# Security Unlimited (摩登保镳)
**Security Unlimited** (摩登保镳) is a 1981 Hong Kong Cantonese comedy directed by Michael Hui and starring the three Hui brothers, Michael, Sam, and Ricky Hui, as employees of a private security company in Hong Kong. Security Unlimited was not the last film featuring all three brothers together; Front Page (1990) was. Security Unlimited was Hong Kong's highest-grossing release of 1981, earning HK$17,769,048.[1](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/english/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html) • [2](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-05_Publications/01_Hong-Kong-Filmography-Series/Vol-IX%281980-1982%29/hkfilmographyseries_09_preface_c.pdf) Michael Hui won Best Actor at the first Hong Kong Film Awards in 1982 for his performance.[3](https://www.fortunestarentertainment.com/securityunlimited.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 摩登保镳; also released as Mr. Boo 4: Security Unlimited[4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/) |
| Director and writers | Directed by Michael Hui; screenplay by Michael Hui and Sam Hui; executive director Stanley Hui[1](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/english/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html) |
| Cast | Michael Hui, Sam Hui, Ricky Hui, with Mariann Wong (黄造时) and Stanley Fung (冯淬帆)[1](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/english/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html) |
| Format | 1981, color, 35mm, Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles, 91 minutes[1](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/english/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html) |
| Production | Golden Harvest (嘉禾) and Hui's Film Production (许氏影业)[4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/) |
| Box office | HK$17,769,048, first place among films released in Hong Kong in 1981[2](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-05_Publications/01_Hong-Kong-Filmography-Series/Vol-IX%281980-1982%29/hkfilmographyseries_09_preface_c.pdf) |
| Award | Best Actor, 1st Hong Kong Film Awards (1982), Michael Hui[3](https://www.fortunestarentertainment.com/securityunlimited.html) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Michael Hui plays Chou Sai-Cheong (周世昌), the supervisor at a long-established private security company, where he has worked for 15 years and has just been promoted to instructor, training new guards and managing the company's affairs.[4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/) In practice he is timid and of limited ability, and he bullies his subordinates; his unorthodox training methods include having recruits learn to drive inside the office so the company can save money, electric mats, parachuting from burning buildings, and counter-attacking gunfire.[9](https://www.blu-ray.com/Security-Unlimited/344762/) • [10](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2018-5-2.html)
The boss's son, Wong Ping-fan (王平凡), played by Stanley Fung, returns from studies in Britain and infiltrates the company disguised as a guard recruit to see its real condition; he learns of Chou's incompetence and stinginess.[4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/) When Sam ([Sam Hui](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-hui)) and the new recruit Bruce Tang (Ricky Hui) capture robbers during a bank heist, they are promoted, Chou is dismissed from his post, and the shoe is on the other foot.[3](https://www.fortunestarentertainment.com/securityunlimited.html) Chou, close to the 15-year mark that entitles him to his retirement fund, swallows his resentment and stays on.[4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/)
The climax comes at a company party on a yacht, where a gang of thieves mixes in to steal the precious jade burial suit (金缕玉衣) on display; Chou, Sam, and Bruce must set aside their grudges and, in a comic free-for-all, subdue the thieves and save the treasure.[4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/) Along the way Bruce falls in love with one of a group of stowaways the guards pursue.[9](https://www.blu-ray.com/Security-Unlimited/344762/)
## Production and the Hui brothers
The film continued the formula of the Hui brothers' 1970s comedies. Michael Hui had directed, written, and starred in *Games Gamblers Play* (1974), which earned over HK$6 million, and his subsequent self-created vehicles, *The Last Message* (1975), *The Private Eyes* (1976), *The Contract* (1978), and *Security Unlimited* (1981), each became the highest-grossing film of its year, with *Games Gamblers Play*, *The Private Eyes*, and *Security Unlimited* breaking box-office records by large margins.[5](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-05_Publications/01_Hong-Kong-Filmography-Series/Vol-VIII%EF%BC%881975-1979%EF%BC%89/4-1-55_foreword_e.pdf) According to the Hong Kong Film Archive's biography of Michael Hui, *Security Unlimited* broke the record with a gross of more than HK$17 million and brought him the Best Actor award at the first Hong Kong Film Awards.[6](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-02-Filmmakers-Search/Chinese/Michael-Hui_c.pdf)
**The last brother film.** Ricky Hui, the middle brother, had built his career in Michael's 1970s films, honing his acting against Michael's comic style and Sam's screen popularity, and establishing himself as a comedian in his own right; the three brothers' last film together was *Front Page* (1990).[1](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/english/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html) *Front Page* (1990) was the last film in which all three Hui brothers appeared together, and *Security Unlimited* gave Ricky one of his meatiest roles, including a romance with an illegal immigrant.[1](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/english/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html) A Hong Kong government release marking Ricky Hui's career noted that he knowingly remained in the shadow of Michael's comic genius and Sam's popularity, yet quietly rose to stardom through his comic acting.[7](https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201112/30/P201112300335.htm)
The film was produced by Golden Harvest with Raymond Chow (邹文怀) as producer, shot by Lau Moon-tong (刘满棠) and edited by Cheung Yiu-chung (张耀宗).[8](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/chinese/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html) Sam Hui composed and sang the theme song 《摩登保镳》, with lyrics by Sam Hui and Lai Bit-dak (黎彼得).[4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/)
## Comedy style and social commentary
The film is built as a series of set pieces rather than a tightly plotted narrative. The Hong Kong Film Archive's program notes list the celebrated sequences: the parachute jump, the driving lessons, the funeral-home scare, helping the stowaways, and protecting the jade suit.[8](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/chinese/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html) The critic Jonathan Rosenbaum, the longtime film critic of the *Chicago Reader*, described the film as a typically broad and frenetic but hilarious Hong Kong farce, praising Michael Hui's sense of rhythm, often accompanied by short bursts of music, and his antiheroic sense of character; he singled out the bank robbery and the attempt to burgle an exhibition of Chinese antiquities as classics of their kind.[11](https://jonathanrosenbaum.net/1992/03/security-unlimited/)
One running gag shows the brothers' comic division of labor. Michael, as the driving instructor, has his men learn to drive in the classroom to save money; Ricky's character fails his test and accidentally reverses the company car, with Michael's character in it, into the sea.[10](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2018-5-2.html) The Film Archive's notes describe the Hui brothers' densely packed [Cantonese](https://www.edgepedia.org/cantonese) comedies as ruling the box office and breaking records, with Michael playing a snobbish, stingy boss figure whose schemes backfire, while the put-upon Ricky, the fool, ends up lucky.[10](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2018-5-2.html) The Archive's program notes add that the film, like the brothers' other comedies, is full of visual gags that offer poignant social comments.[1](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/english/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html)
A Film Archive newsletter places the film in Michael Hui's larger achievement: after *The Private Eyes* (1976), *The Contract* (1978), and *Security Unlimited* (1981), he was regarded as a master of modern Hong Kong comedy, chiefly for his satirical portraits of unscrupulous bosses and helpless employees, depicting ordinary workers caught between laughter and tears and striking at the tense labor relations of Hong Kong's commercial society.[12](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-03_newsletter/newsletter-105_e.pdf)
## Box office and reception
*Security Unlimited* opened in Hong Kong in early 1981; the database at 1905.com gives the premiere date as 30 January 1981, while blu-ray.com lists the Hong Kong release as 23 February 1981.[4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/) • [9](https://www.blu-ray.com/Security-Unlimited/344762/) It finished as the top-grossing film released in Hong Kong in 1981 at HK$17,769,048, ahead of *Happy Heroes* (追女仔) at HK$9,464,742 and [Sammo Hung](https://www.edgepedia.org/sammo-hung)'s *The Prodigal Son* (败家仔) at HK$9,150,729; among all films screened locally that year it also ranked first, ahead of *For Your Eyes Only*.[2](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-05_Publications/01_Hong-Kong-Filmography-Series/Vol-IX%281980-1982%29/hkfilmographyseries_09_preface_c.pdf)
At the 1st Hong Kong Film Awards in 1982, Michael Hui won Best Actor for the film, its single recorded award.[3](https://www.fortunestarentertainment.com/securityunlimited.html) • [4](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/) The film has remained in circulation through Fortune Star's catalog and home-video releases, and its scenes were among those recreated in the 2004 tribute comedy *Fantasia* (鬼马狂想曲), which reproduces classic moments from the Hui brothers' films.[3](https://www.fortunestarentertainment.com/securityunlimited.html) • [13](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/5.-Exhibition-and-Screening/ProFolio/Profolio%20114-18-W3C_accessible_Chi_final_v2.pdf)
## References
1. [Security Unlimited, Film Programmes Office, Leisure and Cultural Services Department (Morning Matinee programme notes)](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/english/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html)
2. [Preface, Hong Kong Filmography Vol. IX (1980–1982), Hong Kong Film Archive](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-05_Publications/01_Hong-Kong-Filmography-Series/Vol-IX%281980-1982%29/hkfilmographyseries_09_preface_c.pdf)
3. [Security Unlimited, Fortune Star Media movie catalogue](https://www.fortunestarentertainment.com/securityunlimited.html)
4. [摩登保镖 (1981) 详细资料, 1905电影网](https://www.1905.com/mdb/film/1989624/info/)
5. [Foreword, Hong Kong Filmography Vol. VIII (1975–1979), Hong Kong Film Archive](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-05_Publications/01_Hong-Kong-Filmography-Series/Vol-VIII%EF%BC%881975-1979%EF%BC%89/4-1-55_foreword_e.pdf)
6. [香港影人小傳檢索：許冠文, Hong Kong Film Archive](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-02-Filmmakers-Search/Chinese/Michael-Hui_c.pdf)
7. [HK Film Archive's "Morning Matinee" to feature Ricky Hui in January, Hong Kong Government Information Services](https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201112/30/P201112300335.htm)
8. [《摩登保鑣》節目介紹, 電影節目辦事處](https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/archive/chinese/2011mm/2011mm_film46.html)
9. [Security Unlimited (1981), Blu-ray.com](https://www.blu-ray.com/Security-Unlimited/344762/)
10. [The Time We Laughed Together, Hong Kong Film Archive exhibition feature article](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2018-5-2.html)
11. [Security Unlimited, Jonathan Rosenbaum (Chicago Reader, 1992)](https://jonathanrosenbaum.net/1992/03/security-unlimited/)
12. [Hong Kong Film Archive Newsletter Issue 105](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-03_newsletter/newsletter-105_e.pdf)
13. [展影#114, 囍戲連場——香港喜劇電影, Hong Kong Film Archive](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/5.-Exhibition-and-Screening/ProFolio/Profolio%20114-18-W3C_accessible_Chi_final_v2.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of the 1980s › Satirical, black, and parody comedies of the 1980s*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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