories. One is the now doomed to be cancelled wedding between William Wong, played by Luk Wing, and Chu Lai-Ying, played by Cecilia So. What the fans also get a look at is their relationship, in which Chu clearly wears the pants and William finds himself with pent-up frustration. In another tale, we have Julian Cheung’s Dragon and Louis Cheung’s Thunder, two rival bosses who after learning of the lockdown attempt to escape but not only fail but are forced to be roommates. Their scenes provide a ton of laughs and there is a sense of being uncomfortable on two sides of the story, but as we see more of them and their gags, it’s clear something evident is destined for these two rivals.

The film can be possibly said to be a pseudo-sequel to the 2003 film Men Suddenly in Black, which revolved around a group of elder Triads attempting to have extramarital affairs while their wives are on vacation. Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Eric Tsang reprise their roles from that very film but due to the lockdown, what was once promised once again fails to a degree. One of the few connections between two of these stories is a conversation between Leung’s Uncle Kau and William after a turning point happens in the beginning of the third act.

However, there is one major connection between the three major stories, and it is a character in one of the major subplots. Little Ceci, the daughter of Fiona Sit’s character. Sit plays the just fired worker forced to be re-hired when the lockdown happens, and we see Ceci on her tablet taking photos and recording video for a school project within the walls of the hotel. When she sees the rivals with pandemic supplies, the duo is forced to sing that good’ ol’ viral tune “Baby Shark” to distract her.

The other major subplot is the running gag of the film, in which comedy legend Michael Hui’s hotel president attempts to leave the hotel with the help of his head of security, played by stunt legend Chin Ka-Lok (who also was stunt coordinator on the film…naturally). The attempts, in which there are supposed members of the military in the hotel willing to assist, prove futile with one resulting in a brief cameo from that legend known as Jackie Chan, who as a supervisor of the Pandemic Task Force is not only forced to thwart the attempt (to the theme song of Chan’s Police Story no less), but confront the President himself in a welcome reunion from The Cannonball Run.

All U Need is Love is exactly what is needed if you are someone in quarantine from this pandemic. A wild, fun, ensemble driven comedy about a lockdown in a hotel and the stories will keep you engaged, including the futile attempts to leave subplot. If you like comedies, this Hong Kong film is one worth taking a look at.

WFG RATING: A-

A One Cool Pictures production in association with China Star Entertainment, Edko Films, Mandarin Films, Media Asia Films, Shaw Brothers, TVB, Mei Ah Films, Sun Entertainment Culture, and Universe. Director: Vincent Kuk. Producers: Raymond Wong, Louis Koo, Albert Yeung, Charles Heung, Daneil Lam,  and Eric Tsang. Writers: Steven Fung, Anselm Chan, Kelvin Lee, Edmond Wong, Huang Haohua, Deng Yunxian, Mai Jiaxi, Luo Jingyin, and Ou Yingyao.

Cast: Luk Wing, Cecilia So, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Eric Tsang, Julian Cheung, Louis Cheung, Carlos Chan, Fiona Sit, Michael Hui, Chin Ka-Lok, Cheung Tat-Ming, Yuen Qiu, Michael Ning, Samuel Pang, Philip Keung, Ken Low, Chrissie Chau, Francis Ng, Gordom Lam, Alex Fong Lik-Sun, Candace Yu, Sam Lee, Jackie Chan, Gregory Charles Rivers.