Ng Man Tat Movies

One of Hong Kong's top screen comics, Stephen Chow, co-wrote, co-directed, and headlines this three-way blend of sports, action, and humor. Sing (Stephen Chow) is a modern-day Shaolin monk who has become a master of traditional fighting skills, and is renowned for his "leg of steel." However, these days there isn't much call for a Shaolin warrior, and Sing and his fellow monks earn their keep working menial jobs until a soccer coach gets the bright idea of translating Sing's talent for kicking to the soccer field. Sing becomes the lynchpin of a team playing in a tournament that could net them a $1 million purse, but even with Sing's footwork, beating the steroid-fueled champions will be no easy task. Shaolin Soccer also features Man Tat Ng and Vicki Zhao. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Wan Tin-sau (Stephen Chiau) is a struggling actor who has devoted his life to the study of his craft, but unfortunately the moment he gets on a film set, disaster usually strikes. However, Wan refuses to give up, and is busy trying to stage a traditional Asian drama, "Thunderstorm," when he gets an unusual job offer. Piu-piu (Cecilia Cheung) is a bar girl who wants to be able to feign a greater interest in her customers, so she hires Wan to give her private acting lessons. The longer they work together, the more they find they have in common, and before long Wan and Piu-Piu are in love. Heikek Chi Wong was a major box-office success in Hong Kong, where it was the top money maker for the Chinese New Year season; Jackie Chan makes a cameo appearance as an extra, and Stephen Chiau in turn had a bit part in Chan's romantic comedy Bolei Cheun, released at the same time. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The second part of Hong Kong filmmaker Jeff Lau's extravagant visualization of the classic novel Xi You Ji (Journey to the West), this follow-up to the same year's A Chinese Odyssey, Part One -- Pandora's Box continues the fantasy-driven story of the introduction of Buddhism to China. This installment takes up where the original left off, with Joker (Stephen Chow) stranded five centuries in the past and falling for a Spider Web immortal called Lin Zixia (Athena Chu Yun), who is actually part of Buddha's lampwick-given flesh. The other part of the wick is Zixia's evil sister, Lin Qingxia (Ada Choi), who is just one of many enemies whom Joker must face and defeat in his efforts to change the past and save the dying Pak Jing-jing (Karen Mok), who was poisoned by the 30th Madam (Lam Kit Ying) in the first film. The film's most spectacular invention, other than its zombies, giant spiders, and so forth, is King Bull, who has an army of animal-headed mutant warriors and his own personal cadre of oversized bloodsucking fleas. Superbly choreographed by Ching Siu-tung, the film also contains a number of inside jokes, including several at the expense of Asian pinup queen Brigitte Lin (whose real name is Lin Ching-hsia, thus the sound-alike Lin Qingxia character) and a delightfully flamboyant production design by James Leung. Ng Man-tat co-stars with Law Kar-ying. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

The famous Chinese novel Xi You Ji (also known as Journey to the West) was the basis for Hong Kong filmmaker Jeff Lau's flamboyant and rewarding two-part fantasy about the introduction of Buddhism to China. The film, gorgeous as it is, is primarily a parody of its source material, starring comedian Stephen Chiau as both Sun the Monkey King and his later incarnation, Joker. The story begins as the Goddess of Happiness banishes the Longevity Monk (Law Kar-ying) and his followers from Heaven because the Monkey King tried to eat the Monk and gain immortality. They are all sentenced to reincarnation as mortal humans, and the Monkey King becomes Joker 500 years later. Joker doesn't know that he was once the Monkey King, and is preoccupied by his romances with two immortal females, Pak Jing-jing (Karen Mok) and the 30th Madam (Yammie Nam). Jing-jing had been rejected by the Monkey King centuries before, but falls for Joker only to get poisoned by her sister, who is extremely jealous and wants him for herself. Aware that Jing-jing may soon die, Joker uses the Pandora's Box to travel back in time, but ends up lost in the world of 500 years earlier. Ng Man-tat co-stars with director Lau (as "the Grapes") and Athena Chu Yan. The same year's A Chinese Odyssey, Part Two -- Cinderella continues the story. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

As officer Lam Che Chu (Fong Pao) and Wong Fei Hong (Yuk Wong) join forces to fight a gang of determined opium smugglers, Beggar So Chen (Kwan Hoi-Shan) takes on the dreaded Fire Lotus Gang in this martial-arts classic from Drunken Master director Yuen Woo Ping. As the tireless trio do their best to fend off the rogue forces, beautiful school teacher Yi The-Tai (Fennie Yuen) is berated by parents who suspect her of running a whorehouse and of being pursued by drug traffickers who fear that she knows too much about their operation to live. When the three stories collide in a opium warehouse filled with brutal drug runners, the stage is set for a spectacular battle featuring a variety of deadly weapons! ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Wong Jing produces and Cheung Kon-man directs this wacky cop comedy about mismatched partners Fish and Ball (Ng Man-tat and Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, respectively). While occupied with tracking down the thug who cut off Fish's hand, the two are assigned to go undercover and protect Jessy (Deric Wan Siu-lun), the scion of a wealthy businessman under threat from the mob. While posing as Jessy, Ball falls for the lad's beautiful though high-strung girlfriend Jacky (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) while at the same time trying not to discourage the advances of his ex-ladyfriend Shun (Chingmy Yau Suk-ching). ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

At one time there was a special genre of Hong Kong entertainment films which focused on gamblers and their like. In 1989, that genre was decisively revived thanks to the very successful release God of Gamblers. In that earlier film, among his other accomplishments, the master gambler played by Chow Yun Fat managed to pass on many of his skills and abilities to a younger associate, played by Andy Lau. In this one, Lau's character, now a master gambler in his own right, is being pestered by a young man (Stephen Chow) with intermittently available psychokinetic powers (the ability to move objects with the mind). However, not only is that ability only available to the boy when he's in love, but there's a lot more to the gambling business than the ability to cheat occasionally. They get into enough trouble to keep the story moving briskly, and this comic action film did well enough to warrant a sequel. ~ Clarke Fountain, 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

Following the bloody climax of the previous film, A Better Tomorrow -- again directed by John Woo -- opens with Sung Chi-hi (spelled Tse-ho in the first film though still played by Ti Lung) getting released from jail on the condition that he rat out his gangland associate and a shipyard owner, Lung (Dean Shek). Chi-ti's younger brother, a young cop named Chi-kit (Leslie Cheung), is working undercover on the case and has already gotten into the gangster's good graces by dating his daughter, Peggy (Regina Kent). Fearing that he might put his brother's life in danger, Chi-hi cooperates with the cops. Meanwhile, Lung comes to believe that he is responsible for the death of a competitor and flees to New York. There he promptly goes crazy while under the care of Ken (Chow Yun-fat), the twin brother of the sunglass and trench coat-sporting Mark who died in the previous film. During a gun battle with the Mafia who tried to blackmail the exiled crime boss, Lung miraculously regains his sanity. Together he and Ken return to Hong Kong to settle a few scores. This film's onscreen mayhem was almost matched offscreen. Director John Woo and producer Tsui Hark had radically different views of how the film ought to progress. As a result, Hark reportedly recut the film without Woo's consent, ending a long-time professional relationship between the two filmmakers. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi