Albert Yeung Movies

Chauvinistic advertising executive Sun Zigang gains the power to read women's thoughts in a bathroom mishap, and becomes an instant expert on all things related to the fairer sex while scheming to steal the ideas of an ambitious female colleague. Sun's personal life is falling apart; his wife has left him for another man, and his adolescent daughter gives him nothing but attitude. None of this really fazes Sun, though, because all he can think about is getting promoted to creative director at the advertising agency where he works. But when distinguished executive Li Yilong swoops in from another firm and snatches the job right from under Sun's nose, the incensed cad starts to fear that his career may be over. Later, while attempting to soothe his frazzled nerves with some wine and a warm bath, Sun dons women's clothing in a drunken bid to better understand the opposite sex, accidentally knocks a lamp in the bathtub, and gets the shock of his life. Upon regaining consciousness, Sun finds himself in the hospital, and quickly realizes that he now possesses the power to know what women are thinking. At first Sun decides to have some fun around the office by expounding on his uncanny insight into the opposite sex, but when he begins using his newfound abilities to steal Yilong's ideas, he finally pushes things too far. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This Cantonese-language police procedural from director Dante Lam blends moralistic drama and tense action sequences, to startling effect. Distinguished detective Don Lee (Nick Cheung) takes a misstep with some grave consequences following a local drug bust, by issuing an arrest order that unveils the identity of cartel informant Jabber (Liu Kai-chi). Now at the mercy of local gangs, Jabber must live on the streets to protect his loved ones, which riddles Lee with guilt. The story then jumps forward one year, as history begins to repeat itself: Lee hires a new "snitch," Ghost (Nicolas Tse), who has been incarcerated while trying to work off his father's mob debt and free his sister from prostitution. As part of his undercover assignment for the Hong Kong Police Department, Ghost signs on as the driver for a gang of jewel thieves, and feeds Lee inside information about the cadre's next robbery. At the same time, however, he realizes that his decision to inform may ruin his potential for a romantic relationship with Dee (Guey Lun-mei), the girlfriend of local kingpin Barbarian (Lu Yi). The situation involving Jabber then rears its head once again, with unexpected long-term aftershocks. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Inevitably recalling director Chen Kaige's 1993 masterpiece, the international smash Farewell, My Concubine, the sumptuous period epic Forever Enthralled (originally and more elegantly given the eponymous biographical title Mei Lanfang) dramatizes the life of Lanfang (Leon Lai), widely regarded as one of the most legendary opera performers in all of Chinese history. Though a male, Lanfang built his reputation on the basis of outstanding performances as female characters, and in fact, lived out his private life buckling under the weight of repressed emotions. Kaige structurally divides the epic into segments. The film commences with a 70-minute sequence that depicts Mei's reaction to a letter from his uncle, cautioning him against the dangers of an operatic career; in the years that follow, Mei recoils from social rules (wrought by his chosen profession) that severely restrict his actions. The narrative then moves forward in time by a decade, to a point where Mei has somehow managed to bound over the said limitations and establish himself as the single most popular opera star in all of China. Conflict lingers, however -- present in Mei's repeated on-stage duels with the performer Swallow 13 (an apocryphal character who represents a composite of several real-life figures), whose style is the polar opposite of his own. Kaige then moves ahead in time to explore Mei's efforts to juggle a second marriage to Fu Zhifang (Chen Hong) and his relationship with his manager, Oju Rubai (Sun Honglei), whose passion for Mei's on-stage craft (and, possibly, a desire for Mei himself) know no bounds. Sadly, a pitfall to Mei's familial security soon presents itself in the form of a young female admirer, Meng Xiaodong (Zhang Ziyi) with whom he lapses into a love affair. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

This gentle slice-of-life drama from China concerns Chin (Ge You), a middle-aged bachelor who leaves something to be desired in the appearance department. In desperation, he opts to invest some time and money into a personal ad - and spends the following weeks suffering through a nearly endless series of disappointing dates with ill-matched, unpleasant, and sometimes downright eccentric women. His fate turns somewhat when he meets Xiaoxiao (Shu Qi). She's gorgeous, she's engaging, and her personality meshes beautifully with his own - but Chin can't quite shake the feeling that she's way out of his league. Recalcitrant about the idea of approaching her romantically again, Chin settles for a friendship with Xiaoxiao and the two find a bright spot in each others' lives. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A hotheaded cop seeks repentance for a mistake from the past by rescuing the kidnapped daughter of a high profile lawyer. Police sergeant Tong (Nicholas Tse) is dressing down his crew following a botched stakeout when he spots the fugitive attempting a daring escape. Hastily speeding to catch the fleeing triad boss, Tong inadvertently kills one of lawyer Ann Gao (Zhang Jingchu)'s twin daughters. Ann is the lawyer preparing to try the boss' case, and she's resisting pressure to fix the trial. When Ann's other daughter is kidnapped by volatile hit man Hung (Nick Cheung), Tong vows to control his impulsive temper long enough to rescue the frightened young girl. But in order to save Ann's daughter Tong will need some serious help from the same colleagues he once so callously abused. Getting the girl back will be a serious gamble, but as Tong and Hung engage one another in a treacherous game of cat and mouse, the trial looms closer and the stakes get higher. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Loosely inspired by author Ye Mi's novel Velvet, Chinese New Wave director Jiang Wen's follow-up to Devils on the Doorstep drifts between Yunnan's Shangri-la and the Gobi Desert to follow four narratives exploring the roles that culture and revolution have played in Chinese history. In the first tale, a deranged young widow (Zhou Yun) slips on a pair of colorful shoes that have been embroidered to resemble fish, and abandons her only son (Jaycee Chan) to disappear into a nearby river. Set on a university campus during the Cultural Revolution, the second episode details the tragic relationship between professors Liang (Anthony Wong), Tang (Jiang Wen), and attractive doctor Lin (Joan Chen) that eventually leads the village where the mad widow resides. After exploring the magical texture of velvet in the third tale, Wen connects each of the stories by traveling back in time to the Gobi Desert. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The Jackie Chan-headlined action farce Rob-B-Hood concerns Slipper (Chan), a character caught up in a hornet's nest of problems. Raised by poor parents and expelled from school at an early age, Slipper became notorious for his lightning-fast footwork and quick-fingered hijinks, but managed to tally up a massive amount of gambling debt. With no other choice, he accepted his crooked landlord's bid to participate in a series of crazy heists. They paired up with another shady character, Octopus (Louis Koo), and successfully kidnapped BB, a tycoon's grandson, but unforeseen complications led the trio to keep the baby longer than they had originally intended. Now, when the men learn that a triad intends to collect on some unpaid ransom and kill the child in the process, they decide to keep the baby indefinitely, as an unofficial "adopted son," and train him in the ways of burglary. They receive assistance, in this endeavor, from a teenage hanger-on, Pak Yin (Charlene Choi); a nurse named Melody (Gao Yuanyuan); and the landlord's missus, (Teresa Carpio). Suddenly, however, the rollers and the triads begin to close in, and the men must figure out a way to return the baby to his folks. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A sequel to the successful, 2003 action fantasy Twins Effect in name only, this stylized, special effects-heavy martial arts adventure finds a humble boy embarking on an epic journey to claim his rightful position on the throne of a vast kingdom. Enraged by tales of a young warrior who legend states will rise to end her diabolical reign over Huadu, the wicked Empress (Qu Ying) and her eunuch high priest (Daniel Wu) dispatch skilled assassin Blue Bird (Gillian Chung) to prevent the prophecy from coming to pass. Later, Blue Bird clashes swords with irritable slave trader 13th Young Master (Charlene Choi), but the two rivals decide to join forces after realizing they have a common goal. When Blue Bird and 13th Young Master cross paths with Blockhead (Wilson Chen) and Charcoal Head (Jaycee Chan, son of Jackie), they realize that one of the boys is the one prophesized to wield the mythical sword Excalibur, and defeat the evil Empress. Upon realizing that Charcoal Head is the legendary warrior in the flesh, Blue Bird and 13th Young Warrior join him on his treacherous quest to become the rightful ruler of Huadu. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Featuring an appearance by Cantopop megastars Twins and set in 1970s Hong Kong, this nostalgic comedy drama from director Riley Ip concerns itself with a young man as he contemplates revenge on the gangster he believes responsible for his father's death. Though his policeman father had committed suicide in a movie theater toilet ten years earlier, Fan (Shawn Yu) still believes that the local kingpin called "Crazy" (Anthony Wong) is somehow responsible for his death. Making a living by selling his family wares in front of a local theater, Fan and his best friend Ming (Wong You-Nam) decide to enlist in a kung fu class to impress the master's daughter Nam (Charlene Choi). Things later get complicated when Fan falls for a mysterious country girl (Gillian Chung). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Lian' Ai Qiyi (Heroes in Love) is a collection of three short films about young love in Hong Kong. All were helmed by first-time directors, who happen to be from Hong Kong themselves. The first short is Kidnap by well-known graphic artist Shya Wing. It is the story of Joe a shy lesbian who falls madly in love a strange woman. In fact, Joe's attraction is so strong that she decides to kidnap the woman and hold her a prisoner at her flat. An inexperienced kidnapper, Joe muddles her way through her first days as jailor, slowly but surely winning her captive's heart. My Beloved is the second short, by two performers, Stephen Fung and Nicholas Tse. A deranged pizza boy named Robin is the main character here, and the story starts on the day he purchases a new handgun called the "Ejaculator". Robin so loves his new weapon that he eats, sleeps, and drinks with it, until finally the gun begins talking to him like a lover. Peppered with references to Taxi Driver, the tale spirals towards a finale in which the gun provokes Robin to prove his love through violence. Og, G! is the third short, by a popular disc jockey known as GC Goo-bi. Two teenagers, Charlene and Lawrence, meet on the Internet. The two get along well despite their mis-matched personalities, Lawrence being an immature slob, and Charlene a dreamer seeking an idealized romantic love. But their platonic relationship blossoms into something more once they decide to meet in the flesh. TBC is an epilogue by producer Jan Lamb which contains interviews with the four directors and outtakes from the shorts. The entire film was the brainchild of Lamb's Emperor Multimedia Group and collaborator PCC Skyhorse Ltd. which joined forced to bring new Hong Kong talents into the spotlight. ~ Connor McMadden, Rovi

A simple Chinese immigrant wages a perilous war against one of the most powerful criminal organizations on the planet in this sprawling action drama directed by Derek Yee (One Night in Mongkok) and starring Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, and Masaya Kato. In Japan, foreign migrants are shunned by mainstream society. Taunted by the yakuza, they live in constant fear of being discovered and repatriated. Into this world ventures Steelhead (Chan), a humble tractor repairman who has traveled to Tokyo in search of his missing girlfriend, Xiu Xiu (Xu Jinglei), who vanished into thin air shortly after arriving in the city. After locating his brother Joe (Daniel Wu), Steelhead discovers that Xiu Xiu has adapted a Japanese identity and married up-and-coming yakuza chief Eguchi (Masaya Kato), with whom he forms an uneasy alliance. Over time, Steelhead earns the respect of his fellow Chinese immigrants by establishing a place for them to gather. But the dark side still beckons to Steelhead, because after helping Eguchi dispense with a powerful rival, he is granted full control of Shinjuku's most popular nightspots. Resistant to the allure of the criminal lifestyle, Steelhead discovers a new love and opens a tractor-repair business just outside the city. When Eguchi begins using Steelhead's former compatriots as pawns to front the yakuza's drug trade, the vengeful immigrant returns to the city determined to exact justice, even if it means destroying the future of the woman he once loved. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Maverick auteur Takashi Miike spins this unsettling, blood-soaked yakuza yarn adapted from Hideo Yamamoto's cult manga Koroshiya 1. When mob don Anjo mysteriously disappears, his protégé Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano) vows to find the people responsible. Sporting a blond head of hair and a yawning, pierced slash for a mouth, Kakihara is no ordinary gangster and his methods are equally unorthodox; he impales one poor suspect's naked body on a series of meat hooks and then dumps hot oil on him. Meanwhile, a shadowy character known as Jijii (played by director Shinya Tsukamoto) deftly manipulates, for his own nefarious ends, Ichi (Nao Omori), an unbalanced but ruthless killing machine clad in a superhero suit. Pining for the sadistic abuse of his boss, Kakihara learns of Ichi from a Hong Kong hostess (Alien Sun) and sets out to find this fabled butcher, hoping he can inflict the pain that Kakihara craves. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival as a part of the Midnight Madness program. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi