Tony Leung Kar-Fai Movies

China's first master detective is looking for answers to some burning questions in this blend of historical drama and mystery from acclaimed director Tsui Hark. Di Renjie (Andy Lau), nicknamed Detective Dee, is a law officer of the Tang Dynasty who is legendary for his powers of deductive reasoning. Di Renjie finds himself on the wrong side of prison bars when he dares to publicly criticize Wu Zetian (Carina Lau), who has become China's first female emperor. While Wu Zetian doesn't care for Di Renjie's opinions, she can't dispute his skills as a detective, and after eight years in jail she has him released so he can get to the bottom of a mystery. Two members of Wu Zetian's court have died under bizarre circumstances -- after stepping outside, they suddenly exploded into flames. Are the gods angry with Wu Zetian and her underlings, or is a clever saboteur at work? Di Renjie Zhi Tong Tian Di Guo (aka Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame) was inspired by the exploits of the real-life Di Renjie, who is credited with pioneering modern detective techniques during the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D. to 907 A.D.). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Sent away to rural Taiwan after entering into a forbidden affair with the daughter of his father's most dangerous rival, the musically gifted son of a powerful Triad boss experiences a newfound sense of balance in life upon entering into an apprenticeship with a Zen drumming troupe. Sid Kwan is a reckless musician who threatens to rock the entire underworld when he makes love to the beautiful Carmen. Carmen is the daughter of Stephen Ma, perhaps the most notorious Triad leader in the Hong Kong underworld. Should Carmen's father find out about the clandestine affair, the streets would likely be ablaze with gunfire, and Sid would certainly be the first to fall. Hoping that his son's life will be spared if he is out of sight, Sid's father sends the restless boy to lie low in rural Taiwan. Shortly after his arrival, Sid stumbles across a Zen drumming troupe who live and play together deep in the forest. Their passion and athleticism instantly mesmerizing to the entranced newcomer, Sid immediately asks if he might become a part of the unique community. While Sid's apprenticeship is at first straining, the clarity that he experiences after ingratiating himself to the community helps him make sense of the chaos that nearly consumed him back in Hong Kong and discover the peace that comes from owning up to his father's dark legacy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Master Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai directed this lyrical, dream-like martial arts epic. A famously troubled shoot, the film took two years and 40 million dollars to produce (a shocking sum for a national cinema populated with low-budget quickies) and features a virtual who's who of the Hong Kong film world. Conceived as a prequel to the popular martial arts novel The Eagle-Shooting Hero by Jin Yong, the movie is less a straightforward action thriller than a visually striking meditation on memory and love. It nominally centers on Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung), who ekes out a lonely existence as an itinerant hired sword. Getting on in years and tormented by memories of a lost love, he also works an agent for other mercenary assassins from his remote desert abode. Ouyang's old friend and fellow swordsman, Huang Yaoshi (Tony Leung Kar-Fai, who starred in the The Lover) drowns his lovelorn misery in a magical wine that makes him forget. Later, a mysterious young man named Murong Yang (Brigitte Lin) hires Ouyang to kill his sister's unfaithful suitor, Huang Yaoshi. The following day, that spurned sister, Murong Yin (Lin again), hires Ouyang to protect her dearly beloved. Meanwhile, Hong Qi (pop star Jacky Cheung) finds some redemption for a life of killing by accepting a poor girl's offer to avenge her brother's death -- a task that Ouyang brusquely shunned. In another subplot, a master swordsman (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) is slowly going blind. He agrees to defend a village from horse thieves so that he can afford to go home and see his wife before his eyesight fails completely. This film is one of the most celebrated examples of 1990s Hong Kong cinema: it won multiple awards in its native Hong Kong, along with a Golden Osella for Best Cinematography at the 1994 Venice Film Festival.

In the years following Ashes of Time's initial theatrical release, the original negatives were lost and multiple versions of the film began to crop up all across the globe. As a result, director Wong Kar-wai longed to compile these various versions into a restored, remastered, and definitive final cut. With Ashes of Time Redux, the director restructures the film according to seasons, effectively clarifying the central narratives, and digitally colorizes the film to render cinematographer Christopher Doyle's masterful imagery all the more lavish and intoxicatingly gorgeous. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

As the political tides turn and social change washes over the culture time and again, an altruistic primary school teacher in the provinces does his best to go about his business and always be there for his students. Chen Yu (Tony Leung Ka-fai) is a kindly, accordion-playing educator who, after being back in China for six years, is sent to teach at a rural Hubei school in the summer of 1963 due to a political transgression committed by his family. The easygoing teacher immediately clashes with the strict head of the school and gets chastised by fellow teacher Zhou Min (Qin Hailu) for his lack of political correctness, and is promptly sent away for "reform" after folding sex education into his lessons. Five years later, the Cultural Revolution is in full swing, and Chen is working on a farm. After a chance reunion with Zhou, the pair becomes romantically involved and soon settles down to start a family. Sixteen years later, the happily married couple is struggling to break through to their rebellious teenage son Taotao (Zhang Xiaodao) and Chen has gone back to teaching. Later, Taotao runs away to Beijing, leaving his saddened parents to wonder just where it all went wrong. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Historical fact blends with high-flying fiction as Jackie Chan steps into dual roles as a determined archeologist and a loyal general of China's first emperor in director Stanley Tong's lavish historical action film. Jack (Chan) is an intrepid archeologist in search of a mythical gemstone that is said to have the power to defy gravity. Though Jack's days are spent traversing the globe with scientist sidekick William (Tony Leung Ka-fai) in hopes of finding the elusive gem, at night in his dreams he assumes the role of General Meng-yi, devoted servant of Emperor Qin Shi-huang. As Jack and William venture to the mystical Heavenly Palace -- a wondrous fortress rumored to have been built by Qin Shi-huang himself -- Jack's vivid nocturnal journeys find him falling head-over-heels for the emperor's comely Korean consort Ok-soo (Kim Hee-seon). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A man who gave up on himself is redeemed by new and unexpected challenges in this drama from Hong Kong filmmaker Johnny To. Sze-To (Louis Koo) was once a respected judo champion, but he became jaded and lost interest in the sport. Now, Sze-To is an alcoholic who runs a night club and wastes his spare time by spending a massive bankroll he stole from a rival in fight promotion on gambling and liquor. When Sze-To learns that the judo master who was his mentor and teacher has died, it knocks a hole in the wall of booze and despair he's built around himself, and soon two new challenges present themselves. Mona (Cherrie Ying) is an aspiring singer trying to break away from her overly controlling father who arrives at Sze-To's club looking for a gig -- and won't go away until she gets one. And Tony (Aaron Kwok) is a young martial arts prodigy who has heard of Sze-To's former skills in the judo ring; eager to test his skills against a true master, Tony challenges Sze-To to a match, encouraging Sze-To to begin familiarizing himself again with the art of the gentle way. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A fashion columnist investigates her boyfriend's death with the help of two debt collectors and a newspaper photographer, uncovering evidence of a vast conspiracy that reaches to the highest ranks of the corporate world. Convinced the car crash that claimed her boyfriend's life was no accident, Ling convinces eye-witnesses Fei and Ma to tell her exactly what they saw. When Ling's editor Tsang begins to exhibit some particularly troubling behavior, the probing reporter realizes she's on the right track. Joined in their quest for the truth by observant shutterbug Kei, Ling, Fei, and Ma finds her story threatened upon discovering that a powerful tycoon has just purchased the newspaper Ling works for, and seems to have his own ideas about what the headlines should read. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

What first began as a short-form study in terror now expands to a full-fledged, feature-length fright fest as director Fruit Chan explores the high price that people are willing to pay for youth and beauty. Originally one third of the horror anthology Three...Extremes, Dumplings tells the tale of a traditional Chinese dish infused with a disturbing, but rejuvenating twist. Mrs. Lee is a retired television star whose once-glamorous visage is slowly succumbing to the degenerative effects of time. Her career has ended and her husband is beginning to wander astray. Upon learning that a mysterious chef known as Aunt Mei (Bai Ling) has a secret recipe for dumplings that is rumored to turn back the clock and restore one's youthful appearance, the desperate former starlet contacts the cook in order to arrange a tasting. But these aren't your typical dumplings. In order to achieve the powerful effects that her clients demand, Aunt Mei has substituted the traditional pork for the meat of aborted fetuses. Impatient that the unique form of rejuvenation isn't working as fast as she had hoped, Mrs. Lee soon begins seeking out an even more potent recipe. Though the new and improved recipe does indeed give Mrs. Lee the results she has been longing for, an unexpected complication soon leads to some decidedly unusual side effects, and it's not long before Mrs. Lee's curious husband appears in the kitchen of the alluring Aunt Mei looking for answers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

When gossip journalist Carrie (Sammi Cheng) investigates the strange case of policeman-turned-model Paul Ko (Louis Koo), who has been put out of commission in more ways than one after being shot in the groin, she finds herself falling for him despite herself. Meanwhile, Carrie's sex-obsessed ex-boyfriend (Lau Ching-Wan) is approached by an equally carnal female (Charlene Choi) and is pleased as can be with the exception of one, rather important thing: Tabby (Choi) is way too young for him. Good Times, Bed Times was directed by Patrick Leung and also features Tony Leung Kar-Fai. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Directed by former critic Chen Kuo-fu, Shuang Tong (Double Vision) is a Taiwanese effort at combining various aspects of the crime and horror genres with the excitement of martial arts. Led by detective Li Feng-po (Leon Dai), a group of detectives use physical violence to get a confession from a suspected criminal. Meanwhile, several murders are occuring--a business man is found drowned in his office; a politicians mistress Chiang Hui-hui) is burnt to death in her apartment, and an American clerk (Geo Gerstein) is eviscerated in his own church. Without a background in finding serial killers, the Taiwan authorties see fit to call the FBI. Agent Kevin Richter (David Morse) teams up with foreign affairs officer Huang Huo-tu (Tony Leung Kar-fai), and the pair sets off on a surreal trail which leads them through psychedelic fungus and a strange Taoist cult fun by former-businessmen. Eventually, Huang's (Leung Kar-fai) own inner demons are exposed and turned against him in a violent conclusion. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

In this action-comedy, which pokes fun at the conventions of Hong Kong crime movies while following them at the same time, Tony Leung Kar-Fai plays Jim Yam, an underworld kingpin whose days in the Mob appear to be numbered after he narrowly escapes an attempt on his life. Deciding he'd rather be the hunter than the prey, Jim sets out to wipe out his enemies before they can wipe out him, though it turns out to be more complicated than he imagined. Gongwu Gogap also stars Sandra Ng as Jim's wife, with their sometimes-stormy relationship providing a subplot. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi