Yuen Biao Movies
Yuen Biao is most known for his collaboration with Hong Kong action superstar Jackie Chan. Together with actor, director, and stunt coordinator Sammo Hung, the comedic trio have starred in many slapstick-martial arts films, including Project A (1983), My Lucky Stars (1985), and Dragons Forever (1988). All three appeared in small roles in the martial arts classic Enter the Dragon (1973). The three were trained from a young age at the Peking Opera Academy, where they were subjected to harsh training at the hands of their master; this story was retold in the 1988 film Painted Faces. Offscreen, Biao is the least known of the three; although he is popular among genre fans, he lacks the star power of Chan and the directorial skills of Hung. However, his acting abilities are impressive, and he has appeared in over 50 films. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
A fledgling martial arts master is forced to develop the academic skills needed to become a fully functioning member of society before receiving the tutelage of a true martial arts master in this action packed tale starring the legendary Yuen Biao. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yuen Biao
- 2006
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Koo, Michael Hui, (more)
The character portrayed by Donnie Yen in Fist of Fury, Jet Li in Fist of Legend, and martial arts legend Bruce Lee in the 1972 classic The Chinese Connection returns as The Prodigal Son and Project A star Yuen Baio takes over the role of Chan Chen in a knock-down, drag-out, kung-fu spectacular directed by Hung Gong and Lo Kei, and co-starring Billy Chow. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Directed by Chin Ka-lok, this martial arts adventure centers around the chaos generated when the hapless Kimura (Takashi Okamura) is mistaken for a yazuka hitman. Before he can unpack his suitcase -- Kimura had recently won a free vacation -- he is approached and ordered to kill a young woman named Yumiko (Wakana Sakai). Never one to promote conflict, Kimura goes along with the plan. Complications ensue when he falls in love with his target, thus alerting his newfound bosses to their error. No Problem 2 features Yuen Biao and Sam Lee. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Martial arts legend Yuen Baio tops the bill of this kung fu thriller from director Phillip Ko Fei. Traveling to Russia in hopes of seeking out a collector who is in search of a mysterious item which bestows great power on its holder, a Chinese secret agent is horrified to hear that the determined collector has been kidnapped by North Korean terrorists. Now he must rescue the collector and thwart the terrorists before the item lands in the hands of those who would use it for the purpose of destruction. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chin Siu-hou, Yuen Biao, (more)
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)
Ng Min-Keng spins this kung-fu revenge fantasy featuring Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia. As a child, Snow witnessed her family getting murdered at the hands of dark-hearted martial arts masters looking for a priceless, magical lyre. The highly sought-after instrument plays music that has the power to kill, and over her upbringing, Snow (Lin) learned to harness its might, making her a formidable kung-fu master in her own right. Once she reaches adulthood, she sets her sites on the villains responsible. In their first bloody encounter with Snow, featuring scores of flying swordsman being evaporated lyre's music, the baddies learn of the whereabouts of the legendary stringed instrument. As a violent struggle between the bad guys ensues, Snow's quest for vengeance is hindered some when she learns of her long-lost brother Lui Lun (Yuen Biao). ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Ha Sau Hin's family-friendly martial arts film Dragon from Shaolin features the adventures of a kung fu master and an orphan who work together to search for Buddha. The film co-stars Yuen Biao, Sik Siu Loong, Tsui Yurk Suen, and Fok Siu Man. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Prolific Hong Kong filmmaker Wu Ma directed and acted in this standard martial-arts actioner about a circus troupe which is chased out of Shanghai after the attacking Japanese force destroys their circus in 1942. Master Shen's Shanfu Circus moves to Canton, China, but can't get any work and are forced to perform in the streets for handouts. The local policeman, Tang Fa (Donnie Yen), constantly harasses fiery young acrobat Lo Yitung (Yuen Biao), but is restrained somewhat by his crush on Yitung's sister, Lan (Irene Wan). The plot moves into action-crime territory when some members of the troupe take jobs at a factory which is serving as a front for foreign opium smugglers. Three different choreographers worked on the fight sequences, but were not able to create any particularly noteworthy sequences. Lam Wai co-stars with Lily Li, Ken Lo, and Bey Logan. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donnie Yen, Yuen Biao, (more)
- 1994
With the rising international popularity of Asian filmmaker Sammo Hung, it may be surprising that this fast-paced action-comedy -- which he not only produced, directed, and choreographed, but also contains one of his most amusing starring roles -- has not seen wider distribution outside Hong Kong. Surprising, that is, until one gets to the final third of the film, which proves that the sociocultural gap between nations can often be huge. The story begins as veteran police officer Pierre Lau (Hung) is partnered with an uptight young cop named Tang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who, in standard buddy-movie fashion, disagrees with him on almost everything. Pierre also has difficulties with overly eager customs official Wong Yuk-man (Yuen Biao), but the trio must forget their problems and work together when a group of Japanese drug dealers bomb the local police station. The action scenes are impressively staged, particularly a drug raid on the station by the criminals disguised as agents of the SDU (Hong Kong's equivalent of a SWAT team), but Western viewers may still be highly offended by the film's humor. The problematic sequence involves Tang and Wong wearing blackface in order to convince some black criminals that they are also black. The scene plays on every conceivable racist stereotype so blatantly that it makes enjoyment of the entire film problematic, but viewers able to overlook it should find the rest of the film entertaining, particularly the plethora of cameos by familiar faces like Blackie Ko, Wu Ma, Billy Lau, Melvin Wong, and Lau Kar-wing, among others. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, (more)
This martial arts actioner comes from director Wu Ma, the filmmaker behind such pictures as Swordsman and Police Story Part II. Yuen Biao stars as a young man who reluctantly enters a kung fu school and goes on to become a kickboxing master. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yuen Biao
Directed by Akira Tomono, this lavish historical epic was a celebration of Nikkatsu studio's 80th year anniversary. Set during the run up to World War II, the film centers on Tatsuma Kaya (Masaya Kato), a brooding secret agent for the Japanese Imperial Army. His mission is to gather funds for Japan's impending invasion of Manchuria by any means necessary. That includes robbing a Chinese bank and selling salt in the Manchurian countryside at ludicrously inflated prices. Kaya's life gets ever more complicated when he runs into an old lover, a Chinese cabaret singer and cat burglar named Lian (played by Diane Lane). Later, Kaya is forced to start selling opium when his superiors threaten Lian's life. This ultimately leads to an ugly confrontation with ruthless gang boss (played by Hong Kong martial arts icon Yuen Biao). Donald Sutherland also appears as a rapacious Hong Kong bureaucrat. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Masaya Kato
Though generally unknown to Western audiences, Tsui Hark is considered a giant among Asian filmmakers and this exceptional epic, combining hard-hitting martial-arts action with romance, comedy, history, genuine poignance, and sharp insight into the effects of the century-long encroachment of Western civilization in Asia more than amply demonstrates why. The story centers on the exploits of Master Wong Fei-hung (a familiar figure in Hong Kong cinema) a 19th-century doctor, Confucian, and exceptional martial artist. As the film begins, he has just opened a new clinic in Canton Province. To help him with patients, he hires a few apprentices including Porky Lang (the comic relief) and Buck Teeth Sol, who was raised outside China and barely can speak the language. Wong is platonically involved with the lovely, worldly Aunt Yee, who has been abroad most of her life. Wong soon gets in trouble when he begins using his skills to protect and assist the poor and helpless in his community. As a result, someone torches his clinic, forcing Wong and his compadres to set off and get spectacularly staged revenge. They also try vainly to stop Western culture from changing traditional Chinese ways, but they soon find that they may as well be shoveling sand against a rising tide. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this adventure story with a comic touch from Hong Kong, Ching (Yuen Biao) is a royal guard of the Ming Dynasty who must find and capture an old friend who has gone bad and is wanted for rape and murder. In the midst of a hard-fought battle in the snow, the two men are frozen, and they remain in suspended animation until they are accidentally thawed out in 20th century Hong Kong. Their rivalry continues as they confront the wonders of modern technology and vie for the hand of a beautiful woman (Maggie Cheung) who is acting as Ching's guide to the modern age. This film was also released in English-speaking countries under the title Time Warriors. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Piecing together exciting film footage of martial arts performances, Deadliest Art demonstrates the reasons for the popularity of martial arts combat in visual entertainment. The history of the art, including basics of the Eastern philosophies that govern it, provides insight along with the demonstration of various types of martial arts fighting. Touching on the skills and frame of mind necessary to perform feats of this kind, this film showcases the beauty of defense without weapons, as well as special techniques required to incorporate the use of weapons, and the ways in which the martial arts have been showcased in the film industry. ~ Sarah Sloboda, All Movie Guide
Teddy Robin Kwan directs this lavish period action flick set in the first half of the 20th century and featuring a dazzling line-up of stars. Little Tiger (Yuen Biao) ventures from the sticks to the big city in search of his cop brother Big Tiger (Chi-cheung Lam), an honest cop working in a corrupt system. Surmising that life in the police force was not his cup of tea, Little Tiger joins the Swallow Acrobatic Troop, which he excels in because of his kung-fu prowess. When a band of thugs from Chin Hung-yun's (Sammo Hung) group attacks the troop, Little Tiger not only handily fights them back but also infiltrates their organization to destroy them from the inside. Meanwhile, Big Tiger's old flame Mary (Anita Mui) returns from America to join the revolutionaries. Big Tiger soon finds himself torn between his love of this girl and his orders to arrest all revolutionaries. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
This sequel to the Hong Kong thriller, Peacock King (1988), stars Yuen Biao as Kujaku, the heroic Peacock King. In this film, Kujaku is captured and frozen in a prison of ice by the evil Hell Queen. Meanwhile, a young monk must watch over a girl who holds the key to the gates of hell. Due to his character's magical imprisonment, Biao is surprisingly absent from most of the film.
~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
Directed by Nam Lai Choi, The Peacock King chronicles the lives of two monks who, separated at birth, reunite in order to defeat none other than the King of Hell himself. Peacock (Yuen Bao) and Lucky Fruit (Hiroshi Mikami make the trek to Japan in hopes of finding Ashura (Gloria Yip), the daughter of the King of Hell and the key to preventing the ominously approaching Armageddon. Though they had planned to kill her, things become even further complicated when Ashura, despite her parentage, turns out to be quite nice. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Hefty martial arts star Sammo Hung directs this wacky kung-fu-comedy featuring Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Jackie Lung (Chan) is a philandering attorney who has been hired by ruthless gangster Hua Hsien-wu (Yuen Wah), who thwarts a lawsuit brought about by the wealthy and angry Miss Yip (Deanie Yip Tak-han). Her complains center around Hua's chemical factory, which she claims is polluting the local drinking water. Hua -- who is making illegal drugs in the factory -- isn't about to give up this lucrative franchise and resorts to all manners of less-than-legal means to defend it. Jackie gets his buddies Wong Fei-hung (Hung) and Tung Tak-biao (Yuen) to convince Miss Yip to sell her fish farm. When Fei-hung moves in next to Miss Yip, he starts to seduce her while Jackie tries to attract Yip's comely lawyer (Pauline Yueng Po-ling). Of course, the scheme falls flat when Jackie and Fei-hung realize that they have actually fallen for their marks while realizing that Hua is a very evil man. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1988
This drama focuses on life at the Peking Opera School and is a loose biography of Hong Kong film stars Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao. Sammo Hung portrays Master Yu, the academy's brutal schoolmaster, who takes the youths through the rigorous acrobatic training. The film offers an introspective view of Master Yu, as a man who must face the fact that the institution to which he has devoted his life is fading with the passage of time. Although many of the film collaborations of Hung, Chan, and Baio have hinted at their youth together, this film attempts to depict the harsh reality. Nevertheless, Chan has criticized the film, stating that his longtime friend Hung's portrayal was actually too sympathetic an interpretation of Master Yu. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sammo Hung, Ham-bo, (more)
An honest cop framed for the murder of his wife by his disreputable colleagues sets out to capture the true culprit with authorities hot on his trail in a noir-styled action thriller starring Yuen Baio and Pat Ha. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Actor/director Sammo Hung gathered an international cast including the late Oscar winner Dr. Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields) and some of the most recognizable faces in Hong Kong cinema for this action-packed martial arts adventure. Set in 1976, the film focuses on a ragtag group of Chinese and Vietnamese prisoners trained by the United States government to carry out a potentially suicidal parachute mission into Vietnam. They are charged with destroying a cache of American weapons accidentally left behind when Saigon fell the previous year before they are recovered by the Vietcong. Led by Tung Ming-sun (Hung), the troops are escorted by a trio of hardbitten female guerrilla fighters from Cambodia (led by Joyce Godenzi), and guided by a black market peddler (Yuen Biao) and his insane uncle (Ngor). Chased by a crazed Vietnamese colonel (Yuen Wah), the team makes their way to the underground storage complex for a violent, impressively staged finale. Blending traditional genre elements with those of the American war film (notably The Dirty Dozen), the film co-stars Corey Yuen, Yuen Woo-ping, Dick Wei, and Phillip Ko, among a host of other familiar genre regulars. The dubbed version released by Tai Seng changes some character names to eliminate any Vietnamese among the heroes and cuts three sequences available in subtitled import editions from other distributors. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, (more)
This slapstick Hong Kong action film follows the passengers of the Shanghai Express, a train running to the small village of Hanshui. Plenty of action takes place as the gallery of wealthy socialites, con men, cops, and train robbers speeds towards its destination. Directed by Sammo Hung, a master of comedic action and martial arts fight choreography, this film stars Hung, as well as a an all-star cast of Hong Kong favorites, including Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan, Richard Ng, and Cynthia Rothrock. Although many films in Hong Kong cinema are associated with low production values, Shanghai period pieces are often executed with a surprising level of consistency, and director Hung has succeeded in this genre on many occasions. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, (more)
Ricky Lau directs this fantastically successful horror yarn that successfully fused high-flying slapstick with creepy genre atmospherics. The film opens with Taoist priest Kau (Lam Ching-ying) along with his two hapless assistants, Chou (Chin Siu-ho) and Man Choi (Ricky Hui Koon-ying), set out to fix the Yam family's recent streak of bad fortune. The priest soon concludes that a vengeful feng shui master had tricked the family into burying its elder in a manner that was bound to reap bad luck. Yet before the problem could be corrected, grandpa comes bursting out of the ground and kills his son. When the son returns from the great beyond to reek havoc on the living, Kau eventually manages to put him to rest for good, though gramps continues to terrorize. Meanwhile, Chou has been seduced and bitten by a beautiful spirit and will turn into a vampire unless Kau comes to the rescue. This film not only launched four sequels, but the whole horror-comedy subgenre that exemplified Hong Kong cinema during the late '80s and early '90s. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Kung fu star and choreographer Corey Yuen spins this vigilante flick featuring Yuen Biao as Hsia Ling-ching, a court prosecutor who is sick of watching the criminal and the corrupt waltz away from justice. After knocking off well-connected drug pushers and underworld denizens, Hsia finds himself not only tailed by determined cop Cindy (played by American kung fu diva Cynthia Rothrock but also pursued by a number of hired guns contracted by crooked gumshoe Sergeant Wong (Melvin Wong. Soon Hsia is scaling building, battling baddies and clinging to helicopters. Roy Chiao Hung and Wu Ma also appear. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Rothrock, Yuen Biao, (more)
