Dave Cuthbert's Top Ten Hong Kong Movies
This was a pretty hard task naming only ten of my favourite films, but
these are the ones I liked the most at the time of writing. As you can see I lean a bit
more towards the action side of things, but that’s where my fascination of Hong Kong
Cinema began, those good old "kung fu movies" Asian Action Video released in the
early 80s. So here we go in no particular order…….
THE FINAL OPTION
Director: Gordon Chan Ka-Seung
Starring: Michael Wong Man-Tak, Peter Yung Kam-Cheung, Chan Kwok-Bong, Carman Lee
Yeuk-Tung
One of my all time favourite simply because it’s all about the Hong
Kong Special Duties Unit (S.D.U.). I remember loyally watching the TV show, S.W.A.T., as a
youngster and knew that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up. Well, changed my mind
since then, but I still think the image of heavily armed, violent people all in black,
jumping out of vans/helicopters is very cool. I went to see this one at the now defunct
Swanston Street Chinese Cinema in Melbourne, had no expectations as there were no big
stars and came away very satisfied.
I’ve always been a big supporter of Michael Wong, (us ABCs have to
stick together), but never found him to be much of an actor, but as Stone Wong, the SDU
Team Leader, he was truly great. Peter Yung and Chan Kwok-Bong also put in excellent
performances that either have yet to top since. So what’s it about? Basically follows
the lives of young recruits (well mainly two) into the SDU. It follows them from day one
of basic training to their first and second calls to duty, with a lot of canto-melodrama
thrown in for good measure. The training sequences are supposed to be as accurate as they
can get, and the action sequences are top notch.
DRAGON FROM RUSSIA
Director: Clarence Ford (Fok Yiu-Leung)
Starring: Sam Hui Koon-Kit, Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk, Carrie Ng Ka-Lei, Nina Li Chi, Dean
Shek-Tin, Loletta Lee Lai-Chun, Yuen Tak
Loosely based on one of my favourite comics back in high school, Crying
Freeman. ‘God of Songs’ Sam Hui has always been a favourite actor of mine
and I think this was his best role. Sam plays Yao a Chinese martial artist in Russia,
kidnapped by the master of 108 Dragons, an underworld organisation. Stripped of his past
memories he is trained by the master to become the society’s top assassin, Freeman.
But in the meantime Yao’s girlfriend (Maggie Cheung) is trying to track him down and
inadvertently becomes his next target.
Clarence Ford has always managed to produce excellent action films no
matter what the budget may be (see Cheap Killers and Thunder Cops) and
here he’s in his element, melding the action and the comedy perfectly. Sam (another
one of Bruce Lee’s many celebrity students) handles the martial arts and gunplay like
a pro, and Carrie Ng and Nina Li are top notch as the femme fatales. I caught this one on
video from the local Chinese video store, the usual pirated copy. I’m having a
bastard of a time trying to find it on VCD, but maybe they’ll have a DVD release
soon….which means I’ll have to buy myself a DVD machine.
THE PRIVATE EYES / FRONT PAGE
Director (The Private Eyes): Michael Hui Koon-Man
Starring (The Private Eyes): Michael Hui Koon-Man , Sam Hui Koon-Kit, Ricky Hui
Koon-Ying, Shek Kin, Richard Ng Yiu-Hon, Phillip Chan Yan-Kin
Director (Front Page): Phillip Chan Yan-Kin
Starring (Front Page): Michael Hui Koon-Man , Sam Hui Koon-Kit, Ricky Hui
Koon-Ying, Catherine Hung Yan, Winnie Lau Siu-Wai, Lau Siu-Ming
I couldn’t decide which one to select, but considering Front Page
is a remake of The Private Eyes I decided to choose both. The Hui brothers are
funny bastards and produced the best comedies in the 70s. Unlike Stephen Chow
Sing-Chi’s (another funny bastard) nonsense talk, the Hui’s mainly poked fun at
Hong Kong society as it was in the 70s.
The Private Eyes concerns a small detective agency, run by
Michael Hui, and the problems it has staying in business and out of trouble. Sam is
employed by the agency and then fun starts from there ranging from a fight in a
supermarket, a demonstration of sausage nunchakus in a kitchen to a robbery in a cinema. I
bought this one on video when I was in Hongkers, unfortunately it didn’t have
subtitles and my Cantonese is really bad so I missed most of the gags. But the visual gags
and the bits I did understand had me chuckling a plenty.
Front Page follows the same format as its predecessor, it
concerns a small tabloid magazine, run by Michael Hui, and the problems it has staying in
business and out of trouble. Sam is a jack of all trades, who is employed by the agency as
a reporter and must help Michael and Ricky create a scandal so as to boost sales. Sam
practices his no shadow kick, Ricky demonstrates the use of a breast enlarger and Michael
gets plastic surgery to look like a mix of superman and Michael Jackson, which all leads
up to a robbery. Funny stuff.
BIG BULLET
Director: Benny Chan Muk-Sing
Starring: Lau Ching-Wan, Chan Siu-Chun, Francis Ng Chun-Yu, Theresa Lee Yi-Hung, Cheung
Tat-Ming, Lam Sheung-Yee, Yu Rong-Guang, Anthony Wong Chow-Sang, Ng Yuk-Sau
A very cool action flick which impressed me with the trailer alone. I saw
the trailer before a screening of The First Option, and I sat through that film
(which was also pretty good) wishing it was next week so I’d be sitting through Big
Bullet. The cast was great Lau Ching-Wan as the typical ‘hard as nails, bend all
the rules to get the bad guys’ cop, Jordan Chan as the young ‘by the book’
officer wanna-be, Cheung Tat-Ming as the gun freak etc. I was also pleased to see one of
my favourites Yu Rong-Guang as the main bad guy, the professor. Give me a great cast and
it’s pretty hard for me to dislike a film, although I found it hard to enjoy Future
Cops and Holy Weapon so there are exceptions to the rule.
Basically Bill (Lau Ching-Wan) is transferred to the EU (Emergency Unit)
after punching out his superior for being reckless. Circumstances put him on the trail of
international criminals Professor (Yu Rong-Guang) and Bird (Anthony Wong). This leads to
some excellent action sequences, particularly the street shoot out (very reminiscent of Heat)
and the break in at Interpol Headquarters. This is a film that is as good as its trailer.
MAHJONG DRAGON
Director: Corey Yuen Kwai / David Lai
Starring: Zhao Wen-Zhuo (Chiu Man-Cheuk), Josephine Siao Fong, Ko Shou-Liang, Ken Lo
Wai-Kwong, Desiree Lam Kei-Wan
The fight scenes in this flick had me totally awestruck, something that
hadn’t happened since I saw Tiger Cage 2 (which narrowly missed the top ten
because I’ve seen it to death). Of the current wave of martial arts action stars,
it’s no secret, Zhao Wen- Zhuo is my favourite. I enjoy his unique fighting style and
his majestic presence, much like Ti Lung in the Shaw Bros days. Josephine Siao plays the
comedy relief here and, as always, does a fine job.
What’s it all about? Fan Sau-Tin (Josephine Siao), is a traffic cop
with a gambling habit. In despair she takes a trip to China to look for a husband. There
she runs into Quick Hands (Zhao Wen-Zhuo), a legendary gambler, fresh out of prison,
looking to emigrate to Hong Kong and leave the gambling world. She takes him as a husband
after learning of his skills, but Quick Hand's past underworld colleague refuse to let him
in peace. Standout sequences include the stylish battle at the car wash, the underpass
battle and the final showdown between Zhao and Ken Lo. Although often compared to the
overrated and uneven Drunken Master 2 due to Ken Lo’s rubber legwork, I
found this one to be more satisfying. Instead of taking a hiding for the first half of the
fight and then making a comeback ala Jackie Chan (and every episode of the Harlem
Globetrotters cartoon), Zhao takes a stand. There are very impressive volleys of hands and
feet in a style only Corey Yuen can do….and probably the Yuen Clan or Sammo
Hung’s stunt team.
Although a little tedious in the middle on a second viewing, an excellent
film and definitely Zhao’s best.
SHAOLIN DRUNKARD
Director: Yuen Woo-Ping
Starring: Sunny Yuen Yat-Chor, Armstrong Yuen Tsin-Yee, Eddie Ko Hung, Yuen Cheung-Yan
One of the old style Yuen Clan Taoist flicks that I can’t get enough
of. I remember first seeing it in a Vietnamese translated version, wondering what it was
all about with its giant man eating frogs, buck toothed beggars and more gadgets than a
James Bond flick. Watching it later in Cantonese with subtitles I was hooked and had to
track down the other Yuen Clan films. The story goes like this, in order to escape from an
arranged marriage a young man (Yuen Yat- Chor) embarks on an adventure. He ends up teaming
with a drunken Taoist (Yuen Cheung-Yan) to defeat a blood-sucking monster. Events include
them taking on a fire breathing metal puppet, a giant man eating toad and the usual
misguided kung fu master.
Yuen Woo-Ping is the king of fight choreography (alongside Corey Yuen and
Sammo Hung of course) and it also helps having a skilled cast to work with, we all saw
what happens when you don’t ala The Matrix. But just to side track a little,
given that no one in The Matrix had any experience whatsoever they didn’t do
too badly, Larry Fishburne throws a pretty decent sidekick, and Keanu performed some
decent moves. But I still like to see the actors do their own stuff no matter how good or
bad. If they want to take on a certain genre I feel they have to put in their day’s
work. Given it was a comic book movie and the fights seemed very computer game oriented it
worked for me. Plus the wirework was top notch…ok getting off my soapbox now.
Back to Shaolin Drunkard, Sunny Yuen is great as the wily young
man, who’s name escapes me, alongside Yuen Cheung-Yan’s drunken bastard. Yuen
Tsin-Yee is always one mean adversary and an excellent martial artist, just check him out
in Dance of the Drunken Mantis. The Yuens went on to make other Taoist flicks Taoism
Drunkard, The Miracle Fighters, Drunken Tai Chi and Young
Taoism Fighter (Yuen Yat-Chor only) but I still think this was the best of the bunch.
For good old weird fun, the Yuen Clan can’t be beat.
MORTUARY BLUES
Director: Corey Yuen Kwai
Starring: Corey Yuen Kwai, Sandra Ng Kwan-Yu, Lowell Lo, To Tak-Wai
One of the many films that came out of the 80s ghost craze, but
fortunately one of the good ones alongside the Haunted Cop Shop films. I
originally saw this one on video from my local Chinese video store, it was pirated and
fuzzy and most of the movie was in the dark, which didn’t help any. But I still
thought it was one of the funniest films I’d seen at the time. Eight years later I
found it on VCD and my verdict remains the same. Corey Yuen is a master of choreography
and a pretty decent martial artist to boot, check him out in old style flicks Dance of
the Drunken Mantis and Seven Grandmasters. But another one o his many
talents is he’s one funny bastard. Corey plays a slobby cop on one of those islands
Hong Kong I surrounded by. I don’t know how many there are, but weird things in
movies always happen on those islands with small communities. Apparently the ancestors of
the community robbed some ship and killed the crew. Now the ghost of the ship’s
captain wants revenge, and it’s up to Corey and the usual gang of funny misfits to
stop him. I can ‘t really pinpoint any standout bits, the movie is funny on a whole,
just watch it for yourself.
TASK FORCE
Director: Patrick Leung Pak-Kin
Starring: Leo Koo Kui-Kei, Charlie Yeung Choi-Nei, Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Karen Morris (Mok
Man-Wai), Edmond So Chi-Wai, Allan Mo Kei, To Tak-Chi, Leung Siu-Bing
More of a drama than an action flick, but one I became totally immersed
in. The film had a fairly new cast (with the exception of Eric Tsang) and no big stars,
but I liked the sound of the title and went to see it at the Melbourne Chinatown Cinema.
