Chasing the Dragon (Review)
Chasing the Dragon
aka 追龍 aka Chui Lung aka Zeoi Lung
2017
Written and directed by Wong Jing and Jason Kwan Chi-Yiu
A stellar performance from Donnie Yen elevates Chasing the Dragon to being a film that Hong Kong fans need to see. Yen gets to stretch his acting muscles underneath some early ridiculous wigs, and is joined by Andy Lau, who also spends some time doing actual acting while taking bribes and consolidating power. Wong Jing proves he can still put out some good stuff, and every time he does it just makes his bad movies even worse. If Wong Jing was consistent, he’d be the greatest filmmaker of all time. But then he wouldn’t really be Wong Jing, so I guess this will do.
Despite a slow start that fumbles around before it gets focused, Chasing the Dragon becomes a pretty good crime drama. Yen plays Crippled Ho, who is based on real gangster Ng Sek-ho (his story was previously told in 1991’s To Be Number One, of which this is a sort of remake, though I’m confused on if it is an actual official remake or just similar.) Andy Lau plays his Lee Rock character from the Lee Rock series (which was based on real life corrupt policeman Lui Lok), which makes this one of those weird films that is a remake but also a reboot but also based on real life. You know, something very easy to classify!
Crippled Ho begins as an illegal immigrant from the mainland who turns to fighting with street gangs for easy cash, and soon catches the eye of up and coming policeman Lee Rock. Fate binds them together through series of ups and downs of both characters as they begin flexing their muscles in controlling the various criminal elements in a very corrupt Hong Kong. Lee Rock has learned that just being the honest cop sort of sucks when everyone else is on the take, while Crippled Ho is forced towards crime by the same system that keeps the Hong Kong people down, Mainlanders even below them, and the corrupt and brutal British on top.
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All’s Well Ends Well 2011 (Review)
All’s Well Ends Well 2011
aka 最強囍事 aka Ji keung hei si 2011
2011
Directed by Chan Hing-Kar and Janet Chun Siu-Jan
Written by Chan Hing-Kar, Ho Miu-Kei, and Fung Ching-Ching
All’s Well Ends Well 2011 follows in the footprints of it’s four predecessors in presenting a series of couples who spend the majority of the film bickering about the nature of love and then end up all marrying or getting together at the end. The previous film a year prior reset the action to ancient China, but we’re back to modern day and with an almost entirely new cast, save Louis Koo and a few brief cameos (AngelaBaby, Ronald Cheng Chung-Kei, Stephy Tang Lai-Yan, and a billion others!) The story is a mix of several stereotypical lovers stories, with a healthy mix of fantasy scenes and goofy side characters to keep things going until everyone gets married.
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Categories: Movie Reviews, Ugly Tags: AngelaBaby, Carina Lau Ka-Ling, Cecilia Cheung Pak-Chi, Chan Hing-Kar, Chapman To Man-Chat, Donnie Yen Ji-Dan, Fung Ching-Ching, Ho Miu-Kei, Hong Kong, Janet Chun Siu-Jan, Lee Heung-Kam, Louis Koo Tin-Lok, Lynn Hung Doi-Lam, Maggie Li Man-Kwan, Margie Tsang Wah-Sin, Marie Zhuge, Nancy Sit Ka-Yin, Raymond Wong Pak-Ming, Ronald Cheng Chung-Kei, Stephy Tang Lai-Yan, Yan Ni
Wuxia is now Dragon
Because what movies need is a dumb and generic name! Blame Weinstein Co. for the dumb new name, but since Wuxia had a dumb name to begin with it’s more like a lateral move. Wuxia, mind you, is the obviously made with foreign distribution in mind film starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Donnie Yen, Tang Wei, and Jimmy Wang Yu. The plot sounds similar A History of Violence, with a regular guy Jinxi (Donnie Yen) who foils a robbery from two super bandits, attracting attention from Detective Xu (Takeshi Kaneshiro), who wonders how a regular guy could do it. It’s getting okay reviews, but it will probably be more widely seen than other recent Asian films so we might as well talk about it so TarsTarkas.NET looks hip and current.
The film is brought to us by some Warlords alums, director Peter Chan Ho-sun and writer Aubrey Lam. I thought Warlords was generic and predictable, getting lost in the mess of other giant spectacle films that came out that year. Maybe Wuxia will surprise me, the praise for the script sounds like it will be at least good enough that I’ll finish the film.
And now I have to differentiate this Dragon from the Dragon from Asylum. Thanks a lot!
My wuxia brings all the boys to the yard
and they're like, its better than yours,
damn right its better than yours,
I can teach you, but I have to charge!
pics ganked from here and here
Categories: Movie News Tags: Donnie Yen Ji-Dan, Jimmy Wang Yu, Peter Chan Ho-sun, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tang Wei, wuxia
Protege De La Rose Noire (Review)
Protege De La Rose Noire
aka Gin chap hak mooi gwai
2004
Starring
Gillian Chung as Gillian Lo
Charlene Choi as Charlene
Ekin Cheng as Jim Lo/J-Lo
Teresa Mo as Rose
Directed by Donnie Yen and Chun-Chun Wong
The TWINS! Hong Kong pop stars Gillian Chung and Charlene Choi star in their second vehicle movie, partially directed by Donnie Yen. It’s campy eye candy.
