Cast (Voices): Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Kimiko Glenn, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber
Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Screenplay: Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, based on characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
What's this movie about?
The animated SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE tells the tale of how Brooklyn local teenager Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) becomes the new Spider-Man.
As he discovers his super powers, he crosses path with other "Spider-Man" from multiple alternate universe.
Highlights and Lowlights
In all honesty, there isn't many lowlights. If I need to nitpick, then I must say the villain in this movie, Kingpin (Schreiber) isn't all that bad-ass. He is freakishly king-sized here but somewhat not menacing enough.
The main highlight to me is of course the animation. It's a breakthrough! I can't even describe what style of animation it is; 3D? 2D? Hand-drawn? Stop motion? (the animators even played with the frame rates). Here's the official music video with clips from the movie - watch it and you'll get what I mean.
I'm glad the filmmakers didn't rush Morales' into accepting his new found super powers. In fact, he goes through many moments of push and pull before he truly accepts his new responsibility. He only donned his costume in the final act.
And this movie is funny! The jokes are smart and self-referencing aka The Lego Batman style. Spider-Man Noir (voiced by Nicholas Cage) steals the show everytime he appears on screen.
In summary
When I watched the trailer to SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE months ago, I was mind blown with the animation. I have not seen anything like that before.
However, I was a little hesitant walking into this movie because there are already so many versions of Spider-Man on the big screen over the recent years. I was thinking, "This origin movie may just be another one of those forgettable style over substance outing."
THANKFULLY NO!
Not only this movie is the best animated motion picture of 2018 but it's also the BEST big screen Spider-Man to date!
The animation is a feast to the eyes. The best way to describe the experience is like you're watching a living comic book.
Eventhough this version introduced many "Spider-Man" from the different parallel universe, the plot doesn't lose sight of the origin story of Miles Morales. When Miles' Spider-Man is fully formed and realized at the end, his hero moment was so much more impactful than Aquaman's emergence from the waterfall scene.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is an action film with a strong comedic overtones - the self-referential satire type. But it doesn't afraid to get serious either.
This movie is a blast from start to finish (the trippiness starts right from the beginning with the Columbia Pictures' iconic Torch Lady to the hilarious post-credit scene)!
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison
Director: James Wan
Screenplay: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall
What's this movie about?
Arthur Curry aka Aquaman (Jason Momoa), learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. He rejects the idea as he doesn't believe he has what it takes to lead.
Predictably, circumstances would force him to accept his fate, step up and become the hero by uniting both land and sea.
Highlights and Lowlights
Let's start off with lowlights of the film. Whenever there's too much CGI, my brain desensitizes and will disengage. Think Avatar.
As for the plot, it's overly complicated but yet predictable. It involves politicking to unite three other kingdoms to go to war against the humans, the quest to look for THE trident and everything in-between.
Some of the acting and dialogue are just terrible especially those involving Yahya's character.
That said, Jason Momoa is perfectly cast as our towering hero with an easy-going-surfer-dude personality. In the opening sequence, when the bad guys go after him, you know they won't stand a chance.
The action sequences on land are more believable than those underwater. There's this kancheong (white-knuckle) rooftop chase scene in Sicily which was well executed.
I also enjoyed a semi-horror sequence involving our heroes being chased and attacked by an army of scary looking creatures.
In summary
When the trailer to AQUAMAN hit months ago, I wasn't particularly excited as it looked like it's going to be a pesta CGI (CGI fest). Some of the graphics especially the shark in the aquaria, looked really fake in the trailer. I was thinking, "I can't imagine how it would look like on the big screen".
I'm glad to report that this movie is not as bad as I imagined it to be. Not to say that it's fantastic but it didn't sink either.
It had so much going on as though James Wan & Co weren't expecting to return for a sequel. There are monsters from the deep, an outlandish sea creature voiced by Julie Andrews (!), an army of talking crustaceans, a ring of fire under water (what?), sequences inspired by Indiana Jones movies, war sharks and war seahorses, an octopus playing drums (for reals!) and so many more batsh*t crazy scenes!
Eventhough this movie is long, it definitely isn't boring. In fact, it got better as the movie progressed.
The most memorable moment for me: When our hero Aquaman emerges from a waterfall wearing a glimmering gold armour while holding a powerful trident in one hand. Cue electric guitar riff.
Cast (Voices): John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Ed O’Neill
Director: Phil Johnston, Rich Moore
Screenplay: Phil Johnston & Pamela Ribon
What’s this movie about?
RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET is a sequel to one of my favourite non-Pixar animation Wreck-It-Ralph (2012).
While the first movie was confined within the good old arcade universe, this follow-up expands the adventure of Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (voice of Sarah Silverman) into the huge and exciting universe of the World Wide Web.
Highlights and Lowlights
The WWW universe that the animators have produced is bright and filled with so many details per frame you need to watch it on the big screen to fully appreciate it.
And I like how the Internet is structured and presented - like this big city where every website is represented by skyscrapers and real estates of different sizes.
The most entertaining sequence involves the Disney Princesses. I LOL a few times at the tongue-in-cheek take on our beloved characters especially the importance of a “princess song.”
However, the overall story is a little laggy and draggy. In fact, some parts tend to meander and there were so many final acts I couldn’t keep up. When you think it has come to a conclusion, then there’s more.
Although it’s a bold move by the filmmakers to not include a true villain, somehow the final result was not as satisfying as say...Inside Out.
In summary
Just like the first movie, RALPH 2 is packed with pop culture references and clever product placements.
Clearly, this sequel aimed to be bigger. But in my opinion, it went a little over bloated.
Rather than going big in its storytelling, the filmmakers chose style over substance. Case in point was the unnecessary "King Kong" Ralph sequence. Personally, I would have preferred a stronger story.
That said, the central theme of the real meaning of friendship shines through towards the end. It made me shed a tear or two or maybe, three.
Note: Stay to watch two hilarious post-credit scenes (one mid and the other right at the end of the credits). Interestingly enough, the cut here included a music video by Indonesian jazz band Payung Teduh.
Cast: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers.
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenplay: Anthony McCarten, based on a story by Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan
What's this movie about?
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY chronicles 15 years of the classic rock band Queen, from their early days in England to the their legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985.
Of course, this movie centres around lead singer Freddie Mercury's (Malek) flamboyant and "drama mama" life as he struggles with fame.
Highlights and Lowlights
The most compelling thing about the movie is the celebration of Queen's music and its musical sequences. It was a good move on the the filmmakers part to opt for a behind-the-scenes look at how some of their "greatest hits" were developed. I tell you...those instances were feel-good-toe-tapping-sing-along moments man.
Unfortunately, despite a strong performance and dynamic stage presence by Malek, the non-performance part of the movie just can't find its footing. The dramatic arc is well...predictable. The filmmakers had to insert a "villain" and even re-arranged the timeline of certain events to make the film more cinematic.
To be fair, it's not plain but it's an expected story of a 70s/80s rock band; their meteoric rise, the break up and getting back together again. We've seen all these before.
Speaking of Malek, his version of Mercury is initially distracting but as he loses the big hair and grows the moustache in his later years, his transformation is complete.
There are some nice little touches peppered throughout the film that made me smile such as the customized 20th Century Fox opening theme, some good old British one-liners and Mike Meyers' character.
Of course, the highlight to me was the re-creation of the 1985 Live Aid performance which book-ended the film. That 15-minutes was so electrifying I had tears in my eyes. That voice, that energy, that defiance - there will never be another Freddy Mercury again.
In summary
This is a bias review because I enjoy Queen's songs - alot.
Those expecting a warts-and-all version of a Queen biopic will be disappointed. Instead, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY is more of a celebration of the band's songs. If you're a fan, this movie will leave you stomping your feet (twice) and clapping your hands (once) when the credits roll.
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll
Director: Damien Chazelle
Screenplay: Josh Singer, based on "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong" by James Hansen
What's this movie about? FIRST MAN follows the story of astronaut Neil Armstrong on his journey to become the first man to walk on the moon in 1969.
Not only it focuses on the years leading up to that historical moment, this film also offers an intimate behind-the-scenes on his relationship with his family and what goes through his mind.
Highlights and Lowlights
Despite being a film about space adventure, I'm so glad the filmmakers didn't turn this into a special effects-loaded production. Most of the "space" scenes are from the POV of the astronauts inside the ship. And wow, David Bowie singing "Am I sitting in a tin can" in Space Oddity really rang true for those sequences!
And the moon scene is truly jaw-dropping.
In summary
Damien Chazelle's Whiplashleft me breathless and it was one of the highest rated films of 2015 for me. His follow-up La La Land - man, the final act sucker punched me in the gut.
So it was with great anticipation I had for FIRST MAN, his third film. But somehow, the experience left me...emotionally detached.
I couldn't figure out what's wrong because this is a very accomplished film with good performances and technical achievement. Thus, I concluded that "it's not you, it's me". I am the problem. (Perhaps it's because I have never had any interest in the space race or even astronomy.)
That said, at least this movie sparked off some kind of interest to find out more about the Cold War.
Cast: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Ravi Gavron, Anthony Ramos, Dave Chappelle
Director: Bradley Cooper
Screenplay: Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters, based on a story by William A. Wellman and Robert Carson
Note: The best way to enjoy the full experience of A STAR IS BORN is not to have watched any of the previous versions (this Bradley Cooper's take is the 4th, the last one was in 1976), read any reviews or even listen to any of the music from this soundtrack.
I will keep my review as spoiler free as possible, but that said, please discontinue reading if you've yet to watch this movie.
What's this movie about?
In essence, A STAR IS BORN is about one comet rising while another crashes.
Jackson Maine (Cooper) is a fading country rock music star who accidentally discovers a talented unknown, Ally (Lady Gaga). They started a whirlwind romance as he took her under his wings.
We've seen this story many times, haven't we? Soon, Ally's singing career skyrockets, leaving Jackson behind. It doesn't help too that Jackson is an alcoholic.
Highlights!
I'm in awe of Bradley Cooper's capability as a first time director. I could really feel his passion and raw-ness on every frame of the movie.
The technical choices he makes; the camera angles, the sound and the very close-up shots of the characters, made me invested in Jackson and Ally at get go. It felt immersive - like I was right there next to Jackson and Ally when they were singing in front of thousands of audience.
As good as Lady Gaga's performance is (her acting and the her chemistry with Cooper's character is so very believable), I thought Cooper gave his best performance ever here.
One can really feel him spiraling out of control and losing the battle to his inner demons. As a rock star, he is never cocky. In fact, he's a good man. That's why it was difficult to watch him struggle through his emotional agony.
The supporting cast are all very capable too.
And the songs - it's really good! A big portion of the movie's screen time is devoted to performances which ranges from familiar covers to original composition (some were co-written by Cooper himself). I read today that the soundtrack has held on to its No.1 spot this week on the Billboard 200 chart for the second straight week.
Lowlights
I thought the middle portion was a little flabby. I get what the filmmakers were trying to achieve, but yet, it was draggy at times.
Also, I'm not sure if it was done on purpose but I couldn't seem to keep track of the timeline of this movie. There were moments I went, "Wait a minute, did months just passed by?" Maybe Cooper was trying to inform his audience that his character Jackson was so drunk, he just couldn't keep track of time? I dunno.
And of course, the resolution. As emotionally heart wrenching as it was, I personally felt some people would take it the wrong way and may view it as a permissible way to cop-out.
In summary
Bradley Cooper's A STAR IS BORN has Oscars written all over it. It has the package - strong performances, a very good soundtrack, capably directed and most importantly, it's relatable to today's social issues.
Cast: Hairul Azreen, Ammar Alfian, Henley Hii, Taufik Hanafi, Gambit Saifullah, Hafizul Kamal, Theebaan G. Jasmine Suraya, Amerul Affendi, Nam Ron
Director: Adrian Teh
Screenplay: Anwari Ashraf
What's this movie about?
PASKAL (Pasukan Khas Laut) is the Navy Seals of Malaysia, the elite unit in the Royal Malaysian Navy. The movie's narrative is a mix of dramatized re-enactment of actual past missions, their training regime and some very engaging action pieces. Plus, it's also peppered with some family drama.
In all honesty, even though the trailer looked promising, I went into the cinema with the "Malaysian movies can or not wan?" cynicism.
But boboiboy boy oh boy, was I blown away!
Highlights!
I'm so very glad the filmmakers didn't CGI the heck out of this movie.
And I'm so very glad that most of the film was shot on location with real ships, planes, helicopters, submarine (!) and weaponry.