There was a huge crowd too, about two other people, and me just the way I like it. Firstly
I liked the narrative, and Leo Koo who I hadn’t really seen before had a likeable
presence, and I liked the character Rod. Charlie Yeung’s character Fannie, a
prostitute, was also pleasant even though her little emotional outburst on the rooftop
with Rod was so overacted it was embarrassing. What I liked most about the film was how it
drifted off in different directions. Eric Tsang impressed me the most, I couldn’t
really take him as a serious actor, not after all those Lucky Stars films, but
his role as the womanising Lulu was really good.
It’s had to tell you what the story is about but here goes, Rod Lin
(Leo Koo),is a Mong Kok policeman, and in the course of his work meets his "first
whore", Fannie (Charlie Yeung), who is a compulsive liar. Other little stories are
told as Rod narrates his way through the film, it’s not pretentious like a Wong
Kar-Wai film but it is damn good entertainment.
DRAGONS FOREVER
Director: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo
Starring: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Yuen Biao, Deanne Yip Tak-Han, Pauline Yeung
Bo-Ling, Roy Chiao, Crystal Kwok Kam-Yan, Yuen Wah, Billy Chow Bei-Lei
Now I’m the biggest complainer about Jackie Chan’s recent
flicks….well everything from Drunken Master 2 and up have done nothing but
disappoint me. Here’s a title I still love, back in the days when Jackie Chan
didn’t care about the international market and just knew how to act in good, quality
films. Dragons Forever is one of them. When Jackie, Sammo and Yuen are together
things can’t possibly go astray, the same can be said of Sammo and Yuen. When these
three are together they are at their funniest and their action is at its best.
The story Jackie plays a playboy lawyer, Sammo a conman, Yuen a lunatic
with superb acrobatic abilities. Jackie represents a chemical plant that is destroying the
local fish farming. When the owner of a farm (a much younger Deannie Yip) threatens to go
to court, Jackie calls in his two friends (Hung & Biao) for their underhanded
assistance. However, Jackie falls for the fish farmer’s cousin (Pauline Yeung) and
his buddy (Hung) falls for the fish farmer and comedy ensues. It’s the typical fare,
they fall in love with the girls, girls find out underhanded scheme, the guys fight
amongst themselves, they redeem themselves and get the girls back. But in the meantime you
have a whole heap of comical goings on and some decent fights. Now if only Jackie could
wake up and start making films like these again, and not films like Mr Nice Guy
(Sorry Mark).
FIST OF FURY 1991
Director: Chung Sing-Joh
Starring: Stephen Chow Sing-Chi, Cheung Man, Kenny Bee, Wan Yeung-Ming, Yuen Kwai, Shing
Fui-On, Hu Feng
Funny bastard Stephen Chow Sing-Chi stars in this parody of the Bruce Lee
flick Fist of Fury. In the beginning I really didn’t like Stephen Chow.
I’d seen him in a few serious films like Triad Story and the like, and found
him to be a very uninteresting serious actor. The I saw All for the Winner and
changed my mind. Fist of Fury 1991 follows the same path as All for the
Winner in that Chow plays other immigrant from China with a special power, a
super-powerful right arm. He hooks up with conman Kenny Bee in a series of adventures
eventually ending up with the family of martial arts master Corey Yuen the current master
of the Ching Wu school. Then you have the daughter Chow falls for, the jealous older
student, the set up, the expulsion from the school, the hook up with the old street
fighting masters, the big tournament, and the winning the heart of the girl.
Chow is actually a fairly competent martial artist in his own right and
Kenny Bee is funny bastard in his sidekick role. It’s been a while since I’ve
seen something that made me laugh so hard whilst wanting to vomit, as you’ll
understand if you’ve seen the spitting duel between Kenny Bee and Chow (or if
you’ve seen Salo). There is plenty of outrageous gutter humour to be found
in this flick, an as gutter humour goes it’s the best money can buy.
2 Feb 2000 © Dave Cuthbert
DAVE CUTHBERT maintains The
House That Mak Built, an excellent site for pictures and posters from Hong Kong films.
A Canberra native, he has recently moved to Sydney in order to get a real job.
