Anthony Wong Movies
He's been called everything from "The King of Category III" (Category III is the Hong Kong film rating equivalent to America's dreaded NC-17) to one of the most versatile actors of his generation, but however you refer to Hong Kong mainstay Anthony Wong, only one thing is certain -- the man is absolutely fearless. Accepting roles that would make Dennis Hopper run for cover and Udo Kier cower in fear, Wong has a willingness to completely lose himself in the most vile of screen characters, earning him near legendary status among Hong Kong film fanatics. Few actors could take the role of a cannibalistic serial killer and turn out an award-winning performance, but with his role as the murderous madman of the brutal true-crime horror film The Untold Story (1992), Wong did just that, earning a Best Actor Hong Kong Film Award for his shocking performance.Wong, who is the son of a British sailor and a Chinese mother, had a distaste for school that was no doubt fueled by the cruelty of his classmates, who frequently teased the mixed-race youngster. In the years following Wong's high-school graduation, his interest in acting was peaked, and at the age of 21, the aspiring actor was persuaded by his best friend to enroll in an ATV television course. As a result of his strong abilities, Wong was signed to a two-year contract with ATV, during which time he made 25 appearances for the popular network. Subsequently enrolling in The Academy of Performing Arts, Wong continued his education while honing his skills in such plays as Oedipus Rex and Cyrano de Bergerac. Increasingly active onscreen from the early '90s, Wong made a lasting impression on audiences with a pair of roles opposite Hong Kong megastar Chow Yun-Fat in Hard-Boiled and Full Contact (both 1992). With a role as Yun-Fat's maniacal nemesis in the former, and his weak-willed friend in the latter, Wong showed a remarkable ability to play both ends of the spectrum early on in his career.
If his parts in Hard-Boiled and Full Contact served to introduce Wong to the masses, his role in The Untold Story later that same year ensured that they wouldn't soon forget him. Perhaps one of the most unforgettable and sadistic villains in screen history, Wong's performance as a man who slaughters an entire family of restaurateurs (including the young children) and serves them to unsuspecting diners as tasty pork rolls earned him top honors at that year's Hong Kong Film Awards. The fact that Wong was able to craft a despicable character who actually elicits the sympathy of the audience after performing some of the most atrocious acts ever to reach the silver screen was almost as disturbing as the film itself, and was an unquestionable testament to his remarkable acting abilities. Roles in The Heroic Trio, Taxi Hunter, and Rock 'n' Roll Cop found Wong's seemingly unstoppable ascent to stardom continuing unchallenged, and in 1995, he stepped behind the camera to make his directorial debut with the bizarre horror film New Tenant. In 1996, international audiences who may not have been savvy to Hong Kong cinema got a tantalizing taste of Wong in the widely released action film Black Mask.
Though one certainly couldn't tell by looking at Wong's extensive filmography, a thyroid disorder threatened to cut his prolific career short in the mid-'90s. Thankfully for film lovers, he was able to make a full recovery, coming back as strong as ever with memorable roles in Armageddon and Beast Cops -- the latter of which found him the recipient of his second Best Actor award at the 1999 Hong Kong Film Awards. To say that Wong's career choices are eclectic may be one of the greatest understatements one could make; he frequently alternates between such high-profile mainstream fare as A Man Called Hero and Time and Tide and such lurid, cinematic sleaze as Raped by an Angel 4 and Erotic Nightmare. No matter how small his part in a film, Wong consistently stands out, leaving a lasting impression on viewers. In the new millennium, Wong took on prominent roles in the acclaimed Infernal Affairs crime drama trilogy and the bubblegum vampire flick The Twins Effect. The fact that international stardom continued to elude him was nearly as shocking as some of his outlandish characters. Outside of his film career, Wong has released a pair of controversial punk rock albums and remains steadfastly elusive regarding his private life -- rarely discussing either his marriage or his son, who was born in 1996. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Though it's an English-language film, the fantasy action comedy The Medallion is one of the highest-budgeted movies to come out of Hong Kong. Cop Eddie Yang (Jackie Chan) and his partner, Interpol agent Arthur Watson (Lee Evans), are in pursuit of international human-smuggling crimelord Snakehead (Julian Sands). The partners get seriously wounded and a mysterious ancient medallion transforms them into superpowered warriors called Highbinders. The two halves of the medallion are supposed to grant eternal life when joined together by a powerful young boy who was born during a specific time in the Year of the Snake. The villainous Snakehead wants to gets his hands on both the child and the medallion, and the heros try to stop him. Aided by special effects and action choreography by Sammo Hung, Chan fights his way toward a violent conclusion with Snakehead that takes place in mid-air.. Claire Forlani plays Jackie Chan's love interest, the Interpol agent Nicole. Also starring John Rhys-Davies as Commander Hammerstock-Smythe. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Lee Evans, (more)
The prequel to Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's smash hit Infernal Affairs opens in 1991, with Inspector Wong (Anthony Wong) explaining the frustrations of police work to gangster Sam (Eric Tsang). He also expresses his desire to see the seemingly reasonable Sam take over he reins of the local triad from the current boss. When that boss is murdered, with no apparent heir, it seems that Hong Kong is going to explode in an all-out gang war. But the boss' bespectacled, soft-spoken, and well-mannered son, Hau (Francis Ng), unexpectedly takes charge, calmly and cleverly defusing the situation. Meanwhile, Yan (Shawn Yu, reprising his role as the younger version of Tony Leung's character in the first Infernal Affairs) is thrown out of the police academy for breaking the rules, and it's discovered that he's Hau's half-brother. Wong recruits him to work undercover in Hau's organization. Ming (Edison Chen playing the younger Andy Lau) is a corrupt cop secretly working for Sam. His progress up the ranks of the police force is swift, but his relationship with Sam is threatened when he finds himself falling in love with Sam's girlfriend, Mary (Carina Lau). For his part, as the handover of Hong Kong to China approaches, Hau plots to become involved in "legitimate" politics, and to avenge himself against those he believes responsible for his father's death. Chapman To reprises his role as the goofy Keung. Infernal Affairs II was selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center for inclusion in the 2004 New York Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, (more)
An honest cop who may have inadvertently killed his partner during a particularly intense raid finds his life in danger when the grown-up sons of both the fallen the cop and the deceased kingpin who was killed in the chaos come gunning for him in a tense police thriller co-directed by Marco Mak and Wong Jing, and starring Hong Kong film legend Anthony Wong. Huang (Wong) is a righteous police officer haunted by a harrowing accident. It's been ten years since the fateful raid that resulted in the death of both his partner and the most feared criminal on the streets, and though the men's sons have grown older, their vengeance still burns as hot as ever. Now, as Huang is assigned the task of protecting a vile gangster and his teenage daughter (Gillian Chung), he is about to face a whole new danger as the sons of the fallen men attempt to decide if they should go after the man responsible for their father's deaths either alone or together. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Wong, Raymond Wong, (more)
Kant Leung's Roaring Dragon, Bluffing Tiger concerns a group of people who are attempting to acquire golden statues that fate back to the Ching dynasty. The schemers include an art dealer, a gang leader, and government officials. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Hong Kong filmmaker Sylvia Chang writes and directs the dramatic fantasy Seung Fei (Princess-D). Computer graphics designer Joker (Daniel Wu) meets a young woman named Ling (Angelica Lee) at a dance club. He convinces her to model for his latest project: a cybergirl called "Princess Digital." He eventally falls in love with her and learns about her troubled homelife With her dad (Jonathan Lee) in prison, Ling works and deals drugs in order to support her mother (Patricia Ha) and brother (Wong Yik-lam). She eventually meets Joker's father (Anthony Wong) and brother (Edison Chen). Seung Fei was shown at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Wu, Edison Chen, (more)
As Infernal Affairs opens, Ming (Andy Lau of Full-time Killer) is being initiated into the criminal underworld by triad boss Sam (Eric Tsang of The Accidental Spy), who ends his speech to his young charges by wishing them success in the police department. Ming enters the police academy, where he excels, but sees his classmate, Yan (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai of In the Mood for Love), expelled for "breaking the rules." It turns out that Yan wasn't actually drummed out of the force, but recruited by Superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong of Hard-Boiled) as an undercover operative. Just as Ming is achieving success in the police department while secretly working for Sam, Ming is gaining Sam's trust as a triad member, while reporting to Wong. Ten years later, both men, still undercover, have grown confused about their true identities, while their bosses, Sam and Wong, wage a battle of wits against each other. Each boss learns that the other has a mole working for him, and unwittingly entrusts the mole himself to ferret out the culprit. Ming and Yan scramble to expose one another's identity in an effort to save their own skins. Infernal Affairs was co-directed by Andrew Lau (who worked as a cinematographer on several of Wong Kar-Wai's films) and Alan Mak. Renowned cinematographer Christopher Doyle served as "Visual Consultant." The film was shown at New Directors/New Films in 2003. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Andy Lau, (more)
- 2002
Based on a popular comic book series by Alice Mak and Brian Tse, the animated film My Life As McDull depicts events in the life of the title character, a piglet living in an animated Hong Kong teeming with both humans and animals. Narrated by the adult McDull (Jan Lamb), the plot takes some side trips into his school days, an imaginary vacation to the Maldives, and his mother's decidedly odd cooking show, before focusing on McDull's dream of becoming an Olympic athlete in the unconventional sport of "bun snatching." Director Toe Yuen tells this whimsical children's tale using a mixture of advanced animation techniques. My Life as McDull won the FIPRESCI prize at the 2002 Hong Kong International Film Festival. ~ Tom Vick, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Chun-wai, Sandra Ng, (more)
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gillian Chung, Charlene Choi, (more)
- 2002
Patrick Leung's Wanpak Mchai (Demi-Haunted) is a supernatural drama set in the world of opera. Buster (Eason Chan) is an opera performer who is haunted by a female singer from the '30s named Giselle (Joey Yung) who died an unfortunate death. Giselle convinces Buster to stage a performance of the opera that contains the song she was singing when she died. In the meantime, she helps him get closer to Chole (Katy Yeung), the daughter of a local crime boss. Yumiko Cheng and Christine Ng round out the cast as the manager of Buster's opera troupe and his daughter, who both are dealing with a loss of their own. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eason Chan, Joey Yung, (more)
A young girl witnesses a horrific street accident. A man (Anthony Wong in a pivotal cameo) is hit by a trolley and decapitated. Fifteen years later, June (Shu Qi) is all grown up, and doesn't even remember the accident. One night at a club, Peter (Eason Chan), an unhappy young man, sees June dancing, wearing an eye patch, and approaches her. She quickly uses him to get away from another man, and drags him to a karaoke bar. Just as abruptly, they leave the karaoke bar, and she has him take her to his place. The next morning, he awakens to find his apartment splattered with red paint, and fifty dollars missing from his wallet. He and his roommate, Simon (Sam Lee), then discover Peter's father (James Wong) lying in the bathtub, jabbering about how he doesn't have Alzheimer's, but he's possessed. Eventually, Peter runs into the elusive June again, and they seem to be developing a relationship. But despite his romance with this mysterious woman, things continue to go badly for Peter. He loses his job as a hairdresser, and his father commits suicide. Soon, he discovers June's secret. Ever since she was a little girl, she's seen ghosts. She wears dark glasses or an eye patch sometimes, so she won't have to see them. Soon, it becomes clear that one ghost in particular is haunting June--the ghost of a man demanding his head back. As Peter gets closer to June, he begins to unravel the mystery, and discovers a connection to his own family's past. Visible Secret was written by Abe Kwong and directed by Ann Hui (Ordinary Heroes). Kwong would later direct the sequel. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eason Chan, Shu Qi, (more)
Two men who have a great deal in common become friends, only to find themselves turned into enemies in this slam-bang action fest from Hong Kong. Tyler (Nicholas Tse) is a man trying to make a career in a rough section of Hong Kong. One night, after several drinks too many, he hooks up with Ah Jo (Cathy Chui), an off-duty undercover cop who has also had a bit more alcohol than usual. Tyler and Ah Jo spend the night together, even though she usually prefers the company of women, and Ah Jo soon finds she's pregnant. Ah Jo has no desire to remain involved with Tyler, but he wants to do the right thing, so he takes a job as a bodyguard for low-level gangster Uncle Ji (Anthony Wong) and sends her his money, all the while wishing he could be in Brazil. Meanwhile Jack (Wu Bai), who once lived in Brazil, is back in Hong Kong with his very pregnant wife Ah Hui (Candy Lo), the daughter of a triad kingpin targeted by Brazilian gangsters. Uncle Ji is in charge of protecting the triad leader, and he makes Tyler one of his right-hand men. Tyler and Jack get to know one another and become close friends, but their friendship comes to an end when the Brazilian mob makes Jack an offer he can't refuse, putting the two men on opposite sides of a gangland war. Seunlau Ngaklau was directed by Tsui Hark, who returned to Hong Kong filmmaking after a brief sojourn in Hollywood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholas Tse, Wu Bai, (more)
Hong Kong director Lam Chi Wai offers up his take on Run Lola Run in this ode to Tom Tykwer's break-out hit. Alice Chan stars as Ruby, a young woman who must race against the clock to collect a sum of money before gangsters murder her small-time criminal boyfriend, Simon. Ransom Express was originally titled Wang Ming Zhi Tao and has also been released as Ransom Run. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
A conspiracy by politicians to annex a piece of mainland China to Hong Kong gives way to a vast conspiracy to carve the vast city into sections and cash in on the lucrative real estate in this labyrinthine triad flick starring Hong Kong cinema heavy Anthony Wong (Hard Boiled, The Untold Story). As news of the scheme breaks big and those in power prepare to cast the votes that could stop it from ever happening, the bullets start to fly and the future of Hong Kong becomes increasingly uncertain. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Hong Kong cinema legend Anthony Wong headlines this tale of sibling rivalry concerning a boy named B who rises through the underworld ranks when his older brother Fifteen is sent to prison for murder, and who is ultimately forced to choose between family loyalty and criminal honor. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Kar-Fai, Sandra Ng, (more)
- 1999
Still in the faraway land of Chin, Xena (Lucy Lawless) struggles to master the beneficial powers of her late spiritual mentor, Lao Ma. Meanwhile, the despotic warlord Khan and his 100,000 warriors prepare to conquer the land. In her efforts to stop Khan, Xena finds out that her enemy has an unfair advantage, manifested in the evil sibling spirits Pao Ssu (Marie Matiko) and Ming T'ien (Daniel Sing), the latter wraith better known as the hideous Green Dragon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
Riley Ip directs his melodrama about a man haunted by his memories. Ailing from Alzheimer's disease, Roy (Eric Tsang) returns to Hong Kong after 30 years in Brazil to track down his former enemy, Nine Dragons. Claiming that he was previously a notorious gangster called Mountain Leopard, he enlists the help of young street tough Smokey (Nicholas Tse). Roy tells Smokey that back in the 1970s, he and his arch-nemesis were rivals for the attention of an enigmatic beauty (Shu Qi). When she seemed to favor Roy, Nine Dragons shot him and ditched him on a barge for Brazil. Yet as the hunt continues, Smokey learns that the truth is a bit different. Meanwhile, Smokey's young heart yearns for the very female cop (Kelly Chen) who once arrested him. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly Chen, Stephen Fung, (more)
Veteran Hong Kong director Johnnie To spins this wild, kinetic crime thriller. Following a failed assassination attempt on his life, crime boss Lung (Ko Hung), instructs his henchman Frank (Simon Yam) to find the villain behind the plot. Frank soon hires a quintet of hired guns to guard the boss, including the laconic Curtis (Anthony Wong), the flinty Roy (Francis Ng) and his protégé Shin (Jackie Lui), the haggard Mike (Roy Cheung), and firearms expert and peanut enthusiast James (Lam Suet). The group manages to thwart three attempts on the old man's life -- one from a sniper, a second in a shopping mall, and the third in an old warehouse -- until they figure out that rival crime boss Fat Chung (Wong Tin-lan) had order the hit. This film was screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, (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)
- 1998
Gordon Chan directed this Hong Kong action drama about Kowloon cop Tung (Anthony Wong). Addicted to gambling, Tung takes an occasional bribe. He shows his new partner, American-born Michael Cheung (Michael Fitzgerald Wong), aka "The King of Killers," the usual neighborhood routines. The duo deals with triad trickery after gang leader Big Brother (Roy Cheung) leaves town. Mike meets Yoyo (Kathy Chau), one of the women Big Brother kept on a string. Left dangling after Big Brother's departure, Yoyo begins a relationship with Mike. Shown at the 1998 Hong Kong Film Festival and in the Market section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Wong, Anthony Wong, (more)
- 1998
Ann Hui, a prominent filmmaker in the former British colony of Hong Kong, reflects on the political history of her country in a remarkable work, Qian Yan Wan Yu. The film centers on four people involved in the political activism of 1980's who reflect on their turbulent past from the vantage point of the disillusionment of the 1990's. The story begins with a young woman, Sow, fleeing into an empty tunnel wearing only a hospital gown. She is suffering from amnesia, and the memory she has lost includes a disappointing love story and a decade of social struggle in Hong Kong. Her old friend and admirer Tung, who is now working in a home for the retarded, is there to help her. In a flashback we see Sow as a fourteen-year-old, stealing Tung's wallet in a video arcade; this is their first meeting. Sow's relatives are fishermen who live on a boat and are not allowed to settle in Hong Kong. When she loses her family to a fire, she throws herself to the cause of fighting for the rights of the boat people. At the same time, she is obsessed by an idealist student, Yau. Ah Kam, a priest influenced by Marxism, is their mentor. Tung, on the other hand, prefers to play his guitar. By the mid Eighties, Hong Kong is on its way to a political awakening, and Sow and Tung are members of an activist group with Yau as their leader and Ah Kam as their conscience. But Sow is unable to get over her crush on Yau, despite the fact he is involved with someone else; Sow, however, is unaware of Tung's love for her and treats him like a good friend, as Tung finds comfort in his music. Yau wants to fight the system from within and runs for public office, eventually winning, while Ah Kam remains a pacifist radical and stages hunger strikes. Sow gets what she wants, but ends up in a border clinic having an abortion. One day Tung leaves to wander into China, promising Sow they will meet three months after. June 4, 1989, the day of the crackdown on Tiananmen Square, is for Sow the day when her political and emotional lives come crashing down. Street theatre sequences, which chronicle the life of real life activist Ng Chung Yin frame the story and offer oblique comments and parallel situations that pull the events of the characters' lives in historical context. Taking off from real events and real people, Hui relates the public lives of the characters as well as their hidden desires and half-denied sexual yearnings, producing a very credible account of the times and the people. Audiences who are not too familiar with Hong Kong's social and political history may have difficulties following the thread of events. Nelson Yu's photography is exceptional. Taiwanese star, Lee Kang-Sheng, who is familiar to the West for her roles in the award-winning films of Tsai Ming-Liang, plays Tung. Qian Yan Wan Yu competed at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival in 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rachel Lee, Lee Kang-Sheng, (more)
Cinematographer Andrew Lau directed this Hong Kong martial arts fantasy from a Manfred Wong screenplay. Wong based his script on a Chau Ting screenplay adapted from the long-running manga by Ma Wing-shing. Martial arts ruler Lord Conqueror (Sonny Chiba) adopts two youngsters as disciples, and a decade later, the two -- Wind (Ekin Cheng) and Cloud (Aaron Kwok) -- are rivals for the affections of the Lord Conqueror's daughter Charity (Kristy Yang). When they duel, Charity is accidentally killed, and Cloud loses an arm. Muse (Shu Qi) takes care of Cloud, and her father gives Cloud his own arm for future fights. Wind seeks some magical stones, needed to help him in his duel with the Sword Saint (Anthony Wong). Filming began May 1997 in China's Sichuan province with CGI effects added by Hong Kong's post-production house Centro, co-producers of the film. This manga has been serialized since 1989, but only the first third has been adapted here. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng, (more)
Martial arts star Jet Li donned a black hat and mask to portray a comic book superhero in this pulp action tale that gets the full-blown Hong Kong treatment from choreographer Yuen Wo Ping, who later designed the fight scenes for The Matrix (1999). Li stars as Tsui Chik, leader of Squad 701, an elite commando team of genetically-engineered super-soldiers. When the unit was deemed a failure because of mental instability in some of the test subjects, the project was disbanded. Tsui now lives quietly in Hong Kong, masquerading as a shy librarian whose only friend is a cop (Lau Ching Wan). When some drug lords begin turning up dead, Tsui dons a black mask and hat to investigate the slayings and learns that his former Squad 701 comrades, led by psychotic Commander Hung (Patrick Lung), are plotting to take over the drug kingpin's illegal trade. Among their number is Tsui's ex-girlfriend Kaelin (Francoise Yip). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jet Li