From a technical standpoint, this movie is an achievement. The sound is good (the sound of the bullets hitting metal objects sounded real), the gun fires are real, no CGI explosion fakery - everything just looks organic, dangerous and realistic.
There are some tense moments especially from the last mission which got me at the edge of my seat.
The violence wasn't glorified but necessary.
I was half expecting the training scenes to be filled with "Sir, yes sir!" tropes but wow, it was different! Yeah, there's the standard Major Payne character yelling at the team but I guess it didn't feel cliche because the group's dynamic led by their de facto leader (Hairul) came across as believable. In fact, some of the lighter moments came from this part of the movie.
And there was this NICE shot of them trying to tahan (hold their breath) underwater.
Lowlights
I felt the main pirate baddie played by Amerul was too OTT. He's one of those froth at the mouth, ha-ha-ha, teeth gnashing type of villain. He just came across as a tad too cartoonish.
And there's the missed opportunity of one of the characters. If the film's writer would have given him more layers, he could have come across as interesting as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther.
In summary
What I really appreciate are the little little touches the filmmakers added to make PASKAL a Malaysian movie, for example where the team berdoa (prayed) before they embarked on a mission.
Judging by the box office success it is currently enjoying, it's a timely release where the rakyat (citizens) is feeling all time patriotically high now. To be fair, it's doing good commercially not because the filmmakers were opportunistic but this movie is actually good.
It's probably one of the most realistic badass local action movie I've seen in a while.
In PROJECT GUTENBERG, the Hong Kong police is hunting down a mysterious group of counterfeiters led by a mastermind with a code-name "Painter" (Chow). No one has seen him before.
In order to unmask and track down Painter, the police interrogates a timid Lee Man (Kwok), a former gang member of Painter. Lee was imprisoned in Thailand. He was employed by Painter for his talent of copying paintings to a T.
And thus begins the Usual Suspects-type of flashback where Lee reveals his time with the gang and the meticulous details of their counterfeiting operations.
Highlights!
Despite the rubbish Chow Yun-Fat has been putting out since his return to Hong Kong, he is extremely watchable here. He channels some of his most iconic screen presence here as a suave gentleman criminal who is capable of bursting out in sudden scary temper tantrums. When he is in the latter mode, Chow's Painter is rash and violent. He is convincingly menacing here.
The ensemble cast is very capably supported by veteran Liu Kai-chi.
What I like is also a very detailed exposition on how greenbacks are counterfeited. In fact, it's almost documentary-like with close-ups and hidden details on the US hundred dollar bill.
There are a few homage-to-the 90s action set pieces. It's always nice to see Mr Chow fires up two guns (and two machine guns, hell yeah!) while leaping in slo-mo - eventhough I personally think he's too old for this.
Lowlights
Aaron Kwok - he is always overacting and he does it here again. He is not a terrible actor but throughout the movie, I was thinking who could have better played his role to give Chow a run for his money.
Overall, this movie is over-bloated and could have benefited from some trimming.
In summary
Coming from the writer of the modern HK classic Infernal Affairs and starring the legendary Chow Yun-Fat, I had high hopes for Felix Chong's PROJECT GUTENBERG to catch another lightning in a bottle but alas, it's more of a case of 'lightning never strikes the same place twice'.
Don't get me wrong, everything about the movie was original, entertaining and even educational...until the very last act.
The last 15 minutes of the movie is a baffling choice coming from someone as capable as Felix. Some viewers would call it, "Brilliant!" but ultimately, it's very much dependent on whether one has seen this other classic movie.
My reaction was, "Appreciation, not imitation, is the sincerest form of flattery".
Cast: John Cho, Debra Messing, Michelle La, Joseph Lee, Sara Sohn
Director: Aneesh Chaganty
Screenplay: Aneesh Chaganty & Sev Ohanian
What's this movie about?
The narrative of SEARCHING is nothing new - a teenage daughter goes missing and her father David Kim (Cho) goes full frantic to search for her when the police investigation comes to a dead end. The more digging he does, the more questions he unearths.
But what's super engaging about this movie is the stylistic approach the filmmakers chose to unfold this riveting thriller. The entire movie is told from a first person + computer desktop + mobile screen perspective.
Highlights
When I first saw the trailer, I thought such an approach was gimmicky. But nooo....it's BECAUSE of this method that got me glued to the whole 90+ mins of this film. It's one of those movies that you just can't sit back. Instead, you're forced to lean forward and "participate".
When the movie was over, I felt exhausted - but in a good kind. I just went, "Oh wow".
From a story perspective, it's an effective mystery-thriller with a powerful emotional component. Usually such whodunnit movies defy logic when the big reveal comes. But for Searching, I couldn't help but to feel for the characters. Because when I think about their actions, it was motivated by one thing - love.
Everything about this movie feels absolutely real - the social media effect of getting more likes, how we judge people from their Instagram photos and their captions and the way the texting is written (and deleted).
In terms of the "set pieces", the attention to details are impeccable from the old Windows design to the iconic sounds of the software/programs/apps used in this film.
Lowlights
Eventhough I said the greatest asset of this movie is its stylistic approach but I felt the filmmakers were stretching it too thin towards the last 15 minutes when the proceedings demanded an expansion from the confines of a computer screen. In summary
A standing ovation for feature film debut director Aneesh Chaganty for such an innovative way of telling a familiar story, thus making SEARCHING fresh but yet retaining all the red herring and suspense elements of a traditional mystery-thriller.
Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski
Director: Shane Black
Screenplay: Fred Dekker & Shane Black
What's this movie about?
THE PREDATOR is essentially the same plot as the 1987 original classic Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger: a squad of "jantan" (manly man) soldiers go against the galaxy's greatest killing machine.
But this time, the Predator(s) are much stronger and the reason they keep coming back to earth is just...baffling.
Highlights!
Some "markah kesian" (pity points) for the filmmakers for trying something different. Some of the dialogue and banter is witty for example the running gag involving the name "Predator".
The 80s style of movie making where it's profane, bloody and gory.
Lowlights
I don't even know where to start but all in all, this movie is a complete mess and it's just not worth my brain power to write anything here.
In summary
Who the hell is Shane Black? Why does he have keys to big production budgets but yet keeps churning out subpar to terrible movies??
THE PREDATOR is just a series of moments told by a 10-year old boy who doesn't understand narrative logic and flow. It's terrible.
The ensemble cast from Wong Kar Wai's 1994 cult classic ASHES OF TIME (東邪西毒)
My final entry to the Hong Kong Cinema series. (Read here for Part 1, and here for Part 2)
If the 80s were dominated with Chow Yun Fatt and Jackie Chan flicks, the early 90s were led by Stephen Chow's mo lei tau (nonsensical) comedy movies and Jet Li's portrayal of legendary, virtuous and humble heroes.
There was a slowdown of output mid 90s onwards, probably due to the 1997 handover of HK back to China. That said, during that period, there was an emergence of very memorable romantic drama movies which relied more on the acting skills of its actors rather than the physicality aspects ie. martial arts, comedy or action.
(Speaking of mo lei tau, I found the entry in Wikipedia the most accurate in explaining this genre of comedy. In essence, it's is a type of "anything goes" slapstick humour associated with Hong Kong popular culture and it's usually layered with an interplay of cultural nuances. It can usually be found in the juxtaposition of the spoken dialogue and actions. For example the plain and normal catchphrase "Chor dai yum daam cha, sik gor bau" (坐低飲啖茶，食個包), meaning "Let's sit down, take a sip of tea, and have a bao", is used in irrelevant and inappropriate situations, usually in serious situations.)
So here's my list of Hong Kong films from the 1990s which were memorable to me.
THE SWORDSMAN (笑傲江湖), 1990
After the fatigue of gangster and kung fu genre in the 80s, it was a welcome return of the wuxia genre to kickoff the new decade. And this movie delivered because it marked the rare appearance of Sam Hui as the lead, an excellent supporting cast (Jackie Cheung cast as a baddie!), memorable "wire-fu" action pieces and everything good we expect from a HK movie. And who could forget the theme song, sung by Sam himself.
They released a sequel in 1992 but the lead (and almost the entire cast) was replaced by the then go-to actor Jet Li. It was so-so only.
BULLET IN THE HEAD (喋血街頭), 1990
WOW. This John Woo directed movie was emotionally draining, realistic and featured a tour-de-force performance by Jacky Cheung (a brave performance considering he was an upcoming clean pop star then). John Woo is famous for crafting "balletic style" gun play action pieces but in this movie, his approach here was more grim and realistic, thus the violence felt more brutal.
In this movie, Tony Leung Chiu Wai perfected his "The Face" acting. He's one of the few actors I know who can act with just his face especially his eyebrows. Heck, his entire career is built around it. I don't know how to describe this acting method but whenever he is confronted with an emotional situation, he pulls out "The Face".
SAVIOUR OF THE SOUL (九一神鵰俠侶), 1991
This movie will go down as one of those rare and quirky fantasy-action-romance movie ever produced in HK cinema. It's a creative movie because it blends the old and new set pieces with a beautiful anime inspired cinematography. Imagine a wuxia movie but replace the costumes and swords with modern wardrobe and guns.
And it has a memorable (albeit cartoon-y) performance by Aaron Kwok's turn as the villain, Silver Fox.
And without further ado, here are my top Stephen Chow movies from the 90s!
ALL FOR THE WINNER (賭聖), 1990. A gambling comedy attempting to cash in on the success of God of Gamblers. Who can forget the iconic intentional slow-mo scene of Dou Seng's grand entrance.
TRICKY BRAINS (整蠱專家), 1991. One of the most memorable scene for me was the "Kong tau Wong (Baldy Wong)!" trickery.
LEGEND OF THE DRAGON (龍的傳人), 1991. Stephen Chow's mo lei tau comedy + snooker + special appearance of Jimmy White the legendary snooker player = what's not to like??? And yes...that epic memorable ending.
FIST OF FURY (新精武門1991), 1991. Amusing homage to Bruce Lee's classic. Stephen's character possess a special ability - an extremely strong right arm. Interestingly, this movie exist in the same universe as All For the Winner, as Dou Seng and his uncle make a cameo appearance. Yesteryear Kenny B makes a comeback here as the good-natured Smart, giving a memorable comedic performance.
Homage to Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury include the dojo fight scene where the Japanese man is hilariously forced to eat the sign. And of course Stephen dawning the iconic yellow jumpsuit.
LOVE ON DELIVERY (破壞之王), 1994. Another iconic film packed with amusing scenes including the training from the "master" sequences and parody of Terminator, Garfield and Ultraman.
It also featured the sultry Christy Chung.
FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE (國產凌凌漆), 1994 featured the fresh face Anita Yuen, who went on to be one of the biggest stars in the mid 90s.
And it also featured Stephen at the piano (with the iconic cigarette stuck on his lips) singing Jacky Cheung's Lui Heung Lan.
OUT OF THE DARK (回魂夜), 1995 earned a reputation as Stephen's darkest film yet with horror element, blood and dark humour. Stephen's character is a parody of Leon from The Professional. I remembered clearly it wasn't released in Malaysian cinemas. Some of the scenes were genuinely creepy as it was set in the old Hong Kong flats.
In GOD OF COOKERY (食神), 1996 Stephen plays the God of Cookery, the most renowned and feared chef in the world but he soon loses this title because of his pompous attitude. He goes on a journey to rediscover himself with the help of Karen Mok's character.
Stephen's signature styled comedy is still evident here but he skillfully balanced it out with a heartfelt and dramatic performance. In this movie and the following movies to come, he would go on to play characters with more layers rather than mere caricatures and paraodies.
Also, there's this really funny scene in the Shaolin Monastery where Stephen would go on using this comedy technique (different approach to overcome the same challenge but always end up with the same disastrous outcome) in his future movies eg. Shaolin Soccer.
THE LUCKY GUY (行運一條龍), 1998 is your typical CNY ensemble cast movie. Scenes featuring Stephen and his first love played by Sammi Cheng, and the romance between Eric Kot and Kristy Yeung's characters were the most memorable.
There are some really LOL moments especially scenes demonstrating Stephen's character as a chick magnet and how he came to be like that (the missed slap was brutal, man).
I felt KING OF COMEDY (喜劇之王), 1999 had the perfect balance of comedy, drama and romance featuring the fresh face Cecilia Cheung. There was even a cameo from Jackie Chan.
The movie describes the trials and tribulation of an aspiring actor in a small town. Some commentators say the story is based on Stephen's early career, as he started off as a temporary actor. His performance here is more restrained, allowing his co-stars to shine. There are many funny and moving scenes in this film which capped off beautifully Stephen's body of work in the 90s.
