Henry O Movies
Actor Henry O entered filmdom almost by accident, on a completely spontaneous and unplanned note. As one raised in China and sent to western-run missionary schools, he spent 30 years working in the Children's Art Theater, where he held down positions as an actor and the deputy art director. A middle-aged O moved to America with his wife, ostensibly to look after their grandchildren, but soon received an invitation for a theatrical audition and built up a prolific career essaying parts in television, plays, and films, invariably typecast in elderly Asian roles. Projects in which O appeared include The Last Emperor (1987), Red Corner (1997), Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), and Shanghai Noon (2000). He also guest starred on many series, including The Sopranos and The West Wing. O enjoyed a rare lead in the Wayne Wang drama A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (2007), playing a Chinese man who visits the United States to see his estranged daughter after a decade without communication. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
When a family of three returns to America for a family funeral after living in Shanghai for the past three years, a desperate mother races to save the life of her suffering child upon discovering that he has fallen victim to the wrath of a living corpse. Sarah, Jason, and their young son Sammy were living halfway across the world when they were summoned back home to pay their final respects to a beloved family member. Shortly after the funeral, however, an already grim situation takes a heart-wrenchingly bleak turn when Sammy falls mysteriously ill and appears to be on the brink of death. Failed by western medicine and desperate to save her ailing child, Sarah seeks out the assistance of a mysterious pharmacist who informs her that young Sammy is now in the grip of a living corpse. With precious little time left to appease the spirits before Ghost Month ends and their child is lost forever, the parents must now accept that fact that forces beyond their comprehension are at work and respond quickly to the demands of the dead before it's too late. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jaime King, Terry Chen, (more)
In this third installment of the popular action comedy franchise, LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) and Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) book a flight for Europe and prepare to clean up the streets of Paris after discovering that Chinese triads have extended their criminal influence to the City of Lights. Chinese Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma) is in Los Angeles and about to reveal the details of a clandestine triad conspiracy to the World Criminal Court when an assassin takes aim and pulls the trigger. Though Carter has been demoted to directing traffic at the time of the shooting, Lee is acting as a bodyguard to Han when the bullets begin to fly. Lee quickly gives chase, but hesitates when he realizes that the gunman is Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada), his old friend from the orphanage. When triads steal an envelope containing vital information regarding the conspiracy from Soo Yung's (Zhang Jingchu) Chinatown kung fu studio, Carter and Chief Inspector Lee race to reach Genevieve (Noémie Lenoir), an underground entertainer who could prove the key to bagging the bad guys. During the course of their investigation, however, triads clash with the French police, threatening to turn the romance capitol of Europe into an explosive hotbed of crime and violence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, (more)
- 2007
- NR
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Wayne Wang's intimate drama A Thousand Years of Good Prayers stars Henry O as Mr. Shi, a Chinese man who, after the death of his wife, decides to travel to the United States in order to see his estranged daughter for the first time in over a decade. Their time together is awkward at first, seeing each other only at dinner when he cooks for her. Shi spends his days taking in the strange culture, improving his language skills, and making a friend in an Iranian woman. Eventually his persistent attempts to forge a connection with his daughter lead to some buried issues bursting forth between the pair. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
The two-part TV miniseries The Lost Empire was loosely based upon Chang-En Wu's classic 16th century Chinese novel, His Yu Chi (Journey to the West). Updated to the present, the series was set in motion when American journalist Nick Orton (Thomas Gibson) agreed to track down the lost manuscript of Chang-En Wu's masterpiece, which had fallen into the proverbial wrong hands. Accompanied by a curious collection of mythical creatures, including the Monkey King (Russell Wong), a piglike human and a former cannibal, Nick found himself fighting evil and sorcery at every turn, secure in the knowledge that he would win the love of Kwan Ying (Bai Ling), the Goddess of Mercy, if he successfully completed his mission. Filmed partially in Prague by Hallmark Entertainment, The Lost Empire (later released to video as a 132-minute feature titled The Monkey King) was broadcast by NBC on March 11 and 12, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Gibson, Bai Ling, (more)
William Shakespeare's streak as the hottest storyteller in Hollywood continues with this modern-dress variation on Romeo and Juliet. In this loose adaptation, Hang Sing (Jet Li) is a former police officer from Hong Kong who comes to the United States following the death of his brother, the leader of an Asian crime ring. Hang Sing discovers that his brother had become involved in a turf battle with an African-American gang, led by Isaak (Delroy Lindo). But his blood lust begins to subside when he falls in love with Isaak's daughter Trish (Aaliyah) and finds himself torn between his affection for her and his desire for justice against the men who killed his brother. Romeo Must Die was the directorial debut of noted cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak; the supporting cast includes Russell Wong and Isaiah Washington. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aaliyah, Anthony Anderson, (more)
Jackie Chan has often played a fish out of water, but he's rarely found himself so far upstream as in this comic adventure, in which he puts his fighting skills to the test in the Old West of the 1850s. Lo Fong (Roger Yuan), onetime captain of the Chinese Imperial Guard, has traded upholding the law for smuggling opium. Needing some operating capital, Lo Fong kidnaps the Emperor's daughter, Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu), and takes her to America. When the Emperor sends his best men to find her, Chon Wang (Chan), one of the Emperor's less distinguished guards, insists on joining them; he feels at fault for Lo Fong's capturing the Princess, and he wants to make amends. However, while the rescue party scours the West, Chon Wang gets separated from the group and soon becomes lost. When he crosses paths with Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), a bright but arrogant train robber, the two become unlikely allies. While Shanghai Noon was billed as Jackie Chan's follow-up to Rush Hour, his first successful American-made feature, it was actually filmed in Canada, as was Chan's breakthrough film in America, the Hong Kong-backed Rumble in the Bronx. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, (more)
