With its charming ensemble cast, Sunny Chan's ‘Table for Six' mixed slapstick comedy with melodrama, creating a number one box office hit in Hong Kong in 2022. The original film explored romantic complications and family issues, and most of this film took place at a single apartment dinner table. More ambitious in scope, the sequel ‘Table for Six 2' has an expansive budget, the same charismatic cast and takes place in a multitude of locations, replacing the apartment dinners with three respective wedding ceremonies. Despite this new makeover, ‘Table for Six 2' feels lackluster in script and story when compared to its predecessor, with only its stellar cast keeping it alive.
“Table for Six 2” is screening in UK and Irish cinemas, courtesy of Trinity CineAsia
Returning to their roles as half-brothers, Louis Chung and Charm Man Chan are Bernard and Lung. Although the siblings are seemingly indifferent to their respective long-term girlfriends Monica (Stephy Tang) and Josephine (Ivana Wong), their lives are about to change as the two couples find themselves thrown into the fever of wedding preparations. Through a series of comedic mix-ups and strange familiar encounters, notions of honestly, deceit, and commitment are what define ‘Table for Six 2,' setting it apart from its predecessor in this regard, albeit not by much.
The biggest thing missing from ‘Table for Six 2' is an actual person: Dayo Wong, who gave a wonderfully deadpan performance as Steve in the original film. An argument can easily be made that the original film's popularity can be attributed to its star-studded cast, and when that cast misses even one piece in the follow-up, the results can be detrimental. But every cloud has its silver lining, and Jeffrey Ngai does a masterful job of filling Wong's boots by playing Meow's new love interest; the ridiculously famous and universally adored Mark Gor.
‘Table for Six 2' is at its very best during its funny moments, and there is plenty of good humour to be had throughout the length of roughly two hours. Some of the smallest yet most memorable moments in the entire film occur through strange interactions with family members who are attending the weddings, especially those who are suspected to be affiliated with a Triad clan. By using miscommunication and mistaken identity as a vehicle for satire, Sunny Chan pokes fun at the redundancies embedded in the common practices of Chinese secret societies.
‘Table for Six 2' is not as unique nor as engaging as is predecessor, but it still makes for a fun watch for fans or the original film. Sunny Chan's follow-up to his 2022 blockbuster hit relies on a plethora of great performances from a top-tier cast… and when the story and scriptwriting fall flat, which happens often, the film's dependence on its actors is jarring. Despite its funny moments, ‘Table for Six 2' is a classic example of how a bigger budget and a wider audience does not equate to the recipe for success in a movie.
