Eric Tsang Movies
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
- 1990
The extremely eccentric Manchurian princess who is briefly seen in The Last Emperor in the scenes set in Manchukuo, receives a more comprehensive screen treatment here. Born a scion of the rapidly fading Ching (Manchu) dynasty of China, Yoshiko Kawashima (Anita Mui) was taken away by the Japanese to be raised in their country's court circles when she was only six. For political reasons, she was married off to a Mongolian prince by the Japanese. Shortly after that, she embarked on a startling career of war and romance, beginning with having an affair with a Japanese officer, and including many affairs with women. Her assertiveness won her an officer's position in one of the armies of the period. After the war, this woman (who never considered herself Chinese) was shot by the Chinese as a traitor to "her" country. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
This outrageous jungle-set actioner from Hong Kong filmmaker Eric Tsang brings to mind such campy spectacles as Ernst von Theumer's cult favorite Jungle Warriors in its straight-faced melding of naive politics and ludicrously unconvincing gunplay. Taking place in 1985, the film posits a group of vacationers from Hong Kong whose bus is hijacked by Communist guerrillas in the Philippines. This hijacking sets the stage for rape, mayhem, and a sadistic Deer Hunter-style game of Russian roulette before the tourist group (which conveniently happens to include some triad gangsters who know their way around firearms) stages a bloody and extremely loud escape. Throughout the film, Tsang (who also stars) and screenwriter Nam Yin attempt to make their Communist insurgents into some sort of allegorical representation of the mainland Chinese. To their credit, Tsang and Nam lay out a convincingly horrific series of dire consequences which could result from Hong Kong's impending reunification, but the political message is lost amidst all the gunfire, racist stereotypes, and Times Square grindhouse-level silliness. Irene Wan co-stars with Tang Pik-wan, Tommy Wong, Victor Wong, and Emily Kwan. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1989
A woman is forced to pay a heavy price for the alluring impact she has on men in this erotically-charged drama from Hong Kong. During the Sung Dynasty of tenth century China, Lotus (Joi Wong) was the protagonist of a famous erotic novel in which she suffered remarkable abuses at the hands of the men in her life. After she is condemned to death, Lotus, known as "the slut of all time," pledges to return and take her revenge on the male gender. Ten centuries have passed, and Lotus has been reincarnated as a dance student living in China during the Cultural Revolution of 1968. When Lotus refuses to trade sex for help in launching her career as a professional, her teacher denounces her as a counter-revolutionary and circulates rumors that she's wildly promiscuous. Expelled from dancing school, Lotus takes a grueling job at a garment factory, where she falls in love with one of her co-workers, Wu Long (Lam Chun Yen), an amateur basketball player. Lotus scrapes up the money to buy him new shoes, but she's accused by authorities first of stealing the shoes, and then of betraying revolutionary ideals by wasting her money. After falling into prostitution, Lotus marries a businessman from Hong Kong, Wu Dai (Eric Tsang), only to discover that his brother is Wu Long, now working as his driver. Lotus steals away to a sex club one night to drown her sorrows in sensual excess, but she makes the mistake of meeting Simon (Sin Lap Man), a photographer who refuses to let Lotus alone after their night of passion. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Tsang
Eat a Bowl of Tea is set in New York's Chinatown during the immediate postwar years. After a seeming eternity of separation, Chinese immigrants are finally allowed to bring their spouses to the U.S. thanks to looser immigration laws. Those husbands and wives no longer able to procreate fully expect their own sons to head back to China to seek out new brides. Russell Wong plays Ben Loy, a young man who decides not to marry the bride picked out for him, but a girl of his own choice, Mei Oi (played by Cora Miao). The film tackles several issues, including Mei's difficulty in assimilation, Ben's problems with his intrusive relatives, the outside pressure brought to bear in producing an heir, and the ongoing struggle of making ends meet financially. Both bride and groom respond to their insecurities by indulging in extramarital affairs. It takes several near-catastrophic events to prompt a happy reconciliation. Partially funded by PBS' American Playhouse production staff, Eat a Bowl of Tea is based on an extremely popular Chinese-language novel by Louis Chu. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cora Miao, Russell Wong, (more)
- 1987
The businessman in this film has been in a committed relationship with a woman for over seven years, and in all that time he hasn't dallied with anyone else. He is not married to her, but he may as well be, except for the fact that he is deeply moved by the sight of beautiful women. One day, while on a business trip to Singapore, a sexy thief hides her booty in his luggage in order to evade capture by the police. In order to ensure that he will hook up with her again, she comes on to him, leading him to think that she is available. Later, in his hotel room, she sneaks in and retrieves her jewels but leaves behind a warm note. In this comedy, the hapless businessman mistakes these attentions for intimations of true love -- or at least the possibility of true lust, and he frantically tries to make them come true. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raymond Wong, Sylvia Chang, (more)
