Stephen Chow Movies

By day, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is a millionaire publisher and popular media figure, but by night, Reid assumes the identity of fearless crime fighter The Green Hornet and teams with his trusted sidekick, Kato (played by Asian pop star-turned-actor/director Jay Chou), to keep the streets safe for average citizens. Producer Neal H. Moritz spearheads this big-screen adaptation of the popular radio serial, comic book, film, and television series originated by Lone Ranger creators Fran Striker and George W. Trendle. Rogen and frequent writing partner Evan Goldberg provide the screenplay, with visionary Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) handling directing duties. Breakout Inglourious Basterds star Christoph Waltz portrays the villain, Chudnofsky. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle director Stephen Chow returns to the helm for this sci-fi comedy about a struggling single father whose quest to find the perfect toy yields out-of-this-world results. Ti (Chow) is a poor construction worker who breaks his back to ensure that his young son Dicky (Xu Jiao) can stay enrolled in an exclusive private school. But while Ti does everything possible to give his son the opportunities that he never had, Dicky still feels like a classroom reject due to his tattered clothes and lack of the latest toys. Dicky's classmates all play with the coolest and most expensive gadgets that money can buy, so how is a kid who gets his toys from the local junkyard ever supposed to fit in? One day, while scrounging through the trash heap in search of a new toy, Ti discovers a mysterious orb and brings it straight back to Dicky. Though at first the "CJ7" appears to be little more than an unidentifiable oddity, it proves to be much, much more once the young boy starts to play with it. This isn't your average action figure, but a living "pet" with extraordinary powers. Realizing that his new toy may be just the thing to help him fit in with his demanding classmates, Dicky brings the CJ7 to school with him in order to show it off and have some fun. But the CJ7 has its own ideas about how to have fun, and it isn't long before the situation at school gets hopelessly out of hand. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

Fans of the Iron Chef and kung-fu films may enjoy this flamboyant and outrageous comedy starring flamboyant Hong Kong funnyman Stephen Chiau. Shifting tones from surreal to hilarious and often combining both as the film progresses, its schizophrenic sensibilities and irreverent humor lend to its bizarre kung-fu film meets master chef film story line. Though the film parodies many standard elements and characterizations present in Hong Kong films, viewers need not be familiar with these staples to enjoy the film's absurd and razor sharp humor. Chiau plays the character of the overwhelmingly despicable and weasely God of Cookery to the hilt, gaining power-mad pleasure by humiliating and embarrassing any and all whose culinary skills he sees as lesser (or greater for that matter) than his own, until his inevitable fall from grace after a shady business deal. Playing the role of a pathetic has-been with equal zeal, Chiau actually manages to mold the previous monster into a sympathetic has-been, making his efforts to regain his rightful title an amusing and hilarious uphill battle. The final exhilarating culinary face-off -- in which he struggles against his former protégé turned backstabbing adversary -- must be seen to be believed, becoming a hyper-stylized battle in which egos flare and spatulas fly. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong comedy icon Stephen Chiau stars in this wild and wooly parody of 007 spy thrillers. Ling Ling-chat (Chiau) leads a double life, living both as a modest street vendor in Beijing and a suave international spy. When a priceless dinosaur skull is swiped from China, a rogue criminal known only as "The Man With the Golden Gun" is the prime suspect. Ling is called away from dispensing pork products and sent to Hong Kong to investigate. There, a paid assassin named Siu-kam (Anita Yuen) has Ling in her sites. Yet Ling's utter stupidity and dumb luck makes him seeming invincible and she switches sides. When the duo return to China, Ling realizes that his real enemy is none other than his boss. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Kung Fu Hustle star Stephen Chow offers a hilarious slice of Hong Kong action in this tale of a demoted traffic cop looking to regain his reputation as the strong arm of the SDU. Despite being demoted to the equivalent of a human traffic signal, devoted cop Sing longs to win back the respect of his peers. When Sing is reassigned to an exclusive international school and uncovers a lucrative arms smuggling ring, he may have finally stumbled upon the case that will get him back on the beat and ridding the streets of the criminal element. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong comedy star Stephen Chiau stars in this period piece about Beggar So, a Chinese folk hero. After he's banished from the Army for illiteracy, So becomes a member of the Society of Beggars, eventually being named their king, and in time he becomes respected enough that he's called on to help save the Emperor's life when danger calls. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong filmmaker Billy Tang, best-known for the gruesome sex thrillers Red to Kill and Run and Kill, directed this well-cast, American-lensed martial-arts action film starring internationally renowned fighter Jet Li. Li plays Lee Kwok-lap, a famous acrobat with China's martial arts team who goes hunting for their aging ex-star Wong Wai. Wong has decided to defect while the team is at the San Francisco airport planning to return to China after an exhibition. During his search for Wong Wai, the acrobat misses his flight back home and is stranded in the United States, but things quickly get even worse as his wallet is found beneath the corpse of a police officer whom Wong killed, and Lee is implicated in the murder. Lee knows he is being railroaded and has no chance of beating the rap, so he breaks free from police custody and seeks shelter at the home of one of his biggest local fans, Yau (Stephen Chiau, in an uncharacteristic early role). While Lee is dealing with these problems, Wong is advancing in his criminal career, working for San Francisco crime lord Marco (Henry Fong). Wong starts reaching for more power than Marco is ready to relinquish, so he tells the police about a drug deal with which Wong is involved. This leads to a big shoot out which ends up with Yau making off with a large bag of cocaine which he then decides to sell in order to make some extra money. It's a bad idea, as it gives Wong the impression that Yau and Lee are working together, leading him to attempt having them both murdered. Some impressive martial arts choreographed by Dick Wei (who also co-stars as Wong Wai under the name "C.I. Tu") enlivens this standard actioner co-starring Nina Li. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide