Paul Chun Movies

A mechanic plagued by bad luck attempts to break the curse that binds him by entering into a desperate murder pact in this tense thriller in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. Informed by fortune teller Blind Liu (Liu Yi Wei) that he has been hexed, down-on-his-luck mechanic Chen Chuan (Francis Ng) is determined to turn his life around. Soon, Chen becomes convinced that it is his wife's infidelity that has cast a dark shadow over his live, and determines to kill her in hopes of breaking the jinx. When Chen meets Jia (Cherrie Ying) in a car accident and their pair realizes that they seem to share the same bad luck, they make a pact that each will do away with the source of the other's malaise once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Highly unusual in that it was intended as a prequel to another film's sequel, this entry in the Lee Rock series depicts events occurring before 1991's Lee Rock II, but after the events in the first film. The story centers on Sergeant Lam Kung (well-known film producer Charles Heung) and his demotion to the police department's juvenile crimes unit for arresting the wrong person, a man involved in a kickback scheme with Lam's superiors. Lam does his best in his new job, but continues to get in trouble by harassing the delinquent teenagers of wealthy and influential parents. One such protected criminal is Sam Chow, a vicious drug-dealing hoodlum who seems to operate with a free hand because of his parents' status. The troubled young center of the film is Teddy Pak (Leslie Cheung), who runs into trouble but has a heart of gold. He also has a deadbeat mother whom he must constantly save from being executed by loan sharks when she fails to repay her debts. The 1950s-style melodrama comes to a head as Sam's gang attacks Teddy's young girlfriend and murders another girl, leading Teddy to be framed for the crime unless Sgt. Lam can clear his name. A good-looking but ultimately minor addition to the series, Arrest the Restless co-stars Vivian Chow, Deanie Yip, and Paul Chun. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Stephen Chow's prodigious skills with guns and martial arts take center stage once again in this successful action film from Hong Kong filmmaker Gordon Chan. Chow stars as Star Chow, a cop who plays by his own rules, often endangering the other members of his team as well as the success of their missions. When a practice drill goes awry, Star is punished by the commissioner (Barry Wong) by being reassigned as an undercover agent at the local high school, his task being to locate the student who stole the commissioner's favorite gun. Naturally, there's a beautiful guidance counselor (Sharla Cheung) to provide some romantic interest, and -- just as naturally -- things take a downward turn when she discovers Star's true identity. In the meantime, Star locates the commissioner's gun, as well as a cache of stolen arms belonging to a triad gangster. The entire situation comes to a head during the school's open house, with a specially constructed maze serving as the backdrop for the final gun battle. Filled with action and humor, the film's success led to a pair of even more entertaining sequels. Ng Man-tat co-stars with Roy Cheung, Gabriel Wong, and Paul Chun. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

This low-budget knockoff of God of Gamblers succeeds primarily due to an exuberant star-making turn from Stephen Chiau as Shing, a rube from the Chinese mainland who comes to Hong Kong to visit his uncle, Blackie Tat (Ng Man-tat). Blackie isn't thrilled about his nephew's visit until he learns that Shing has the ability to see through things, a sort of X-ray vision. As a gambler, it doesn't take Blackie long to realize that Shing's abilities could make him a great deal of money, but news travels quickly and Shing is soon torn between two powerful gamblers who want him to be their proxy in a big competition. Taiwanese kingpin Chan Chung gets Shing first, so his Hong Kong rival, Hung Kong (Paul Chun), tries to kill him. Shing survives the attempt, but Hung manages to stop him from competing by kidnapping Chan's pretty bodyguard, Yee-mong (Sharla Cheung), who has won the young man's heart. The film is filled with action as well as humorous takeoffs on everything from Fist of Fury to A Better Tomorrow. In an amusing twist of fate, this knockoff actually made more money than its model, and was followed by a sequel audaciously titled God of Gamblers II. Sandra Ng co-stars with co-director Corey Yuen and Sheila Chan. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

This melodrama is one of many that have embraced the period setting of Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation of World War II. Chow Yun-Fat, in an award-winning performance, plays a poor worker at a small rice shop. He befriends a rickshaw driver (Alex Mann) who falls in love with the shop owner's daughter. When the shop owner forbids the couple to marry, the trio decides to runaway to mainland China. However, their plan is interrupted by the Japanese invasion, and their friendship and loyalty is put to the test in the events that follow. Similar to films like Casablanca, Hong Kong 1941 is a good example of how Hong Kong cinema has made much use of this period and the theme of love in a desperate time. However, the film also depicts the brutality that occurred during the occupation, and the portrayal of the Japanese invasion force in this film reflects a deep resentment that parallels the representations of the German Nazis in Western film.
~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, Rovi