- 1987
During a Hong Kong currency revaluation, old banknotes are routinely replaced by banks. The old notes are generally burned each day. However, by Friday evening at one bank, there is a cache of over thirty million old Hong Kong dollars which will go unburned until the next Monday. A bank employee gets the notion that stealing this cash would be an easy and relatively harmless way of getting rich quick, and he enlists some friends to help him get it. However, he has told one too any people, and he is opposed in his scheme by a nun who will gladly bash heads in order to save souls. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Maka
One misunderstanding after another seems to plague the efforts of Fred, Silver, and Tony in this romantic comedy. Away on vacation, the three run into two beautiful young women named Agnes and Maggie who are strolling down the beach and, by all appearances, seem quite wealthy. All three men are enamored with the ladies and a poker game gives Fred first dibs on which girl he will pursue and he decides on Maggie. Meanwhile, Silver and Tony are left to fight it out for Agnes' affections. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chow Yun-Fat, Eric Tsang, (more)
This is an early onscreen collaboration of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao. Muscles (Chan) and Ricky (Biao) are two cops who go after a corrupt cop with ties to the Japanese underworld. When Ricky is kidnapped, Fastbuck (Hung), a childhood friend of Muscles, recruits some of their old orphanage friends, now small-time criminals, and this unlikely group goes to the aid of the cops to fight the mob. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- 1984
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After appearing in cameos in the first two Aces Go Places movies, it was only a matter of time before cult filmmaker Tsui Hark took a turn in the director's chair himself, and the result is a spectacularly silly send-up of the spy genre and one of the series' best installments. King Kong (Sam Hui) is kidnapped in Paris by a British agent called James (Jean Marchent) who wants to recover one of the stolen crown jewels, the Star of Fortune. For some reason, the jewel is hidden at the headquarters of the Hong Kong police, meaning that King Kong will have to steal the jewel without the knowledge of his best friend, bald detective Albert Au (Karl Maka). Albert and his wife, the fiery Superintendent Ho (Sylvia Chang), have a new baby in their house, but their tempestuous relationship produces as many fireworks as ever, with Albert ready to walk out and King Kong using the situation to his advantage by setting Albert up on a date so he can pull off the heist. Eventually, of course, King Kong realizes what the duplicitous James is up to and joins his friend in bringing the bad guys to justice. Peter Graves and Richard Kiel show up to add to the fun, and there are numerous jabs at various genre clichés to go alongside the series' usual blend of action, slapstick, and interpersonal conflict. Purists should note that the dubbed English version on Thorn-EMI is missing approximately 12 minutes and loses a great deal in the translation. The next installment, 1986's Aces Go Places IV, would be helmed by Ringo Lam. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
This 1970s-style Hong Kong martial arts comedy from director Lau Kar-wing stars the irrepressible Gordon Lau as a monk called Tien Fa who is carrying a secret map with the locations of Japanese troops to a small band of rebels during the Japanese occupation in World War II. A pair of shifty boatmen (including Eric Tsang as "Fat Dragon") accompany him on his journey, which becomes a comedy of errors as the boatmen (who think he's carrying treasure) and the villainous Captain Wang (played by the director) try to swipe Tien Fa's package. There's also an amusing scene in a bordello and an appearance by the uniquely Asian brand of hopping vampires, as well as a number of impressively staged fight sequences choreographed by the Lau Family to keep things moving. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Prolific Hong Kong director Lau Kar-wing helmed this first of four official sequels to the 1982 hit Aces Go Places (there was an abortive 1997 follow-up feature as well). An assassin called Filthy Harry is hired by a shady figure (clearly meant to represent Henry Kissinger) and charged with killing the series' unlikely pair of heroes, bald detective Albert Au (Karl Maka) and reformed criminal King Kong (Sam Hui). The film is quite lively, as Albert's relationship with the fiery Superintendent Ho (Sylvia Chang) has hit the skids. The men are framed twice for different robberies by King Kong's new girlfriend, nearly committed to a mental hospital by their devious boss, and forced to battle Filthy Harry's weaponry-laden robot while covered with time bombs. As in the previous film, action scenes are tempered with a great deal of broad slapstick, mostly centering on the heroes' combative interpersonal relationships. Viewers should be cautioned that one English-dubbed version in video circulation is missing nearly 15 minutes of footage from the 102-minute original. Eric Tsang, who directed the first film, co-stars with Raymond Wong, Billy Lau, and Tsui Hark, who appears in a cameo as an insane man who believes himself to be an FBI agent. Hark would direct the next sequel, Aces Go Places III: Our Man From Bond Street, in 1984. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Neither a rank imitation of Benny Hill's comedic style nor the evocation of a playboy bachelor life can save this imperfect film about a "perfect" mate. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Shek, Eric Tsang, (more)
- 1982
Lau Kar-wing spins this restrained horror-comedy flick about a beautiful lass cursed with terrible luck. Irene Leen (Olivia Cheng Man-ar) has the misfortune of having three husbands die on her wedding day. After consulting a slew of fortunetellers, she understandably vows never to marry again. The ghosts of her dead husbands, however, band together to end her loneliness and find her a mate. The prospective spouse they choose is Bruce (Alan Tam Wing-lun), and they spend much of the film trying to get the two together. Complications arise when another ghost tricks Bruce into venturing to the notorious Haunted Island to swipe a pearl from the Ghost King. To make matters worse, he decides to go on the day of the Ghost Festival, the day of the year when ghosts rise from the underworld and party on earth. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Tam, Olivia Cheng, (more)
A hugely successful crime-comedy from Cinema City and director Eric Tsang, Aces Go Places set records at the box office and made a star of Sam Hui. Hui plays King Kong, a clever thief who steals a cache of diamonds from some gangsters, framing another thief called White Glove for the crime. That's when the bald detective Albert Au (Karl Maka), who has been chasing King Kong for quite some time, pairs with the volatile female Superintendent Ho (Sylvia Chang) to bring him to justice. King Kong ends up joining the good guys, with the requisite hostile patter firmly in evidence, to defeat White Glove and another bad guy dubbed Mad Max (Chen Sing), and recover the diamonds from the hiding place where they were left by King Kong's dead accomplice. The English version is missing ten minutes of the comedy which makes this movie special, and the fight scenes are nothing to write home about, but the original's mix of broad action and even broader slapstick made it a hit, spawning four sequels over the next seven years and a failed 1997 attempt at revival with a new cast. Dean Shek co-stars with Cho Tat-wah, Raymond Wong, and cult filmmaker Tsui Hark in a small role. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1982
As Fong (Chu Kit, aka Hsu Sye), a successful television star goes back to spend some time at the center where she learned the acting profession, she thinks back to her friend Angie (Chong Jing Yee) who was blessed with a wealthy home, but suffered from neglect as her divorced father devoted himself exclusively to his personal and professional life. After their reunion has rekindled their friendship, Fong and Angie feel a growing attraction for the same classmate, Cheung (Manfred Ng aka Ng Siu Kong) who is himself drawn to Angie. Although Angie rebuffs him once she learns that her friend Fong is interested in Cheung, she cannot resist the man's charms and ends up sleeping with him. Afterwards, beset by guilt she refuses to have anything to do with Cheung, and also falls deeper and deeper into the drug scene. Her father has remarried and she is more alone than ever. As the drama builds to the final performance of the graduating class, Angie is nowhere to be found and Fong continues with her part, in despair over the missing Angie. Both the final death scene of the class's performance and the fate of Angie are interwoven, as Fong learns the truth and changes as a result. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- 1982
(Eddie Chan) plays a murderous salesman in this Hong Kong suspense-thriller about a mind gone haywire. When he discovers his wife has been seeing a lover in their own house, he kills both of them and then goes to jail for the crime. After he serves his prison term, the salesman looks like an ordinary person but he goes berserk when he sees any woman wearing the nylons that his wife used to prefer -- and rage takes over, leading to a killing spree. Although he cannot get away with his crimes forever, in the meantime, his activities provide enough fear to keep a viewer's attention from drifting to the bag of popcorn. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvia Chang, Eddie Chan, (more)
- 1982
It is the 1960s in Hong Kong, and a pair of friends who are nightclub performers are managing quite well until one of them falls in love with a female singer who happens to be the objective of a gangster's roving eye. The two recklessly get on the bad side of the mobster who has them so badly beaten up that the love-struck performer suffers brain damage, cured only by a trip to medical specialists in Malaysia. Once the two friends return to Hong Kong and a normal life, they meet and fall in love with two different women -- and everything seems to finally be going well until the old mobster and his cronies catch up with them again, intent on more mayhem. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Ng
