Stanley Tong Movies
Director Stanley Tong got his start in the film industry as a stuntman, and he learned his trade as a filmmaker only after surviving years of death-defying stunts. Determined to make films of his own, he started his own production company. As a film director with an intimate knowledge of stunt work, it soon became apparent that a collaboration between Tong and Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan would be an match made in heaven. Tong preceded to make three of Chan's greatest works: Supercop (1992), Rumble in the Bronx (1995), and First Strike (1996). Tong was among those filmmakers and performers who would move to America in anticipation of the reunification of Hong Kong and Mainland China. His first Hollywood outing was a live-action version of Mr. Magoo (1997); the slapstick Leslie Nielsen vehicle was moderately successful, but unfortunately it was panned by critics. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide- 2008
A shameless blackmailer meets a stubborn waitress whose refuses to be controlled, thus setting into motion a tragic cycle that will ultimately define both of their lives. When Wong Yiu met Ni Chen, he thought she would bend to his every demand. What Wong Yiu failed to realize, however, was that Ni Chen was a fiery, independent spirit who always lived by her own set of rules. After losing their ways in life, they both lose themselves as well. When Wong Yiu begins to perceive that he has lost his freedom, something inside of him snaps. Eight years later, Wong Yiu has finished serving time for the murder of Ni Chen. After procuring a gun, he sets out in search of Ni Chen's mother and prepares to fulfill his own will. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liao Fan, Monica Mok, (more)
- 2008
Award-winning martial arts director Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx, Supercop) joins forces with director Anthony Szeto to deliver this computer animated martial arts adventure for the entire family. A fantastical version of the Chinese ancient Middle Kingdom, Dragonblade: The Beginning traces the adventures of an adolescent martial arts enthusiast named Lang. Lang dreams of one day coming into possession of the legendary Dragon Blade sword, a mythical weapon of supreme power that can only be wielded by one who is noble in spirit and pure at heart. When a powerful monster appears to threaten the people of Lang's village, however, the heroic teen realizes his only hope of saving the day is to track down the Dragon Blade - and fast. Perhaps with a little help from a plucky fairy bird named Bali-Ba, Lang will finally be able to realize his dream of tracking down the elusive sword and unleashing his inner hero. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2007
When his drinking buddy and long-time co-worker Liu Quanyou (Hong Qiwen) drops dead during a jovial session of imbibing, fifty-something working-class stiff Zhao (Zhao) vows to transport his friend's corpse to its final resting place in director Zhang Yang's gently philosophical road comedy. Though he had planned to simply cart Liu's corpse across the countryside via the local bus route, Zhao's simple plan is quickly thwarted when a gang of bandits hold up the bus. Despite having the calm of mind to talk the gang leader (Guo Degang) out of following through with the robbery, Zhao finds his plan backfiring when his fellow passengers become so unsettled with his cargo that they promptly kick him off of the bus. When a sympathetic truck driver (Hu Jun) spots Zhao carting the unwieldy cadaver on his back, he kindly offers to give the struggling man a lift before suffering an impromptu emotional breakdown. With miles to go before he reaches his destination, Zhao must resort to a series of unconventional methods to ensure that Liu receives a proper sendoff. Along the way Zhao will meet such eccentrics as a wealthy recluse who's planning his own funeral (Wu Ma), a brutish roadside restaurateur (Liu Jinshan), an optimistic cyclist (Xia Yu) traveling to Tibet, and a family of bee-keepers (Chen Ying and Guo Tao) who have turned their backs on modern society. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zhao Benshan, Hong Qiwen, (more)
Historical fact blends with high-flying fiction as Jackie Chan steps into dual roles as a determined archeologist and a loyal general of China's first emperor in director Stanley Tong's lavish historical action film. Jack (Chan) is an intrepid archeologist in search of a mythical gemstone that is said to have the power to defy gravity. Though Jack's days are spent traversing the globe with scientist sidekick William (Tony Leung Ka-fai) in hopes of finding the elusive gem, at night in his dreams he assumes the role of General Meng-yi, devoted servant of Emperor Qin Shi-huang. As Jack and William venture to the mystical Heavenly Palace -- a wondrous fortress rumored to have been built by Qin Shi-huang himself -- Jack's vivid nocturnal journeys find him falling head-over-heels for the emperor's comely Korean consort Ok-soo (Kim Hee-seon). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Kim Hee-seon, (more)
Two young Shanghai detectives, Alex (Wang Lee Hom) and Darren (Aaron Kwok), uncover the plot by an ambitious and ruthless mobster, Tony (Mark Dacascos), to bring tons of cocaine into China sold to him by Los Angeles drug dealer Coolio (Coolio). Darren is distracted by the arrest of mob-gal Norika (Norika Fujwara), who isn't what she seems, and Alex's life is complicated with his impending engagement to the daughter of the local sheriff (Paul Chiang), who is helping them in their dangerous mission to stop the drugs from infiltrating their country. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aaron Kwok, Noriko Fujiwara, (more)
- 1998
Hong Kong action-movie superstar Sammo Hung keeps the kicks flying in this TV action farce about a Chinese lawman (Hung) brought to Los Angeles to join forces with detective Louis McGray (Louis Mandylor) and detective Dana Doyle (Tammy Lauren). It's not long before this trio has the bad guys on the run. Filmed in Van Nuys, this series premiered September 16, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sammo Hung, Tammy Lauren, (more)
Action-adventure director Stanley Tong (Supercop, Rumble in the Bronx) did a change of pace by directing this live-action adaptation of UPA's bumbling, near-sighted Mr. Magoo the animated-series character created during the '40s by John Hubley and others for the cartoon short Ragtime Bear (1949). Millionaire Quincy Magoo (Leslie Nielsen) won't admit he needs glasses, so nephew Waldo (Matt Keeslar) removes obstacles in Magoo's path. At a museum exhibition, when Magoo steps up to cut a ceremonial ribbon but instead severs a power line, it sets in motion events making Magoo the target during an international manhunt -- while he continually escapes mishaps by inches. Greg Burson does the voice of Magoo in animated sequences at the film's beginning and end. During the '50s, the animated character (voiced by Jim Backus) led to two Oscars -- for the jazz-scored Rooty Toot Toot (1952) and the CinemaScope When Magoo Flew (1955). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, Kelly Lynch, (more)
Ever wondered what a James Bond movie might be like if (a) Bond was from Hong Kong, (b) he was too busy to chase women or drink martinis, and (c) he spent a lot more time kicking people? Well, Jackie Chan gives us an idea of what the results might be as he plays a superspy in this funny and fast-moving action saga. Jackie (Jackie Chan) is a top cop from Hong Kong whose services are enlisted by the American CIA to follow a woman named Natasha (Grishajeva Nonna) who is travelling to the Ukraine. Natasha is smuggling U.S. currency into the former Soviet Union -- enough of it that a terrorist named Tsui (Jackson Lou) has been able to purchase a nuclear warhead from the Russian Mafia on the black market. Joining forces with Russian intelligence, Jackie and Ukrainian agent Gregor (Yuri Petrov) follow Tsui's trail to Australia, where Annie (Chen Chun Wu), the terrorist's sister, works at an oceanic theme park and uses deadly sea creatures to protect the illegally-obtained warhead. As usual, narrative takes a back seat to Chan's peerless action sequences and stunt work, including a chase of snowboards, a battle with sharks, and a memorable fight in which Chan proves that a ladder can be a splendid strategic weapon. As with many of Chan's films, Police Story 4: First Strike has been released under a multitude of titles in different territories, including Jackie Chan's First Strike, Police Story 4: Piece of Cake, and Police Story 4: Story of the CIA. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Jackson Lou, (more)
After years as a major star in most of the rest of the world, Jackie Chan finally broke through to stardom in the United States with Rumble in the Bronx, a dubbed and re-edited version of Hung Fan Kui. Here Chan plays Keung, a police officer from Hong Kong who travels to New York to attend the wedding of his uncle, Bill (Bill Tung). Bill has just sold his grocery store to Elaine (Anita Mui), and Keung finds Elaine to be a pretty good reason to extend his visit to New York. However, a mean-spirited and fashion-challenged street gang has moved into the neighborhood and is demanding protection money from the local storekeepers. Elaine is ready to sell the store and move on, but Keung is determined to show the toughs that he's not about to be pushed around. Things get even more sticky when the hoods are on the trail of a lost cache of stolen jewels. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, (more)
Michelle Yeoh returns as Inspector Jessica Yang in this fast-paced action thriller. While Jessica's career as a policewoman in China has been going great guns, her fiancé David (Yu Rong-Guang), also a cop, is not having the same kind of luck; dismissed from the force, he leaves town to start his life anew. When a rash of skillfully executed burglaries throws Hong Kong into a panic, Jessica is brought in to crack the crime ring. But her usual zeal for putting bad guys behind bars cools a bit when she learns that the master criminal who's been robbing Hong Kong blind is David, her former love. A sequel to Police Story 3 (released in the United States as Supercop), Supercop 2 has been distributed in various territories under the titles Police Story 3 Part 2, Police Story 4: Project S, Police Story V, and Once a Cop. Jackie Chan, star of the previous Police Story films, makes a brief appearance as Inspector Chan, wearing women's clothing. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Yeoh, Yu Rongguang, (more)
Even for viewers who can take or leave martial-arts films, the work of Jackie Chan bears special attention. Chan is quite simply the hardest-working movie star in the world, regularly participating in the sort of death-defying stuntwork which would make most American action heroes cringe in fear. Combining his daredevil heroics with an almost goofy brand of self-effacing humor, Chan is one of the genre's most entertaining and engaging personalities. In this film, third in the Police Story series, Chan plays a Hong Kong detective working undercover with the Chinese police to nab a Malaysian druglord. The usual hair-raising gamut of stunts follow, and numerous shootouts, fights and explosions surround the plucky cop as he combats bad guys atop a moving train, a bus, a motorcycle, a speedboat, cars, and trucks, eventually being swung through the city at high speed on a rope-ladder suspended from a helicopter. For the kind of fast-paced exotic thrills that make James Bond look like a wimp, this film is the place to go. There are some amusing comedy bits too, as when Chan's superiors all go undercover as his long-lost family, and the story zips along at a feverish clip. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Michelle Khan, (more)
Ninjas of all kinds abound in this martial arts film that centers around the conflicts between a bad White ninja and the ninja's of Interpol. Also featured are an exploding ninja, and one with a rotating head. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