Thank you Stephen Chow! You made such a big impact in my formative years as a movie buff.
NEW DRAGON GATE INN (新龍門客棧), 1992
The early 90s marked the comeback of Taiwanese actress Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia (it started with Swordsman II) and she went on to star in many other notable martial epics including this film, The Bride with White Hair and Ashes of Time.
This start studded movie (Tony Leung Ka Fai, Maggie Cheung, Donnie Yen as the villain) is one of those wuxia movie where everyone dies at the end.
92 LEGENDARY LA ROSE NOIRE (92黑玫瑰對黑玫瑰), 1992
This wacky flick (a remake of sorts of the Black Rose film series from the late sixties) works because of one actor, and that's Tony Leung Ka Fai. Up till then, I've always seen him as a serious actor in drama and action movies but his turn here as a comedic actor with a high pitched voice was a very pleasant surprise.
A way out there action-comedy film based on the Street Fighter game. This Wong Jing directed movie was a good escape film as it's nice to see an ensemble cast just being silly and having fun. 3/4 of the Four Heavenly Kings is in the movie (minus Leon Lai). Also, it featured one of the most catchy romantic songs from Jacky Cheung.
Incidently, Jackie Chan's City Hunter also featured characters from the Street Fighter series in a fantasy action scene. This movie was also directed by Wong Jing and was released 6 months earlier. If you've not seen Jackie Chan dressed up as Chun Li, click the link and erm...enjoy.
THE EAGLE SHOOTING HEROES (射鵰英雄傳之東成西就), 1993 and
ASHES OF TIME (東邪西毒), 1994
Tony Leung Chiu Wai in The Eagle Shooting Heroes
The same Tony Leung Chiu Wai in Ashes of Time
Both this movie The Eagle Shooting Heroes and Ashes of Time will go down as one of the most fascinating case studies in the history of Hong Kong Cinema.
According to some industry rumours, Wong Kar Wai's ambitious and classic Ashes of Time (based on the source material of Louis Cha's wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes) went over-budget and was taking forever to complete.
In order to cover up the cost of his yet unfinished film, Wong decided to produce a "quick-and-dirty" parody film of the same novel (!) to be released during the lucrative Chinese New Year period. So, he hired Jeffrey Lau to direct The Eagle Shooting Heroes and used the same whole cast from Ashes of Time for that movie!
The Eagle Shooting Heroes is a classic example of the mo lei tau comedy. It's wacky, LOL funny and colourful.
While the dramatic Ashes of Time is classic Wong Kar Wai; it's hypnotic, meditative and visually beautiful. The characters wore long hair (most of the time their hair would fall beautifully and oh-so-cool all over their face) and their wardrobe was simple and blend.
Besides Ashes of Time, I've not watched any of WKW's films because one needs to be in a certain mood to be able to appreciate his films. It really does test your patience. Ashes of Time was probably the most accessible Wong Kar Wai film for me.
And then...there's the legendary Jet Li!
Because he has such a recognizable face and fighting style, and he kept playing legendary folk heroes like Wong Fei Hung and Fong Sai Yuk, all his movies felt kinda same. That said, here are his more notable movies for me:
ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA (黃飛鴻), 1991 and ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA II (黃飛鴻之二男兒當自強), 1992 were the most memorable in the Wong Fei Hung series.
I remembered watching the trailer to Once Upon a Time in China in a cinema and I was absolutely blown away. The graceful "wire fu", the calligraphy title font, the slow-mo, the ensemble cast (Jacky Cheung! Yuen Biao!) and THAT SOUNDTRACK by George Lam. And "Who the hell is this Jet Li??!"
Watch the original trailer here!
I also dug Part II as there was this unforgettable fight sequence between Wong Fei Hung and The White Lotus Sect. And let's not forget that fight sequence between Jet Li and a young Donnie Yen (!). Of course, there was a little bit more romantic development between Wong Fei Hung and Sap Sam Yee ie. 13th Aunt (played by Rosamund Kwan).
And my introduction to the historical figure Sun Yat Sen, father of modern China (who interestingly has some links in Malaysia - Taiping and Penang).
TAI CHI MASTER (太極張三豐), 1993 was memorable because it co-starred Michelle Yeoh (Yay! Malaysia represented!) and Jet's fighting technique here was very different from his Wong Fei Hung style. And there's this nail-biting action sequence between Jet's character and the main villain on a heap of wooden logs, with Michelle Yeoh's character tied at the top of it.
HIGH RISK (鼠膽龍威), 1995 was different from other Jet Li movies because he is in modern clothes here, carries a gun and is an action-comedy (although the comic relief is primarily contributed by Jacky Cheung's portrayal of Bruce Lee). Probably it's because it was directed by Wong Jing.
And it's not really a compliment as Wong Jing as a director has more misses than hits. I remembered High Risk as being not really good but it was loud, energetic and Jacky was entertaining.
HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY FATHER (新難兄難弟), 1993
The two "Tony Leungs" starring in the same movie! This Peter Chan directed film is a heartwarming nostalgia piece featuring the two Tonys plus an ensemble cast. The "Little Tony" goes back in time and meets his parents. What he found out about them changes him.
IRON MONKEY (少年黃飛鴻之鐵馬騮), 1993
Donnie Yen got my attention in this film as a lead to be reckoned with. Yu Rongguang was memorable here too. Who could forget that iconic movie poster of the masked man standing on one leg at a rooftop.
This Yuen Woo Ping directed film was an overall good martial arts film as it has good performances, action and plot. A cross between Robin Hood and Zorro set in ancient China.
ENDLESS LOVE, C’est La Vie, Mon Chéri (新不了情), 1993
This Derek Yee directed romantic tearjerker made me cry really hard. Both Sean Lau Ching Wan and Anita Yuen gave such an earnest performance they were extremely believable in their roles.
This movie won 6 awards in the 13th Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Anita Yuen), Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
HE'S A WOMAN, SHE'S A MAN (金枝玉葉), 1994
Peter Chan's movie worked on so many levels; the intricate (but easy to follow) plot, the performances, the comedy and of course, THAT SONG sung by the late Leslie Cheung. This film was both a commercial and critical success.
Anita Yuen won Best Actress for this film (back-to-back after winning it the year before for her performance in Endless Love, C’est La Vie, Mon Chéri).
DOCTOR MACK (流氓醫生), 1995
In my opinion, Tony Leung Chiu Wai gave one of his best performance here as the laid back charismatic as hell doctor working on the streets of Hong Kong, helping the everyday lower class folks.
There is this scene in the movie where Tony's character is all alone and he finally could let his guard down as a strong doctor. Just thinking of that scene now still moves me emotionally.
COMRADES: ALMOST A LOVE STORY (甜蜜蜜), 1996
Maggie Cheung owns this movie about the story of two Chinese Mainlanders meeting and falling in love in Hong Kong. The straightforward and sincere performances by the leads and the supporting cast were genuinely affecting. And this film managed to successfully capture the "local-ness" of the neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, making this city one of the most romantic places to visit.
The ending :')
This Peter Chan directed movie won like 9 awards in the 16th HK Film Awards including best film, best director, best actress (Maggie), best supporting actor (Eric Tsang) and best cinematography (Jingle Ma).
THE STORM RIDERS (風雲雄霸天下), 1998
As I followed the comics, I remembered being excited but yet cautious to catch this wuxia fantasy film because of its heavy reliance on CGI (even up till today, this part of the world still can't get CGI right).
Well, it wasn't a great film with too many characters and CGI fights but nevertheless an important milestone for Hong Kong cinema.
YOUNG AND DANGEROUS series (古惑仔), 1996-2000
I don't remember sitting through the entirety of any of the movies from the series. Probably it was because I was studying abroad then and had no access to Eastern movies.
Nevertheless, I'm sure this series would have impacted many young men of that generation to consider becoming a bad boy and getting a tattoo. This series rocketed Ekin Cheng to stardom in his iconic portrayal of Chan Ho Nam (I can't imagine anyone else playing "Chan Ho Nam" just like how I can't imagine anyone else playing "Mark Gor" but Chow Yun Fat).
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And that ends part 3 of my tribute to Hong Kong cinema!
Thank you so much for reading and if you like what you have read, please leave a comment. I hope you enjoyed reading this (and clicking on the links to check out the clips) as much as I did in crafting this series.
