Andy Lau Movies
Andy Lau is a veteran performer in Hong Kong's action cinema. His work has spanned Hong Kong's many genres, from comedies, to martial arts pictures, to gangster movies. Most of his major roles have been in popular mainstream fare, but one of Lau's better performances was a supporting role in the critically acclaimed film, God of Gamblers (1989).~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- 1982
A landmark of the nascent Hong Kong New Wave of the early '80s, this melodrama -- directed by Ann Hui -- concerns the plight of Vietnamese peasants shortly after the fall of Saigon. The film centers on a Japanese photojournalist named Shiomi Akutagawa (George Lam Chi-cheung) who ventures to Danang to document Vietnam's attempts at rebuilding after the war. At first he's bussed around by government officials showing off quaint villages and happy, healthy children. Later, he manages to get permission to wander about the countryside without a government chaperon. Soon he happens upon a young lass named Cam Nuong (Season Ma Si-san) who is from a desperately poor family. At first she is suspicious and even hostile towards the foreigner but quickly they develop a bond of sorts. As Akutagawa starts seeing Vietnam through Cam Nuong's eyes, he starts to realize that everyday life is far different from the state propaganda. Villagers live in constant terror of marauding soldiers, and children scavenge the bodies of executed prisoners for valuables. This film, which was shot in Mainland China, garnered armloads of Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. This film also launched the career of future pop icon and movie star Andy Lau. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lam Chi-Cheung, Season Ma, (more)
This third installment in the popular "Lucky Stars" series -- directed by Sammo Hung -- finds Muscles (Jackie Chan), Kidstuff (Hung), Fung (Yuen Biao), and the gang taking a well-needed vacation in Thailand courtesy of the Hong Kong police department. Also on the trip is police inspector Woo (Sibelle Hu Hui-chang) on orders to track down a list of drug dealers from informant Ma (Melvin Wong Kam-sun). Unfortunately, Ma gets whacked by a Thai crime lord, but he tells Woo as he draws his last breath that he mailed the list to his friend in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Muscles and the gang are shaking down Lau (James Tien Chun), a drug dealer who, it turns out, is being targeted by the same baddies that killed Ma. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
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
- 1986
What do a cannibalistic, flying-demon baby, a spine-sucking Worm-tribe god, a blood curse that can only be cured by eating a nipple, and Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun Fat have in common? If you guessed they are all elements of one of the most outrageous and bizarre Hong Kong films of the 1980s, you obviously have a palate for high-camp and way too much time on your hands. Director Ngai Kai-Lam (of Story of Ricky fame) helms this lightning-paced supernatural adventure concerning cognac-sniffing, pulp-fiction heroes Dr. Yuen and Wisely (Andy Lau and Yun Fat respectively). On a frantic mission to cure Lau of the blood curse placed on him by a vengeful witch doctor (his veins periodically erupt into blood-spewing geysers), save the girl, and save 100 local village children from being sacrificed, the heroes battle a multitude of demons, monsters, and horrible curses. Sure, it's derivative of the Indiana Jones series and also lacks the budget needed to fully realize it's outlandish vision, but the film's pacing and originality are sure to please even the most jaded Hong Kong cinema fan. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Looking to cash in on the popularity of Steven Spielberg's mega-hits E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hong Kong schlockmeister Wong Jing directs this yarn about Andy (Andy Lau Tak-wah) who, along with buddies Pin-pin (Siu bin-bin) and Pancho (Wong Jing) ventures to Greece to find his long lost friend Shen (Phillip Ko Fei). They soon discover Shen is being tailed both by the KGB and by Interpol after discovering some rare gems in an archeological dig. After a unkindly series of events, Andy winds up back in Hong Kong with the stones, which, it turns out, is not gems but rather an alien life form. Meanwhile Karov (Richard Norton), an evil magician, is hell bent on getting his hands on the gem/alien no matter what. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Lau, Cynthia Rothrock, (more)
Taylor Wong Tai-loi directs this sequel to his gangster epic Rich and Famous. With crime boss Chai (Chow Yun-fat) now a successful legitimate businessman, Yung (Man Chi-leung) wants to kill him more now than ever. While Chai tries to negotiate gangland peace, Yung steady kills off every competitor in the crime family until there is no one but Chai left. War between the two men seems inevitable. Meanwhile, Kwok (Andy Lau), Yung's brother, returns from self-imposed exile in Malaysia to calm tensions. At the same time, one of Chai's underlings tries to take Yung out himself but fails miserably while Yung orders the murder of Kwok's wife and child. Chai and Kwok soon band together to kill Yung. Though this film was intended as the sequel to Rich and Famous, it was actually released first. The producers thought that this film had more commercial promise. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Taylor Wong delivers this gangster saga about brotherhoood and betrayal. Bumptious, ill-tempered Yung (Man Chi-leung) has run up a huge gambling debt is about to get his finger loped off for non-payment until his more levelheaded brother, Kwok (Andy Lau), intercedes. When Yung's troubles become too great for even Kwok to handle, they turn to Chai (Chow Yun-fat), a big-time gangster who hires the two to aid with his business ventures. Enthusiastic and dependable, Kwok quickly becomes Chai's right-hand man, much to Yung's displeasure. When a Thai drug lord stops shipment to Chai, underworld tensions build. Eventually Yung shows his true self and joins the other side, setting the stage for bloody gangland violence. This film is followed up by Tragic Hero. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chow Yun-Fat, Man Chi Leung, (more)
- 1987
A Cantonese detective trained in Scotland Yard returns to Hong Kong to take on the mob in this bloody crime drama. His assignment leads him to the hit man (Lau Tak Wah), an orphan who was raised by the notorious leader of the syndicate. Although they respect each others abilities, the hit man and the cop head for a violent and inevitable showdown. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Prolific Hong Kong filmmaker Lau Kar-wing directed this gangster-themed crime-drama about the internecine struggles within a powerful triad family. Lung Ying (Ko Chun Hsiung) is the patriarch of the clan, and -- in a setup used in many such films since The Godfather -- is attempting to slowly move the family away from criminal enterprises and into legitimate business, although his sons and employees make it nearly impossible. Allan (Alan Tam) is a ruthless killer who later has to seek refuge in Taiwan. Kar-wai (Miu Kiu-wai) is the fiery tempered Sonny Corleone character, Hua (Andy Lau) is the calm, rational one, and Chung (Max Mok) is the dedicated student whose learning is unable to prepare him for what is to occur. Yip (Kenneth Tong) is the most dangerous to Lung Ying's plans, as he is a compulsive gambler whose addiction to the activity will lead the family to irreparable harm. Eventually, two thugs from another family, Ko (William Ho) and Keung (Norman Tsui), have Lung Ying killed and ambush the Lung family at his funeral. That's when Allan, Chung, and Hua get together to bring down Keung, who followed his deadly strike on the Lungs by murdering his own employer, Ho E (Ku Feng), and taking control of his organization. This leads to the inevitable bloody shootouts, reprisals, and dire consequences for many of those involved. The film is bolstered by a supporting cast familiar to any Hong Kong film buff, including Kent Cheng, Shing Fui-on, Phillip Ko, and Kara Hui. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai makes his feature film debut with this gritty romantic crime-drama inspired by Scorsese's Mean Streets. The film opens with young gangster Wah (Andy Lau) getting a visit for the day from his beautiful cousin Ah-Ngor (Maggie Cheung), who is coming into Kowloon from the remote outlying Lantau island to receive medical treatment for a lung condition. At first, the short-fused gangster and the quiet country girl have little in common, but gradually the two start to form a bond of sorts. Meanwhile, Wah's buddy Fly (Jacky Cheung), who has an absolutely volcanic temper, is always getting Wah into hot water. Even though Wah knows that Fly is bound to end up dead soon, he stands by his foolhardy friend. After some hesitation, Wah -- who has fallen for Ah-Ngor -- visits his cousin on Lantau, hoping to make their relationship more than family. Fly later infuriates a psychopathic mob boss, Tony (Alex Man Chi-leung who, along with his henchmen, beats and degrades Fly and Wah. This induces Fly make amends with Tony by undertaking the outrageously difficult task of rubbing out an informant who is in the custody of the cops, before the man has the opportunity to testify in a court hearing.
~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, (more)
Kent Cheng Chuk-see directs this Chinese lunar extravaganza, which, true to this subgenre, features a huge budget, an eye-popping all-star cast, and not much of a story to speak of. The film is set in Japanese POW camp 732, which houses scores of Chinese rebels. Rakish special agent Wah (Andy Lau Tak-wah) manages to sneak out of the encampment only to be ordered back in. His mission: to find the only person who knows the number to a secret Swiss bank account which could funnel 500 billion dollars into China's war effort. Unfortunately, once he smuggles himself back in, he learns that the guy is dead. Yet all is not lost; Wah realizes that the man taught the Japanese commander's parrot the code. Meanwhile, the prisoners are told that they will all be killed after performing a comedy night for some Japanese bigwigs. Alan Tam Wing-lun, Anita Mui Yim-fong, Eric Tsang Chi-wai, Sammo Hung Kam-po, Austin Wai Tin-chi, and Gordon Lau Kar-fai among others also appear. This film was shot in the real-life camp 731 where thousand of Chinese died and the Japanese military performed horrific medical tests on subjects. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1989
This 1989 thriller, directed by Jing Wong, resurrected the subgenre of the Hong Kong gambling film. Do San (Chow Yun-Fat) is a slick professional gambler on a seemingly endless winning streak. On his way to defeat a rival in a card game, Do's streak comes to a close when a head injury leaves him brain-damaged. Reduced to the mental capacity of a child, his friend "Knife" (Andy Lau) and Knife's girlfriend Jane (Joey Wong) are left to care for him. They soon realize that his gambling abilities have been left intact, and in a series of events reminiscent of Rain Man, Do makes a comeback. Yun-Fat, who gained international reknown as an action hero in such thrillers as The Killer and Hard-Boiled, shows a surprising amount of range in this departure from his usual role. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chow Yun-Fat, Andy Lau, (more)
Hong Kong filmmakers Jimmy Heung and Wong Jing co-directed this highly successful gambling film which begat a spate of unrelated sequels. Wong had actually written a similar (and highly profitable) film for television nine years earlier (The Shell Game), but this one marked the beginning of a mini-trend of casino-oriented theatrical crime films including the even more popular God of Gamblers. Alan Tam and Andy Lau star as Sam Law and Crab Chan, old con-artist friends who get back together and move to America after Crab's release from prison. Sam helps the owner of a casino catch a group of Japanese raiders who have bilked the establishment out of over 60,000,000 dollars in two weeks, falling in love with a wealthy heiress named Koyan (Idy Chan) in the process. Crab saves Sam's life when the Japanese crooks seek revenge, only to have his hand slashed in an injury which ends his ability to pull off scams. Koyan's father offers to help him and give him a legitimate job if he stops committing crimes as well, and Sam accepts, leaving Crab hanging out to dry when the Japanese come calling. Crab decides to rip off the raiders in a high-stakes game, but they learn what he did to them afterwards and kidnap Koyan, leading to a violent and vicious denouement. Rosamund Kwan co-stars with Lung Fong, Shum Wai, and Che-Kirk Wong. The unconnected Casino Raiders II and No Risk, No Gain: Casino Raiders -- The Sequel were among many knockoffs which followed. ~ Robert Firsching, 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
Character actor Kent Cheng takes a turn behind the camera with this gritty crime melodrama. Wayne (Kenny Ho) is a spoiled rich kid whose churlishness lands him with a brief stint in jail. There he befriends Henry (Andy Lau), a working-class kid spending four years in the clink for manslaughter. When Wayne is released, he goes to Britain to study law. Yet Henry, once in the real world, has fewer options. He tries to make a go at teaching school, but his past soon catches up with him. Vicious gangster Charlie (William Ho) demands that Henry fork over 100,000 dollars as compensation for killing one of his men. Once Charlie starts attacking Henry's family, Henry joins Charlie's gang hoping to ameliorate the situation. Soon Henry becomes not only a feared criminal himself, but a serious smack addict. Wayne returns from Britain and tries to straighten out his friend. When Henry gets framed for murder, Wayne is forced to defend him in court. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Acclaimed Hong Kong director Ann Hui spins this crime drama about Chinese immigrants struggling to get ahead in Japan. Ben (Andy Lau) is a Chinese student with a fiery temper who is making a go at working as a tour guide. One day he meets fellow student Meng Tieh-lan (Cherie Chung). He immediately falls for her but she is simply not interested. When Tieh-lan's visit sponsor starts demanding physical favors in return, she returns into the arms of a yakuza named Asano, who is not only wanted by the cops but also by his fellow gangsters. When his former comrades do nab him, he gives Tieh-lan a tape and tells her to give it to Ishikawa (Yasuaki Kurota), the boss to a rival gang. The tape contains evidence that Asano's boss double-crossed and then killed Ishikawa's boss in a drug deal years ago. With no one else to turn to, Tieh-lan gets Ben to help her drop off the tape and flee Japan. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Lau, Cherie Chung, (more)
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
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
Andy Lau was nominated for Best Actor in the 1991 Hong Kong Film Awards for his work in this drama about the life of legendary police detective Lee Rock. Also stars Yau Chimgmy and Cheung Man. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Following up on his debut As Tears Go By, master filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai directs this dark, brooding tale about identity and unrequited love. Set in 1960, the film center of the young, boyishly handsome Yuddy (Leslie Cheung), who learns from the drunken ex-prostitute who raised him that she is not his real mother. Hoping to hold onto him, she refuses to divulge the name of his real birth mother. The revelation shakes Yuddy to his very core, unleashing a cascade of conflicting emotions. Two women have the bad luck to fall for Yuddy. One is a quiet lass who works at a sport arena named Su Lizhen (Maggie Cheung), while the other is a glitzy showgirl named Mimi (Carina Lau). Perhaps due to his unresolved Oedipal issues, he passively lets the two compete for him, unable or unwilling to make a choice. As Lizhen slowly confides her frustration to a cop named Tide (Andy Lau), he falls for her. The same is true for Yuddy's friend Zeb (Jacky Cheung), who falls for Mimi. Later, Yuddy learns of his birth mother's whereabouts and heads out to the Philippines. This film won a armful of trophies at the Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Director, Best Actor for Leslie Cheung, and Best Picture. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, (more)
- 1991
Hong Kong superstar comedian Stephen Chiau stars in this wild and woolly yarn directed by Jing Wong. Jing Koo (Chiau) is the master of the practical joke and demands hefty fees to ply his trade on unsuspecting victims. Jing's latest client is the shady Macky Kam (Waise Lee Chi-hung) who wants Jing to trick his co-worker, Chi Man-kit (Andy Lau Tak-wah), into believing that the trickster is the guy's long lost brother. Macky's aim in this joke is to break up Man-kit's relationship with his comely girlfriend, Lucy (Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam), hoping that he can have her for himself. The trick proves to be wildly successful; not only does Lucy dump Man-kit, but the guy and his father lose their jobs. Jing feels terrible about the whole thing and resolves to rectify the situation. Unfortunately, Jing also has to contend with a new rival jokester who goes by the moniker "the Ultimate Expert." ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
