Eric Tsang Movies
- 2002
Kam (veteran Hong Kong comic actress Sandra Ng) is making a withdrawal from an ATM on New Year's Eve when she's held up at knifepoint by the desperate Bong (Eric Tsang), who is distressed to learn that Kam doesn't even have enough money in her account to make a withdrawal. The two agree to leave and go their separate ways, when a power outage traps them in the kiosk. Kam tries to cheer Bong up with an amusing story about her life as a prostitute. This leads to a conversation that lasts through the night, and flashbacks depict Kam's evolution, from underage "fishball girl" to popular showgirl (who wins over clients doing a deft impression of Jackie Chan circa Drunken Master) to masseuse to long-in-the-tooth hooker. Outside historical events converge with Kum's story as she weaves her tale, detailing everything from her encounter with a celebrity (Andy Lau as himself) to her unrequited love for a mysterious gangster, Yeh (Wu Kwan of Stanley Kwan's Lan Yu), to her longtime friendship with a former client, Professor Chan (Tony Leung). There's also an unplanned pregnancy, which leads to an opportunistic romance with Richard (Felix Wong), a wealthy businessman. This 2002 comedy Golden Chicken, directed by Samson Chiu, spawned a 2003 sequel, Golden Chicken 2. The first film was shown at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's survey Recent Films from Hong Kong in 2004. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Ng, Eric Tsang, (more)
Three constitutes an omnibus package of three short horror films made by Asian directors. "Memories," made by Kim Ji-Woon, is about a woman (Kim Hye-Soo) who disappears from the home she shares with her husband (Jung Bo-Seog) and children, and ends up in a futuristic city filled with many disturbing hindrances to her finding her way back home. Nonzee Nimibutr's "The Wheel" contains a puppeteer who is unsuccessful in warning a dance troupe about using cursed puppets. Peter Ho-Sun Chan's "Coming Home" stars Eric Tsang as a policeman who becomes involved with his neighbors, a married couple who are involved in with some mysterious herbal medications. Three was screened at the Vancouver Film Festival. This film was actually produced first in a series of two omnibus horror films (followed by Three... Extremes), but was actually released after Three... Extremes and retitled Three... Extremes II for the English-language market. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Hye-su, Jung Bo-Seog, (more)
As Infernal Affairs opens, Ming (Andy Lau of Full-time Killer) is being initiated into the criminal underworld by triad boss Sam (Eric Tsang of The Accidental Spy), who ends his speech to his young charges by wishing them success in the police department. Ming enters the police academy, where he excels, but sees his classmate, Yan (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai of In the Mood for Love), expelled for "breaking the rules." It turns out that Yan wasn't actually drummed out of the force, but recruited by Superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong of Hard-Boiled) as an undercover operative. Just as Ming is achieving success in the police department while secretly working for Sam, Ming is gaining Sam's trust as a triad member, while reporting to Wong. Ten years later, both men, still undercover, have grown confused about their true identities, while their bosses, Sam and Wong, wage a battle of wits against each other. Each boss learns that the other has a mole working for him, and unwittingly entrusts the mole himself to ferret out the culprit. Ming and Yan scramble to expose one another's identity in an effort to save their own skins. Infernal Affairs was co-directed by Andrew Lau (who worked as a cinematographer on several of Wong Kar-Wai's films) and Alan Mak. Renowned cinematographer Christopher Doyle served as "Visual Consultant." The film was shown at New Directors/New Films in 2003. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Andy Lau, (more)
Jackie Chan tones down the martial arts action but turns up the international espionage in this globe-trotting adventure. Buck Yuen (Jackie Chan) is a sporting goods salesman from Hong Kong who daydreams of living the exciting and dangerous life of an international spy. One day, Buck makes the news after he accidentally stops a gang of bank robbers from getting away with the loot, and his brief moment of celebrity attracts the attention of Many Liu (Eric Tsang), a low-rent private detective who's looking for help with a missing person's case. One of Many's clients is looking for his long-lost son, and Many thinks Buck is just the guy to help track him down. Buck signs on, and is sent to Korea, where he meets a mysterious man named Mr. Park; Buck doesn't think he's the man Many wants, but he wonders if he might be his own father, who disappeared when he was a child. Buck makes the acquaintance of Carmen (Kim Min-jeong), an attractive journalist who tips off Buck that Mr. Park is actually an infamous North Korean espionage agent; Buck confronts Mr. Park, who has suddenly fallen ill, and Park on his deathbed tells Buck a riddle that, if properly decoded, could lead him to a great fortune. As Buck and Carmen try to unravel the mystery of Mr. Park's final words, their adventures lead them to Istanbul, where the fate of millions is suddenly put into Buck's hands when he discovers a deadly biological weapon coveted by Mr. Zen (Wu Hsing-kuo), a ruthless Chinese crime boss. One of Jackie Chan's most lavish Hong Kong-based vehicles, Takmo Mai Sing was a massive commercial success there, where it did impressive business opening on the Chinese New Year. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Eric Tsang, (more)
- 2000
Hong Kong cinematographer-turned-director Jingle Ma spins this soul-stirring melodrama about love after death. Onion (Taiwanese crooner Richie Ren) is a mute and blind asylum resident who gets killed after a car accident. He is permitted to return to earth for five days on the condition that he does reveal his identity. Posing as an insurance investigator, Onion sets about seducing his former nurse Autumn (Cecilia Cheung) away from her thuggish boyfriend. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cecilia Cheung
In this action-comedy, which pokes fun at the conventions of Hong Kong crime movies while following them at the same time, Tony Leung Kar-Fai plays Jim Yam, an underworld kingpin whose days in the Mob appear to be numbered after he narrowly escapes an attempt on his life. Deciding he'd rather be the hunter than the prey, Jim sets out to wipe out his enemies before they can wipe out him, though it turns out to be more complicated than he imagined. Gongwu Gogap also stars Sandra Ng as Jim's wife, with their sometimes-stormy relationship providing a subplot. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Kar-Fai, Sandra Ng, (more)
- 1999
Riley Ip directs his melodrama about a man haunted by his memories. Ailing from Alzheimer's disease, Roy (Eric Tsang) returns to Hong Kong after 30 years in Brazil to track down his former enemy, Nine Dragons. Claiming that he was previously a notorious gangster called Mountain Leopard, he enlists the help of young street tough Smokey (Nicholas Tse). Roy tells Smokey that back in the 1970s, he and his arch-nemesis were rivals for the attention of an enigmatic beauty (Shu Qi). When she seemed to favor Roy, Nine Dragons shot him and ditched him on a barge for Brazil. Yet as the hunt continues, Smokey learns that the truth is a bit different. Meanwhile, Smokey's young heart yearns for the very female cop (Kelly Chen) who once arrested him. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly Chen, Stephen Fung, (more)
Young upstart cops are thrown into a maelstrom of danger in this Hong Kong-lensed action thriller. Ten tons of powerful explosives, recently recovered from smugglers, have been stolen by a Japanese terrorist group, led by criminal mastermind Akatura, and the Hong Kong police have to act quickly before the explosives fall into the wrong hands or are used against the wrong people. Chan (Eric Tsang), a effective but non-conformist police detective, decides to use cops that no one will suspect are cops; he pulls three promising but unlikely-looking students from the Police Academy and gives them a crash course on tracking terrorists. Jack (Nicholas Tse), Alien (Sam Lee), and Match (Stephen Fung) are soon sent out to infiltrate the operations of Akatura's right-hand man Daniel (Daniel Wu); along the way, they join forces with Y2K (Grace Yip), a female crime fighter with a talent for electronics. But the young cops soon discover that busting an international terrorist network is no piece of cake; their initial plan goes haywire, and they learn that Akatura plans to use his new-found firepower against the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Boasting a high level of visual polish, Gen-X Cops features visual effects from Joe Viskocil and Sam Nicholson, who have worked on such blockbusters as Independence Day, Apollo 13, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Jackie Chan also makes a brief cameo appearance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Toru Nakamura, Eric Tsang, (more)
- 1998
This Hong Kong comedy of relationships is based on composer J.S. Bach's "The Songbook of Anna Magdalena Bach" and is divided into four "movements," each of which presents a sticky romantic situation for the story's three protagonists: Chan (Takeshi Kaneshiro), a piano tuner; his roommate Yau (Aaron Kwok), a rather spaced-out writer; and the lovely Mok (Kelly Chen), the girl who lives upstairs from them. A complex romantic dance begins when Yau falls in love with Yok without realizing that Chan has secretly loved her for ages. This film was screened at South Korea's 1998 Pusan Film Festival. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Takeshi Kaneshiro, Aaron Kwok, (more)
- 1998
Hong Kong helmer Stanley Kwan directed this study of sexual desire, featuring sexy Chingmy Yau (Naked Killer) in a dual role. Rosa Gao (Yau) loses her ticket at the airport, but a woman who resembles her boards the plane. Gay real-estate salesman Tong (Eric Tsang) puts the make on Fung-wai (Sunny Chan), distraught over the airplane-crash death of his wife Moon (Yau), the other woman seen at the airport. As the tale progresses, five characters of diverse persuasions are caught in sexual cross-currents. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival, this film is also known as Hold You Tight. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yau Chingmy, Sunny Chan, (more)
The narrative of The Hitman unfolds following the assassination of a sleazy Japanese businessman in Hong Kong. Various groups come together at a meeting held by the administrators of the dead man's Revenge Fund, which offers a $100 million reward to find the killer. Fu (Jet Li), a penniless mainlander, walks into the meeting by accident and is taken under the wing of Ngok Lo, a smooth-talking agent for professional hit men who proposes Fu help him track down the killer. Some of the funniest scenes are when Ngok Lo buys Fu new clothes and coaches him in Hong Kong ways. Ngok's daughter, a young lawyer who is unhappy with her father's background, seems to fancy Fu. Fu and Ngok are busy trying to stay one step ahead of the psychotic son of the murdered man, who is also after the assassin -- a reputed mythical Killing Angel. A genre film reflecting the current zeitgeist in Hong Kong following the Chinese take over, The Hitman was screened as part of the International Forum of New Cinema section of the 49th Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jet Li, Eric Tsang, (more)
- 1998
Patrick Leung (Beyond Hypothermia, Somebody Up There Likes Me) directed this Hong Kong action-crime comedy-drama, centered on plainclothes crimebuster Rod Lin (Leo Ku), who narrates. Lin is the son of a cop who died after he was shot by a thug (John Lone). Crime has overtaken the Mongkok district, where Lin falls for prostitute Fanny Chan (Charlie Young), who loves Killer (Allen Moo). Other characters include Shirley (Karen Mok), abused by her boyfriend, and divorced womanizer LuLu Tong (Eric Tsang). John Woo appears in a cameo as a policeman. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leo Ku, Charlie Yeung, (more)
- 1997
Destiny brings two people together, but they aren't sure if they're meant to be friends or lovers in this romantic comedy-drama. In 1986, Xiaojun (Leon Lai) arrives in Hong Kong from mainland China, full of dreams about life in the big city and determined to make enough money to send for his fiancée and marry her. Xiaojun knows no one in Hong Kong except his aunt, but with her help, he finds a room in a cheap hotel and picks up a job peddling a delivery bicycle for a butcher. On his day off, Xiaojun decides to get lunch at a McDonalds, which he's heard about but never seen. Xiaojun is waited on by Chiao (Maggie Cheung), a pretty girl who has also moved to Hong Kong from the mainland to seek her fortune. Chiao is taken with Xiaojun, but thinks he's too much the country bumpkin, especially since he can't speak Cantonese or English. Chiao arranges for Xiaojun to get lessons in English and teaches him about life in Hong Kong and how to get rich quick; she also ropes him into helping with her latest business scheme, using his delivery bike to sell flowers. Xiaojun and Chiao become best friends -- indeed, each is the only real friend the other has in Hong Kong -- and one night, on New Year's Eve, the two find themselves alone together and end up making love. The next morning, both Xiaojun and Chiao are certain they've made a mistake; Xiaojun goes on to marry his sweetheart from home, while Chiao opens a flower shop and becomes involved with a kind man who has ties to organized crime. As the years pass, however, Xiaojun becomes convinced that his mistake wasn't sleeping with Chiao, but letting her go, and eventually he decides he must find her and win her heart. Comrades: Almost a Love Story was a runaway success in Hong Kong, where the film won nine trophies at the 1997 Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Following up on his wildly popular gender bending comedy He's a Woman, She's a Man, Peter Chan Ho-sun picks up immediately where the original left off. Chi-wing (Anita Yuen Wing-yee) -- a young lass who dressed like a man to grab the attention of songwriter Sam (Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing) -- has attained fame as a male pop singer and the undying love of Sam, who had a little trouble with his attraction to Chi-wing until he learned she was she. Their life seems perfect until Chi-wing wins a major award for best new male singer. While at the podium, she gushes "Sam, I love you" which fuels all sorts of rumors that Sam and Chi-wing are gay lovers. Meanwhile, androgynous pop star Yim-mui (played by androgynous pop star Anita Mui Yim-fong) returns to Canto-pop scene after a ten year absence and inserts herself into the lives of both Sam and Chi-wing. Soon, Chi-wing finds herself attracted to the charismatic star. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The cynical bite of this Hong Kong comedy will be most appreciated by those intimate with the culture as it comments upon those who use superstition and religion for their own benefit. Fung was raised in a Buddhist temple and so has the first-hand knowledge needed to run a first-class scam with his buddy Chi. Things go well until Chi tries for more than his share. After they split, Chi becomes a renowned, wealthy television prophet. Fung enacts his revenge by staging miraculous healing sessions with an unemployed actor posing as a priest. Sure enough the ploy works and Chi tries to lure the magical priest, Chun, to his camp. The trouble begins when Chun begins believing that he really can heal the sick. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A fan desperately desires to meet her idols in this gender-bending Hong Kong farce. The idols in question are singer Rose and her manager/lover Sam, who copes with his chronic ennui by playing along to Beatles records and dreaming of going to Africa. Wing is the rabid fan. To meet the popular duo, she binds her breasts, disguises herself as male, and heads out to audition during a talent search. The two are taken with the "young man's" abilities and decide to take him on. The trouble begins when Sam begins to feel a strange sexual attraction to Wing. Heretofore, Sam had thought of himself as purely heterosexual, but now he is not so sure. Romantic mayhem ensues until the mystery is finally solved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Jackie Chan returns in one of his greatest roles in this action-comedy sequel to his 1978 Hong Kong blockbuster Drunken Master. Wong Fei Hong (Chan) is a young master of the martial art of "drunken boxing," in which fighters use alcohol to blind themselves to pain and release the angry brawler within; with the right amount of drinks under his belt, Hong can become a furious one-man army. Hong accompanies his father (Ti Lung) on a voyage to China, where they purchase a precious supply of ginseng. When Hong discovers thugs stealing from their luggage, he leaps into action to get their belongings back. Instead, he winds up with a box of valuable Chinese artifacts, which criminals are hoping to smuggle to England at a tremendous profit. Hong sets out to fight the gangsters and give the artifacts back to their rightful owners, but while his stepmother (Anita Mui) encourages him to use his drunken boxing skills, his father feels his boozy antics bring shame to the family. Jackie Chan brought some of his most elaborate stunt work to Drunken Master 2, including a remarkable fight on a bed of hot coals; Chan also directed part of the film, after Lau Kar Leung was fired after a number of disagreements with his star. Six years after it became a box office hit in Asia, Drunken Master 2 earned a theatrical release in the United States; the film was re-titled Legend Of The Drunken Master (in part because the original Drunken Master never had a proper theatrical release in America), re-edited, and dubbed into English, with a new score by Michael Wandmacher. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Ti Lung, (more)
- 1993
Hsiao-ch'i (Caroline Lu) sings in an all-girl band and appears to spend most of her waking hours in the late-night world of Taipei. A boy called Hsiao-feng (Wang Ch'i-tsan) spends all of his time following her around and he calls her "sis" for no discernible reason. No one seems to question his being there, and this eventually proves to be quite a mystery. The girl's life is otherwise pretty unsatisfactory, what with her mother's intrusive Christian proselytizing, her comatose, bedridden uncle, and a boyfriend who won't leave his wife for her. Eventually, the girl realises that this "boy" is her comatose uncle's spirit, and things in her family go from simply being a bit threadbare to truly being unravelled. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ni Shu-chun
- 1993
- R
Following up on his award-winning look at blue-collar life in Hong Kong in Cageman, Jacob Cheung directs this well-crafted comedy-drama featuring comedian Michael Hui. With his eccentric wife growing ever more lonely and his kids growing ever more resentful, workaholic television newscaster Chang Yau-wai (Hui) is already burning the candle at both ends. One day while on the air, he suffers from abdomen pains so severe that he needs to be helped off camera. The doctor confirms his fears -- intestinal cancer. Predicted to have only three or so months to live, Chang hatches a scheme to leave his family well off after he dies while keeping the seriousness of his condition from them. Back on air, he becomes a super-reporter -- nabbing a robbery suspect single-handedly on camera. With his ratings through the roof, Chang gets his salary doubled and carte blanche to do whatever he wants on-air. As the money, acclaim, and celebrity endorsement offers come pouring in, Chang learns that there is an experimental operation that might, might, save his life. Does he die quietly giving his family more money than they could possible even need or does he try to save his life? ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Hui
Wong Jing spins this over-the-top action spectacular about Interpol agent Lui Tai (Alan Tam Wing-lun) assigned to protect Tibetan holy man the Daka Lama (yes, you read that right). Upon his arrival in Singapore, the spiritual leader is attacked by "The Order of the Death," a fanatical Red Army splinter group sporting flight attendant uniforms. In the melee, the Daka Lama and the beloved girlfriend of notorious crime lord Brother Bee (Andy Lau Tak-wah) is wounded. Complicating matters, both victims possess the same insanely rare blood-type P. The Red Army immediately sets out to kill all five potential blood donors. Lui, however, manages to catch up with one, Fatty (Eric Tsang Chi-wai), before getting whacked. What follows is one of the most hair-raising trips to the doctors in recent memory. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Alan is a singer, as well as an actor, but his career has stalled in a nightclub by the sea, where he earns chump change for his efforts. He has an old buddy, Eric, who, when he pulls into town, easily persuades him to leave that job and join him in setting up a chicken farm. Their friendship is soon complicated by the arrival of Olive, who is affectionate with each of them but finally chooses Alan. Despite their romantic rivalry, the two men remain friends in the manner of Jules et Jim. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Tam, Eric Tsang, (more)
Cherie Chung, Eric Tsang and Anthony Wong star in this martial-arts sword-fest in the style of A Chinese Ghost Story. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
TVB network's five most popular male idols all star together on the silver screen in this critically panned crime thriller. The film centers around a quartet of young police detectives -- Chi-ming (Andy Lau Tak-wah), Tau-pi (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), Bong (Felix Wong Yat-wah), and Wai (Miu Kiu-wai) -- who are in hot pursuit after notorious drug kingpin Fong (Kenneth Tong Chun-yip). During a bust, another officer named Lam (Leung Kar-yan) catches the criminal but lets him get away because he realizes that Fong is his relative. Meanwhile, Chi-ming, Tau-pi, and the gang steal a billion dollars from Fong's safe instead of admitting it as police evidence. Not only does their sudden spending splurge soon threaten to unmask their misdeed, but Fong, who's still at large and hungry for revenge, is threatening to tell all. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
