Francis Ng Movies
Like his famous contemporary, Jet Li, martial arts pro Francis Ng distinguished himself as an onscreen action hero from the late '90s onward, predominantly in Asian productions. His credits include Sexy and Dangerous (1996), The H.K. Triad (1999), Infernal Affairs II (2003), and Exiled (2006). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
After witnessing the death of his brother at the hands of murderous secret agents, helpless Peter must summon the courage to clear his brother's name and save the world from a forthcoming catastrophe in director Gordan Chan's action-packed tale of high-tech espionage. Peter's brother Greg was one of the best computer programmers on the planet, but when Greg is killed in a horrific act of violence and Peter bears witness to his brother's death, the CIA, the Hong Kong Police, and a mysterious Singaporean special agent are hot on his trail. When a woman claiming to have been Greg's fiancée appears, Peter vows to elude his pursuers long enough to find out the truth behind his brother's untimely demise and being the men responsible to justice before the citizens of the world suffer the consequences. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In 1998, Andrew Lau's groundbreaking smash hit The Storm Riders came out of nowhere and resurrected the ailing Hong Kong film industry. Lau's follow-up, using much of the same cast and crew, is another martial arts epic set largely in New York's Chinatown. The film opens in the early 20th century with a young Hero Wah (Ekin Cheng) going to study under Master Pride (Anthony Wong). When he returns to his parents, he learns that they have been murdered by a band of evil Westerners. After impregnating his wife Jade (Kristy Yang), Hero Wah ventures to New York in search of his parents' killers. Sixteen years later, Hero's son Sword Wah (Nicholas Tse) along with family friend Sang (Jerry Lamb), arrive at Ellis Island in search of Hero's dad. Once the tearful reunion finally takes place, much of the rest of the story is related through flashbacks involving a fearsome fight with Japanese ninjas and the death of Jade at the hands of the ninja ring leader. The film climaxes a la Alfred Hitchcock or Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) with a battle to the death against the ninja grand master at the Statue of Liberty. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ekin Cheng, Shu Qi, (more)
- 1997
Unusual for its straightforward handling of gay themes and homophobia, this commercially-oriented Hong Kong comedy-drama chronicles the upcoming wedding of marriage counselor Law Kar-Sing. But Law is gay and the thought of marrying Chuen, to whom he has been informally betrothed for many years, strikes him as pointless. This does not stop his parents from continuing to pressure him. Chuen too is becoming more aggressive with her demands. But marriage is only a part of Law's problems. Other pressures come from his career, his secret lover Sonny, and an aunt with a few secrets of her own. There is also Law's friend professor Kim who is dying of AIDS. Kim's family does not want his long-time lover to attend the funeral for fear of public scandal. This prompts Sonny to take a radical stance and only makes matters worse. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Yip Wai Man's quirky comedy Beauty and the Breast concerns a man who works for a drug company that produces a pill designed to increase the size of a woman's breasts. He is romantically interested in a co-worker, but she refuses his advances. N order to get her sympathy, he pretends to have brain cancer. She falls for this, but soon discovers the truth about her attempted paramour. When she discovers that the company has been lying about the side-effects of their product, the woman attempts to make all of the men get their comeuppance. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Benny Chan Muk-sing spins this high-octane police thriller. Noted character actor Lau Ching-wan plays Zhu, a respected though short-tempered cop who finds himself transferred to the Emergency Unit after smacking his superior. When his friend and former colleague Yang (Francis Ng Chun-yu) is murdered during a mob turf war, Zhu vows vengeance, assembling an unofficial posse of his Emergency Unit underlings to take out the gangsters. After a bold robbery of millions of U.S. dollars from the Interpol HQ -- in a scene that was lifted straight out of Michael Mann's Heat -- the gangsters are desperate to get the cash out the colony. Their solution is to highjack a transport plane. Of course, Zhu and the gang cotton on to their dastardly plan just in time, leading to a hair-raising battle within and on top of the aircraft. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
One of Hong Kong's brightest young directors, Winston Yip, whose previous work, Mongkok Story, received a 1996 Hong Kong critics' prize, returns to the screen with this character-driven reworking of the gangster genre. Mike (Francis Ng) and his younger partner Brian (Louis Koo) are plainclothed policemen hot on the trail of a violent band of bank robbers. Their search leads them to a grotty old Hong Kong tenement. Expecting a long surveillance, the pair hole up in the apartment of the building's owner, an old woman called Granny (Helena Law), who is alternately gruff and kind toward them. While there, they get to know some of the locals and eventually fall in love -- Mike with a beautiful pregnant single mom who runs a laundromat (played by 1991 Miss Malaysia Stephanie Lin) and Brian with a teenaged slacker (Michelle Alicia Saram). Just as the two get comfortable in their new surroundings, the crooks make their inevitable return, resulting in gunplay and stylized over-the-top violence. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng
When the star of China's most anticipated musical is brutally slain on opening night and an introverted understudy is quickly cast to take her place, the mayhem that follows leads the shy young replacement begins to believe that a curse has been cast over the production in director Li Hong's stage-bound frightener. Everyone wants the role of Lola, but it was the beautiful young Tian (Tian Yuan) who landed the role when the original actress fell prey to a mysterious killer. Haunted by the traumas of her childhood and isolated from her fellow actors, Tian seeks comfort in the strong arms of her boyfriend, a lowly gaffer named Zhen (Francis Ng). The sadistic killer isn't finished yet though, and as the bodies start to pile up, Tian begins to suspect that the killer may know more about her than she previously suspected. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Prolific Hong King actor-turned-director Francis Ng pulls double duty for this comedy centering on the age-old Chinese ritual of lion dancing. Gai is an office manager whose slacker ways have earned the ire of the higher ups, and now in order to keep his job he is forced to team with colleague Gau to participate in a high-profile talent contest sponsored by the company. Later, after mastering the art of lion dancing with a little help from Gau's uncle (Anthony Wong), the pair unintentionally sends the city into a lion dance frenzy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng, Anthony Wong, (more)
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)
- 1997
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A prequel to the two previous entries in the God of Gamblers saga, this drama follows the apprenticeship of the unbeatable cardsharp Ko Chun. The story begins as his stepfather Kent, one of the world's greatest gamblers, enters him in a competition and then betrays him by arranging things so his godson beats Ko. The young card player vows revenge, and, with the help of a powerful triad's daughter and an undercover policeman, he heads out to get it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Kevin (Andrew Lin), a terrorist, blows up a plane somewhere over Singapore. In Hong Kong, two impoverished computer geeks, Peter (pop star Aaron Kwok) and Benny (Daniel Wu), meet up with Peter's brother, Greg (Ray Lui), who is on the run from Singapore after being named as a suspect in the bombing. Gun play, location shifts, and an alliance with the mysterious Salina (Singapore TV star Phyllis Quek) ensue as the techies go in pursuit of justice and international terrorists. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
Benny Chan's Heroic Duo features an unlikely duo working together to crack a very mysterious case. Officer Ken Li (Ekin Cheng) learns that a fellow officer has committed a horrible crime. However, the perpetrator has no recollection of having done it. Ken Li seeks help from a former psychiatrist and current prisoner Jack Lai (Leon Lai). The pair soon learns that a master hypnotist might be behind this and several other disturbing events. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon Lai Ming, Ekin Cheng, (more)
- 1997
This sequel, released only four months after the first film, takes place during a 12-hour period when a pimp (Francis Ng), a punk (Roy Cheung), and anti-triad bureau cop (Cheung Tat-ming) get involved in the battle between opposing gangs (including shots showing the arrival of real Hong Kong police). The title translates as "Go! Top Dog Army." Shown at the 1997 Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng, Roy Cheung, (more)
- 2002
Soi Cheang's horror film Hunbo Yitsin Chi Dai Tau Gwai Ying (Horror Hotline...Big Head Monster) stars Francis Ng as the producer of a radio program that involves people sharing ghost stories. Ben (Ng) airs a call about a mutant killer baby. Intrigued by the story, he teams up with a reporter (Josie Ho) to investigate. He finds a person involved in the story on the verge of death, while Ben's nurse girlfriend, Helen (Niki Chow), is treating a man who has been attacked by the monster. Helen has a secret she has been keeping from Ben. This secret may have something to do with the monster. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng, Josie Ho, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, (more)
A mechanic plagued by bad luck attempts to break the curse that binds him by entering into a desperate murder pact in this tense thriller in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. Informed by fortune teller Blind Liu (Liu Yi Wei) that he has been hexed, down-on-his-luck mechanic Chen Chuan (Francis Ng) is determined to turn his life around. Soon, Chen becomes convinced that it is his wife's infidelity that has cast a dark shadow over his live, and determines to kill her in hopes of breaking the jinx. When Chen meets Jia (Cherrie Ying) in a car accident and their pair realizes that they seem to share the same bad luck, they make a pact that each will do away with the source of the other's malaise once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng, Cherrie Ying, (more)
After his Hollywood debut (Maximum Risk), Hong Kong director Ringo Lam returned to his homeland for the 34-day shoot of this $13 million action pic. After cops find a corpse and bomb chemicals, Inspector Pao (Lau Ching-wan) arrests suspect Mak Kwan (Francis Ng), hoping his girlfriend will lead them to his Taiwan gang, but Mak makes an escape and the girlfriend makes off for Macao. Pao figures that the gang will go for the $230 million at the Hong Kong Jockey club. Shown at 1997 film festivals (Rotterdam, Berlin). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lau Ching-Wan, Francis Ng, (more)
Three Hong Kong cops working in different divisions of the same police station realize that all of their cases contain a troubling common thread in director Donald Lam's suspenseful police detective film. Chicken (Francis Ng Chun-Yu) is an undercover cop whose cool head has earned him a solid reputation on the street beat, and his lover Zita (Amanda Lee) is the female cop in charge of the notorious "garbage" team. Upon realizing that the recent rash of internet-related murders each is investigating seem to have more in common that they previously suspected, Chicken and Zita confer with police computer expert Wing (Christine Ng) only to discover that she too has been on the trail of the elusive killer. With time running out before the next victim turns up, Zita must now act as bait in a last-ditch attempt to coax the murderous maniac out from behind the keyboard and restore the safety of the information superhighway. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Triad boss Kwan (Francis Ng), wounded by Japanese associates, arrives at the hospital where, with voiceover and flashbacks, he recalls how he was betrayed by his boss, friend, and girlfriend. After telling this tale, however, he reveals it was all a lie and outlines the brutal truth, describing those he killed during his rise in Hong Kong's criminal society. The title translates as "Mongkok Top Dog," a reference to Hong Kong's criminal district. Shown in 1997 at the Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng, Loretta Lee, (more)
- 1994
Clifford Choi Kai-kwong adapts this popular romantic comedy of errors from the stage to the silver screen. Ma Kam-hang (Francis Ng Chun-yu) is a nebbish owner of a children's book publishing house who had the good fortune to marry the vivacious Ivy (Anita Le Yuen-wah). For their seventh anniversary, Ma plans to take his wife out for a night on the town. He also agrees to let his buddy Henry (Sunny Chan Kam-hung) use their apartment for an illicit liaison. Unfortunately, Ivy promises the same to her friend Linda who also happens to be Henry's wife. And if that weren't enough romantic tomfoolery, Ma's servant and handyman plan to use the pad for a tryst of their own. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng, Anita Lee, (more)
- 2005
A professional hitman ponders another line of business but soon finds that there's a high price to pay for leaving behind a life of crime in director Max Makowski's skillfully layered crime drama. An anonymous killer in a land where anonymity was thought to be a thing of the past, "T" is given his target by means of a red envelope deposited into an unmarked mailbox. The gangster code has been betrayed, and now a man must pay for that betrayal with his life. The man who is to carry out this killing is a lonely soul with no family, and not a friend to speak of. But a life of killing has taken its toll on the mysterious "T," and after one last mission this killer is going to find out just how terrifying shadows can be when your entire world is shrouded in darkness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng, Vivian Hsu, (more)
