Tony Leung Kar-Fai Movies

Tsui Hark takes the reigns of this series following a much-publicized rift between himself and John Woo -- the director of the first two A Better Tomorrow films -- to direct this prequel based around Chow Yun-Fat's memorable Mark character. Set in 1974, Mark ventures to Saigon after his cousin, Cheung Chi-mun (Tony Leung Kar-fai), gets into hot water with the local police. Using a contact in the Vietnamese army, the two soon start trafficking black market weapons with a beautiful female assassin named Chow Ying-kit (Anita Mui). After a deal goes horribly wrong, the three -- along with Ying-kit's father -- try to leave Vietnam, only to have Ying-kit be detained by customs. Back in Hong Kong, Mark and Chi-mun set up a small garage. When Ying-kit returns, her old mobster boyfriend, Ho (Saburo Tokito), also makes an unwelcome appearance. Though Ying-kit has fallen for Mark, he refuses to reciprocate because Chi-mun has fallen for her. Ho hates them both and tries to kill them with a well-placed bomb. Though the attempt fails, Ho promises more if the two don't leave town. Instead, Ho leaves for Saigon with Ying-kit who is quietly plotting revenge. Mark and Chi-mun soon follow them, hoping to save Ying-kit and kill Ho themselves. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

The second film adaptation of the epic Chinese novel The Water Margin concerns two friends, an alcoholic monk named Ru Chi-shen (Elvis Tsui) and a buttoned-down military officer called Lin Chung (Tony Leung). Both are martial arts experts and they grow close through their practice of the discipline. Lin has a rival, however, the wicked Kao (Lau Shun), who frames him for a crime and tries to have him executed on the way to his appointment with a military tribunal. Ru saves his friend, but the respite is only temporary as Kao, attended by his dull-witted and obnoxious son (Sin Lap-man), has the Prime Minister (Wu Ma) and Lin's wife (Joey Wang) murdered. Lin prepares for a suicidal revenge mission against Kao, intentionally turning a cold shoulder to his best friend Ru in order to save him from death. Naturally, since this is based on a legend called "All Men Are Brothers," Ru isn't dissuaded so easily. Lam Wai co-stars with Austin Wai. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

In the 1930s, in China, there was a woman film-actress who was tagged as "the Chinese Garbo." She was a wildly popular performer who made her first film at age 16 and died by her own hand at age 25. Ironically, she was famous for playing tragic heroines, and her own life mirrored the kinds of situations she portrayed onscreen. In this biopic, Ruan Ling-yu (Maggie Cheung) is riding high in her career when the press decides to take her down a notch or two, bitterly criticizing her for an affair with a married man. This situation is unbearable for her, and she kills herself, but not before uttering the words "Gossip is a terrible thing." In addition to the central drama, scenes from actual films starring the actress are included, and the actors in this biopic occasionally step out of character to address the camera, recounting some significant fact about the individuals whose lives they are playing, and the nature of those times in China. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Raymond Lee Wai-man remakes King Hu's 1966 masterpiece about revenge and intrigue between imperial eunuchs during the Ming Dynasty. At the film's outset, the villainous Eunuch Tsao (Donnie Yen Chi-tan) has assassinated one of his primary court rivals and is looking to take out his former rival's right-hand man Chow Wai-on (Tony Leung Kar-fai). Tsao orders that his rival's children be exiled, hoping that Chow will try to rescue them. Instead, Chow's lover Yau Mo-yin (Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia), along with her small band of fighters, saves the children and takes to a desolate tavern called the Dragon Inn, run by the sexy, but wily, Jade (Maggie Cheung man-yuk). Chow soon catches up with Yau at the Inn, catching the eye of Jade. Before the two can move the children to a more secure location, Tsao's henchman pay them an unwelcome visit. While the two sides maneuver, Jade plays both sides of the fence. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

A crime family flirts with democracy, leading to a fierce gangland battle in this stylish crime drama from Hong Kong director Johnnie To. With over 50,000 members, the Wo Shing Society is one of the largest and most powerful Triads in Hong Kong, and when the leadership committee needs a new head man, they decide to put the matter to a vote of their underlings. The two candidates are Lok (Simon Yam), a cool leader who doesn't rattle easily, and Big D (Tony Leung Kar-Fai), who has a short temper and is prone to violence. After Uncle Weng (Wong Tin-lam), an elderly and well-regarded member of the Triad, gives Lok his endorsement, he wins by a landslide, which does not sit well with Big D's uncertain temper. A ceremonial walking stick which is given to the Wo Shing Society's elected leader has disappeared, and Big D will stop at nothing to make sure it stays out of Lok's hands; meanwhile, the Hong Kong police are determined to bring down the Triad, and Big D ends up behind bars. The Wo Shing Society falls into chaos as in-fighting threatens to tear the Triad apart before the walking stick can be returned and Lok can be inaugurated as their new chief. Election (aka Hak Sewui) was a major box office success in Asia, and the story continued the following year in Election 2 (aka Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This left-of-center love story from Hong Kong, set in Shanghai during the 1930s, follows the romance between a journalist and a beautiful ghost. The tale begins as Xu returns from an assignment in the West and stops to buy some matches at an isolated corner store so he can smoke his beloved Era cigarettes; it is very late at night. Suddenly a woman dressed in a black cheongsam quietly emerges from the darkness. She is hoping to buy some Era cigarettes. The two share a smoke and begin walking. As they amble, she informs him that she is a spirit. Daylight comes and Xu reads a headline about a man who killed himself after meeting a female ghost. Intrigued, Xu meets the woman the following night and returns to her home; there she tells him of her former husband. He returns to her home the next day, but she is nowhere to be found. They continue to meet and gradually Xu learns that her husband had been shot in the back, after which, she simply seemed to vanish. It takes more time, but eventually he solves the mystery of this most enigmatic woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Longtime screenwriter Yau Nai-hoi makes his feature directorial debut with this tale of a Hong Kong surveillance unit ensnared by underworld violence. In the aftermath of a daring daytime jewelry store heist, criminal mastermind Shan (Tony Leung) and his crew celebrate their success with a rooftop barbecue. The good times are quickly cut short, however, when Shan's men summon the wrath of their boss by attempting to muscle him into giving up a bigger cut. But Shan's men aren't the only ones who want a heartier piece of the pie, because it seems as if the boss himself is scheming to take the men at the top for all they're worth. In order to do so, Shan executes a second high-profile robbery that finds him doggedly pursued though the streets by determined cops. In order to catch the elusive criminals the police will have to work harder than ever, a fact that's not lost on grizzled surveillance unit leader Captain Wong (Simon Yam). Known casually by the code name "Dog Head" to his underlings, Captain Wong is currently mentoring pretty rookie "Piggy" (Kate Tsui), and has made it unmistakably clear that the sole function of the SU is not to engage the criminal, but observe him. When "Piggy" breaks the primary rule of the SU during a particularly sensitive mission on the streets of Kowloon, Shan retaliates by striking back at the unit with everything he's got. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This is one of maverick Hong Kong director Chu Yun Ping's lesser efforts. A tale of bounty hunters on the trail of a wanted man, it focuses more on Three Stooges-type slapstick comedy than a martial arts action film (as the title implies). It soon becomes basically a collection of sight gags -- and not particularly good ones at that. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong director Johnny Mak (Long Arm of the Law) helmed this drama detailing triad links to Taiwanese politics, with a several real-life political parallels. In 1995, a corrupt official (Li Li-chun) positions wealthy mob kingpin Chou (Tony Leung Kar-fai) as a candidate in upcoming elections. Aggressive cop Fang (Andy Lay) raids one of Chou's clubs, but Chou gets off without a conviction. However, Chou is no longer a nominee after Fang exposes his illegal tie to government construction contracts. Chou then becomes an independent candidate, proclaiming revenge on all his betrayers. Action scenes include wild gunplay in the Shihlin night marketplace and cabdrivers' riot that brings Taipei traffic to a standstill. The film's original title, Hei Jin, translates literally as "black gold," colors indicating the underworld. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

The acronymic title incorporates a sophisticated pun: ICAC refers to Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption, but gets rephrased here as I Corrupt All Cops. As a reverent homage to the ICAC, director Wong Jing's period film unfurls in the 1960s and 1970s, when the heroic Commission swept in and began systematically driving out all of the corruption in the Hong Kong police force. At the outset, the police are part and parcel of the criminal underground; headed by chief inspector Lak (Tony Leung Ka-fai), their primary activities consist of reeling in massive bribes through an established network, with gangsters such as the thug Gold (Wong Jing) serving as intermediaries between the police and drug traffickers. As the tale opens, ICAC rookie agent Alex Fong gets tortured by the police and framed for a crime he didn't commit; in response, he vows to put every unsavory character he can find behind bars - and proceeds to launch a massive clean-up effort that will cause many of those in power to fall from grace. The ensemble cast includes Bowie Lam, Kate Tsui and Eason Chan. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide