Nick Cheung Movies
A gifted action performer and all-around tough whose onscreen antics inevitably (and invariably) recalled those of Jackie Chan, Nick Cheung launched his career with more traditional period martial arts fare for such directors as Andy Lau, but in time began to specialize in crime-themed pictures with a liberal undercurrent of jet-black humor, often coupled with grisly, take-no-prisoners violence. Cheung frequently paired up with helmer Johnny To, a cult sensation responsible for such gangster-themed outings as Election (2005), Exiled (2006), and Triad Election (2006) -- all of which starred Cheung as one of the leads. He was particularly memorable in Exiled as the syndicate Wo. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Invisible Target director Benny Chan draws inspiration from the 2004 English-language thriller Cellular for this tense tale of a self-centered debt-collector who risks his life to rescue a desperate mother and her young daughter. Bob (Louis Koo) is a single father with a dead-end job as a debt collector. Essentially an easygoing, helpful guy, Bob tries in earnest to perform well in his new position while dealing attempting to clean up his act so his sister won't move to China with his son. He's making progress too, so when he receives a frantic phone call from a woman named Grace who claims she's been kidnapped, he reports the disturbing call to the local police. Although the detective on duty dismisses the call as a prank, Bob's instincts tell him differently and he quickly makes the decision to investigate. Realizing that he's the only personal capable of saving Grace and her daughter from a painful demise, Bob prepares to risk everything - including his own family - in order to save two people he's never met, and may not even exist. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Koo, Barbie Hsu, (more)
- 2008
High Risk director Wong Jing takes the helm for this gambling comedy about a most unlikely card shark. When it comes to girls, Ying Ying (Natalie Men) is truly one of a kind; not only can she hold her own in a fight, but she can do some serious damage at the poker table as well. Just as it looks like Ying Ying is poised to take the Asian God of Gamblers competition by story, the nefarious Manu blows her chances by wiping her memory as clean as an unmarked chalkboard. Nursed back to health by sympathetic debt collector Jay Chou (Nick Cheung), resilient Ying Ying makes it her mission to win the God of Gamblers competition, and teach Manu a thing or two about respecting women in the process. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Cheung, Natalie Meng, (more)
- 2007
Inspired by a news story the director Pang Ho-cheung noticed while still a high school student, The Exodus tells the darkly comic tale of a world in which the female population are slowly, and methodically doing away with their male counterparts. Sergeant Jim Yip (Simon Yam) is constantly being harped on by his mother in law for not being more successful and wealthy, and largely ignored by his uncaring wife. Likewise, he is largely seen as an outcast by his colleagues on the force, and doesn't have any real friends to speak of. When Sergeant Yip is called on to take over the interrogation of Kwan (Nick Cheung), a man found spying on females in a public restroom, it initially seems like a typical peeping tom case. When Kwan reveals that he was actually attempting to gather evidence about a clandestine group of women plotting to wrestle control of society away from men, the detectives in charge of the case dismiss him as mentally unbalanced. But later, when Kwan alters his deposition, Sergeant Yip believes there may be more to the case than meets the eye and quickly sets out to investigate. What he discovers proves a terrifying new take on the term "battle of the sexes." ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Johnny To returns to the characters of his international success The Mission (aka Chueng Fo) with this action-packed thriller. It's 1998, and the Portuguese colony of Macau, a city along the Southern coast of China, is about to be handed over to Chinese authorities under a long-standing agreement. As the people of Macau ponder how their new leaders will deal with the criminal underground that's long been part of the city's support system, a pair of hit men from Hong Kong arrive in town to execute a gangster who has turned his back on the syndicate to make a new life for his wife and children. While the Chinese syndicate want to be sure he doesn't share anything he learned while in their employ, two strong-arm men also arrive in Macau, determined to see to the former gangster's safety. Starring Nick Cheung, Simon Yam and Francis Ng, Exiled received its world premiere at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, (more)
Superstar action director Johnny To's Hong Kong gangster picture Triad Election (aka Election 2) revolves around Jimmy (Louis Koo), a second-tiered triad member vying aggressively for the position of godfather in the current election. He is restrained in his pursuits by the current mob boss, Lok (Simon Yam), who wants to hold on to his seat, despite the fact that his two years are up and he isn't officially eligible for reelection. This leads to a bloody, cutthroat, do-or-die battle of wills between the two men, carried out in some of the most astonishing set pieces ever constructed for an action opus, including a psychotic interrogation with knives and rabid dogs, a hide-and-seek battle at an outdoor café, and a shocking, ultraviolent denouement. To ads an additional level to the film by turning it into a scathing critique of the voraciousness encouraged by a laissez-faire economic system. Wong Tin-lam, Yao Yung, Lam Suet, Nick Cheung, Lam Ka-tung, and Mok Sing-lun co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
A crime family flirts with democracy, leading to a fierce gangland battle in this stylish crime drama from Hong Kong director Johnnie To. With over 50,000 members, the Wo Shing Society is one of the largest and most powerful Triads in Hong Kong, and when the leadership committee needs a new head man, they decide to put the matter to a vote of their underlings. The two candidates are Lok (Simon Yam), a cool leader who doesn't rattle easily, and Big D (Tony Leung Kar-Fai), who has a short temper and is prone to violence. After Uncle Weng (Wong Tin-lam), an elderly and well-regarded member of the Triad, gives Lok his endorsement, he wins by a landslide, which does not sit well with Big D's uncertain temper. A ceremonial walking stick which is given to the Wo Shing Society's elected leader has disappeared, and Big D will stop at nothing to make sure it stays out of Lok's hands; meanwhile, the Hong Kong police are determined to bring down the Triad, and Big D ends up behind bars. The Wo Shing Society falls into chaos as in-fighting threatens to tear the Triad apart before the walking stick can be returned and Lok can be inaugurated as their new chief. Election (aka Hak Sewui) was a major box office success in Asia, and the story continued the following year in Election 2 (aka Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simon Yam, Tony Leung Kar-Fai, (more)
Hong Kong-based filmmaker Johnny To directed this fast-moving action drama that explores the role of the media in current events. The Hong Kong police force takes a beating in the court of public opinion after their unsuccessful attempt to foil a high-stakes robbery is broadcast on live television. Determined to turn the tables, detectives on the force discover where the five criminals who masterminded the job are lying low, and they stage a major siege at the hideout. The hundreds of police officers have also armed themselves with cameras along with their guns as they turn the ambush into a media event. The thieves prove to be a difficult quarry to capture and they use their own video equipment to send pictures to the press at the same time, turning the shootout into a battle of images as well. Breaking News stars Kelly Chen, Richie Jen, and Nick Cheung. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richie Ren, Kelly Chen, (more)
Two expert swordsmen (known as "Sword Saint" and "God of Sword," respectively) must train for the duel of their lives. Scheduled to take place on top of the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City, the duel has inspired trickery amongst nearly everyone involved. The most nefarious plot is discovered by a renowned minister, whose experience selling tickets leads him to believe that someone is planning to assassinate the emperor. The Duel was directed by Andrew Lau and Law Man-Dik, and stars Anthony Wong, Nick Cheung, Andy Lau, Yu Kei, and Ekin Cheng. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Lau, Ekin Cheng, (more)
Tricky Master concerns an undercover police officer named Chan who is investigating a gambler named Ferraris. The gambler realizes there is a rat in the house and exposes the officer. Chan decides to take revenge by teaming up with Wong Si Fu, a rival gambler. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1997
After wowing audiences both in Hong Kong and abroad with her jaw-dropping stunts during Supercop, Michelle Yeoh stars in this melodrama -- directed by Ann Hui -- about a stuntwoman struggling to survive in Hong Kong's notoriously cutthroat film industry. Kam (Yeoh) is a fearless stunt double trying to gain the respect of a ornery, battle-worn action director known only as "the Chief" (Sammo Hung). Though a father-daughter relationship of sorts eventually forms between the two, their relationship to the craft of stunts is complicated. Kam gets pulled away from her profession first through a bad relationship and then through looking after the Chief's kid Long (Jimmy Wong). The Chief, in turn, gets killed during a scuffle with the Hong Kong triads. This film, however, is perhaps best remembered because of a serious injury Michelle Yeoh incurred when she misjudged an 18-foot jump from a bridge to a truck. In venerable Hong Kong cinema fashion, the outtakes of Yeoh's brush with death are included as the film's end. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
