John Chong Movies

This Chinese melodrama chronicles four decades in the life of a vintner's daughter. The story begins in Shaoxing during the 1920s. The winemaker and his wife are celebrating the birth of their daughter Huadiao. The jubilant father even christens that year's wine, Maiden Rose and stores away a special jar for his daughter's marriage. Twenty years pass and Huadiao is seen as a willful young woman used to getting her own way. She is a good student, but must forsake her education after a local boy impregnates her. A civil war erupts and her lover disappears. Twenty more years fly by. Mao is in charge of China and now Huadiao must cope with her grown daughter's disappointment at being thrown out of the university because the government has labeled her mother a neo-capitalist after she received a letter from her first lover, who lives in Taiwan. The daughter ends up marrying a humble laborer and bearing a daughter of her own. More time passes and the story picks up in the '90s as Chen Fei, the confident granddaughter of the now 70-year-old Huadiao, dreams of owning her own restaurant. Meanwhile, her grandmother finally gets to see her old lover who has left his wife and family in Taiwan to come to visit her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This film (which has Mandarin, Cantonese and English dialogue) explores the efforts of three mainland Chinese to adjust to living in the entirely alien culture of England. Of the three, only Deng (Chen Daming) has clear-cut goals. The other two are music-student Lan-lan, and middle-aged married man Su. Lan-lan came to England to study music under the sponsorship of a Chinese resident of London. Unfortunately, the instructor didn't tell her that her part of the deal involved marrying his son. Even that would not have bothered her, but the son is a complete drip. Penniless and homeless, she is given a home by Su and Deng, who are roommates. After the take-out restaurant they started fails, Lan-lan must decide how she is to survive. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Gordon Chan directed this Hong Kong action drama about Kowloon cop Tung (Anthony Wong). Addicted to gambling, Tung takes an occasional bribe. He shows his new partner, American-born Michael Cheung (Michael Fitzgerald Wong), aka "The King of Killers," the usual neighborhood routines. The duo deals with triad trickery after gang leader Big Brother (Roy Cheung) leaves town. Mike meets Yoyo (Kathy Chau), one of the women Big Brother kept on a string. Left dangling after Big Brother's departure, Yoyo begins a relationship with Mike. Shown at the 1998 Hong Kong Film Festival and in the Market section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Renowned actor/director Sylvia Chang created this richly layered film about memory, regret, and lost love. The film opens as successful filmmaker Cheryl (Chang) discusses a script idea about young love with a young screenwriter. She pitches a story about Shao-rou (Gigi Leung) a beautiful though clumsy schoolgirl who falls for a quiet, guitar-playing young man named Ho-chuen (Takeshi Kaneshiro). They develop a deep and enduring passion in spite of meddling parents, jealous friends, and their own naïveté. Yet when they are caught stealing away for a night at far-off Lantau Island, they face the wrath of Shao-rou's mother. The strain proves too much and they tearfully break up. Shao-rou's best friend Li (Karen Mok) responds to the news by offering both emotional sympathy and a bungled attempt at physical affection. The already distraught teen flees, ending their long friendship. Later, when Hou-chuen and Shao-rou meet by happenstance in Tokyo, they quickly realize that time has not altered their feelings for each other. She has become a successful fashion designer while he has become a less-than-successful tour guide. The twist comes when we learn not just that Hou-chuen is married but also who his wife turned out to be. As Cheryl describes the affair, it becomes increasingly difficult to tell if she is outlining a storyline or reminiscing about an old flame. Leung and Kaneshiro, one of Asia's biggest heartthrobs, give sensitive and charismatic performances as both awkward teenagers and world-weary adults. Chang employs a complex narrative structure of flashbacks and flashforwards to tell this beautifully wrought, quietly touching story. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong director Teddy Chen follows up on his hit Downtown Torpedoes (1997) with this breathless action flick that recalls the South Korean mega hit Swiri (1999). Just as Hong Kong's new airport is set to open, a band of terrorists strike a Korean cargo ship, but they leave behind three encoded computer discs and Todd Nguyen (Daniel Wu), an American-educated Cambodian-Chinese man who has complete amnesia. Anti-terrorist cop Ma Li (Emil Chow) and psychiatrist Shirley Kwan (Joan Chen, whose voice is dubbed into Cantonese) struggle to turn Todd against his comrades and to wrest the secrets from his blanked memory. Meanwhile, Soong (Kam Kwok-leung), the crazed leader of the terrorist group, and his sexy sidekick Guan Ai (Josie Ho), plot to unleash a deadly chemical weapon somewhere in Hong Kong. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Making its American debut as part of the cable TV anthology Jackie Chan Presents, Metal Mayhem was originally released theatrically in Asia and Europe as Tejing xinrenlei 2 -- a title which roughly translates to Gen-X Cops II, proof enough that the film was intended as a sequel to the futuristic money-spinner Gen-X Cops. Paul Rudd is seen as "loose cannon" FBI agent Ian Curtis, one of several high-tech peacekeepers assigned to protect a group of American scientists at a Hong Kong-based international exposition. The fun begins when state of the art attack robot RS-1 (Skip Wilder) is unveiled at the exposition -- only to be promptly stolen by disgruntled ex-designer, Kurt (Richard Sun). With the help of this new super-weapon and a virtual army of hypnotized Hong Kong cops, Kurt intends to either take over the world or destroy it in the attempt. Aiding and abetting Curtis in his efforts to retrieve the robot is his slinky girlfriend, Jane Quigley (Maggie Q). Originally released at 110 minutes, Metal Mayhem was televised in the U.S. in a two-hour slot (plus commercials) over the Sci-Fi Channel on February 23, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

The prequel to Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's smash hit Infernal Affairs opens in 1991, with Inspector Wong (Anthony Wong) explaining the frustrations of police work to gangster Sam (Eric Tsang). He also expresses his desire to see the seemingly reasonable Sam take over he reins of the local triad from the current boss. When that boss is murdered, with no apparent heir, it seems that Hong Kong is going to explode in an all-out gang war. But the boss' bespectacled, soft-spoken, and well-mannered son, Hau (Francis Ng), unexpectedly takes charge, calmly and cleverly defusing the situation. Meanwhile, Yan (Shawn Yu, reprising his role as the younger version of Tony Leung's character in the first Infernal Affairs) is thrown out of the police academy for breaking the rules, and it's discovered that he's Hau's half-brother. Wong recruits him to work undercover in Hau's organization. Ming (Edison Chen playing the younger Andy Lau) is a corrupt cop secretly working for Sam. His progress up the ranks of the police force is swift, but his relationship with Sam is threatened when he finds himself falling in love with Sam's girlfriend, Mary (Carina Lau). For his part, as the handover of Hong Kong to China approaches, Hau plots to become involved in "legitimate" politics, and to avenge himself against those he believes responsible for his father's death. Chapman To reprises his role as the goofy Keung. Infernal Affairs II was selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center for inclusion in the 2004 New York Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Infernal Affairs III picks up where the first film left off. Ming (Andy Lau) is cleared of any charges involving Yan's (Tony Leung) death, and is eventually assigned to the Internal Affairs division. He discovers that another cop, Yeung (Leon Lai of Fallen Angels), quickly rising through the ranks of the police department, has a mysterious link to Shen (Chen Daoming of Hero), who was apparently Sam's (Eric Tsang) connection to the mainland. Ming strongly suspects that Yeung is another one of Sam's moles, and is determined to expose him, while keeping his own connection to Sam a secret. It's a tricky proposition because Yeung also seems to suspect Ming, and appears to have the same goal in mind. With the help of Dr. Lee (Kelly Chen), Yan's psychiatrist, Ming looks deeper into Yan's final days, and flashbacks explore the undercover cop's dealings with both Yeung and Shen. Eventually, Ming finds an incriminating tape of Sam conversing with his mole, and has a climactic confrontation with Yeung. Anthony Wong and Chapman To also reprise their roles from the first two films in flashbacks. Infernal Affairs III was shown, along with the rest of the trilogy, at the 2004 New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong action specialist Wong Jing wrote the screenplay for the slam-bang Chiklo Dakgung (Naked Weapon). Madame M (Almen Wong) orchestrates the abduction of 40 different 13-year-old girls from around the world. She trains them as assassins, and in a few years, unleashes them on the world to do her bidding. The most potent of the group turn out to be gymnast Charlene Ching (Maggie Q), kickboxer Katt (Anya), and Jing (Jewel Lee). CIA agent Jack Chan (Daniel Wu) has stayed on the trail of the girls since their disappearance. When he finally catches up to Charlene, Jack is nearly done in by her alluring but deadly qualities. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong action star Michelle Yeoh serves as both producer and leading lady for this bit of slam-bang adventure. By day, Lulu Wong (Yeoh) is a mild-mannered environmental activist, but when the going gets tough, she transforms herself into Silver Hawk, a battle-ready heroine who finds herself chasing after Alexander Wolfe (Luke Goss), a suave British rogue agent. Wolfe has abducted a brilliant Chinese scientist (Chen Daming) who has invented a new artificial intelligence technology that could have dramatic worldwide impact; Silver Hawk sets out to find Wolfe and his captive before he forces him to reveal his secrets, but matters become more complicated when the daughter of a powerful industrial tycoon also goes missing. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide