Tsui Hark Movies
A pivotal figure in the evolution of Hong Kong cinema, action virtuoso Tsui Hark was one of the most popular and influential filmmakers ever to emerge from the Pacific Rim motion-picture community. Famed for his work's rapid-fire pacing, gymnastic camerawork, and visceral intensity, Hark also won acclaim for his rapier wit and impressive stylistic range, moving easily from the martial arts to gangster dramas to even romance. In addition to reviving the moribund swordfighting and kung-fu genres in the early '90s, he was also instrumental in bringing the special effects wizardry of Western filmmaking to the East, eventually following the lead of longtime friend and associate John Woo to Hollywood.Born Xu Wen Guang in Vietnam in 1951, Hark made his first 8 mm amateur film at the age of 13. After relocating to Hong Kong in 1966, he later attended the University of Texas, graduating in 1969. The following year he directed a documentary, From Spikes to Spindles. After relocating to New York City in 1975, Hark accepted an editorial position at a Chinatown newspaper, later helping develop a community-theater group while working on several cable television projects aimed at Asian audiences. In 1977, Hark returned to Hong Kong, beginning work as a television producer for TVB. Two years later, he made his directorial debut with The Butterfly Killers, followed in 1980 by the back-to-back efforts Dangerous Encounter -- First Kind and Hell Has No Door. After completing 1981's award-winning All the Wrong Clues, the first in a string of box-office smashes, Hark mounted his most ambitious project yet with the 1983 sword-and-sorcery epic Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain, a visual effects extravaganza employing technicians previously involved with the creation of Star Wars and Tron.
Remaining a remarkably prolific talent, Hark returned in 1984 with a pair of new features, Aces Go Places 3 and Shanghai Blues. After 1985's Working Class, he turned to his acknowledged masterpiece, 1986's Peking Opera Blues; a frenetic martial arts farce set in 1913, the picture was one of the first Hong Kong productions to receive global interest, heralding a new era in Eastern filmmaking. That same year, Hark produced John Woo's A Better Tomorrow, a landmark effort which switched the focus of the industry from chop-socky adventure to hardboiled crime action. Hark spent the next two years working almost solely as a producer, supervising films ranging from the superb A Chinese Ghost Story to I Love Maria to The Big Heat. Only in 1989 did he return behind the camera to direct A Better Tomorrow 3.
While maintaining his busy production schedule, in 1990 Hark co-directed Swordsman with filmmakers including King Hu, Ann Hui, and Ching Siu Tung. The solo effort Once Upon a Time in China, the first in a series of films about the character Wong Fei Huong -- an herbalist healer and martial arts master -- followed a year later, making mainland actor Jet Li a massive star. After following with parts two and three in the Once Upon a Time series, Hark adapted the Chinese fable The Green Snake in 1993. Between 1994 and 1996, he directed a staggering six films -- Once Upon a Time in China 5, The Lovers, A Chinese Feast, Love in a Time of Twilight, Tri-Star, and The Blade, respectively -- before traveling to Hollywood in 1996 to film Double Team with Jean-Claude Van Damme and NBA star Dennis Rodman. Teaming again with Van Damme two years later for the wildly unsuccessful Knock Off, it soon became obvious that the spark that Hark displayed in his imaginative Hong Kong productions simply didn't translate well to American celluloid. Back on his native soil and making something of a comeback in 2001 with his spastically kinetic action thriller Time and Tide, Hark took the conventions of the Hong Kong thriller that he had defined alongside John Woo in A Better Tomorrow and turned them on their head, retaining some of the old magic and resulting in one of his more entertainingly original chaotic offerings in some time. Next up Hark would delve into fantasy with the effects-heavy sequel to his 1983 hit Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain, Zu Warriors (2002). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
John Woo established himself as one of Hong Kong's premiere action directors with this ultra-hip, ultra-violent action classic. The film centers around the complex relationship between two brothers: Sung Tse-kit (Leslie Cheung) is a recent graduate of the police academy while Tse-ho (Ti Lung) runs a massive counterfeiting ring along with his gangland associate, Mark Lee (Chow Yun-fat). Tension between the two brothers comes to a head when their father is murdered after a crime deal goes sour and Tse-ho lands in jail after being double-crossed. In perhaps the most influential scene in Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s, Mark avenges his friend by staging a dinner table assassination. As Mark tries to shoot his way out of the restaurant, pulling a series of hidden pistols from potted plants and alcoves, he gets horribly injured. With both founding members of the counterfeiting syndicate incapacitated, the operation falls into the hands of Shing (Waise Lee Chi-hung), Tse-ho's former underling who has little of his boss' élan or experience. When Tse-ho gets out of jail, he reunites with his now-crippled comrade, Mark, to take out Shing and to protect Tse-kit whose life is in danger for investigating their former subordinate. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, (more)
Following the bloody climax of the previous film, A Better Tomorrow -- again directed by John Woo -- opens with Sung Chi-hi (spelled Tse-ho in the first film though still played by Ti Lung) getting released from jail on the condition that he rat out his gangland associate and a shipyard owner, Lung (Dean Shek). Chi-ti's younger brother, a young cop named Chi-kit (Leslie Cheung), is working undercover on the case and has already gotten into the gangster's good graces by dating his daughter, Peggy (Regina Kent). Fearing that he might put his brother's life in danger, Chi-hi cooperates with the cops. Meanwhile, Lung comes to believe that he is responsible for the death of a competitor and flees to New York. There he promptly goes crazy while under the care of Ken (Chow Yun-fat), the twin brother of the sunglass and trench coat-sporting Mark who died in the previous film. During a gun battle with the Mafia who tried to blackmail the exiled crime boss, Lung miraculously regains his sanity. Together he and Ken return to Hong Kong to settle a few scores. This film's onscreen mayhem was almost matched offscreen. Director John Woo and producer Tsui Hark had radically different views of how the film ought to progress. As a result, Hark reportedly recut the film without Woo's consent, ending a long-time professional relationship between the two filmmakers. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chow Yun-Fat
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
- Starring:
- Chow Yun-Fat, Anita Mui, (more)
Legendary Hong Kong producer/director Tsui Hark and filmmaker Ching Siutung combine forces in this high-flying supernatural romance classic. Ning Caichen (Leslie Cheung) is a lowly tax collector who takes refuge for the night at the spooky Lam Ro temple. There he encounters and promptly falls in love with a beautiful ghost named Nie Xiaoqian (Joey Wang). Unfortunately Xiaoqian is damned to serve the evil hermaphroditic tree spirit Lao Lao, who (thanks to an extraordinarily long tongue) feasts on the souls of amorous young males. Usually Xiaoqian, along with her comely sister Qing, tempts would-be Lotharios to their arboreal doom, but she too is smitten with the downtrodden wanderer. Soon afterwards, Caichen meets Master Yan (Ma Wu), a Taoist hermit, martial arts master, and a sworn enemy of Lao Lao, who tells him of Xiaoqian's true, otherworldly nature. Nonetheless, true love proves to be strong. Caichen promises Xiaoqian that he will help spring her from her dubious employment and Xiaoqian protects her love from the evil wood sprite. Later, things grow more complicated for the lovers when they learn that Xiaoqian has been betrothed to a demon warlord. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Cheung, Wong Tsu Hsien, (more)
This continuation of A Chinese Ghost Story reunites some of the original cast. Ning Leslie Cheung, the wandering scholar from the first film, is mistakenly imprisoned. An old man helps him escape and gives him a medallion for good luck. Ning meets a group of rebels, and the medallion causes them to mistake him for the old man, who turns out to be a well-known sage. Joey Wong, who played the ghostly heroine in the first film, portrays Windy, the leader of the rebels. Ning falls in love with Windy because of her resemblance to his past love and joins in a struggle to save her father from an evil warlord. The romantic element is toned down from the original; this installment emphasizes outrageous martial arts sequences, creatures, and special effects. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, (more)
This is the third in a series of movies featuring creatures from Chinese ghost stories. It begins with a scene from the first movie of the series, which shows the hero in an epic conflict with something called the Tree Devil, which has been put to sleep for a hundred years. Now it is "later," and the story focuses on two traveling monks, a scholarly disciple and his aged master, who are traveling the countryside bearing an image of the Buddha to be given to a particular shrine. One night they stay at a haunted temple and become the focus of the amorous attentions of two sexy ghosts, who are in league with the Tree Devil. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joey Wong, Jacky Cheung, (more)
- 1997
- NR
Tsui Hark is the executive producer, production designer, and screenwriter of this 82-minute Chinese animated feature displaying a full panoply of magical supergods, vexing spirits, and mere mortals. After debt collector Ning (voice of Jan Lam) loses his girlfriend Siu Lan (Lasi Suiyan), he beckons his playful dog, Solid Gold (Tsui Hark), and the two embark on fantastic adventures encountering the attractive Shine (Anita Yuen), a follower of Madame Trunk (Kelly Chen). Their eventual goal is to board the Reincarnation Train in hopes of getting Shine reborn. The original Siu Sin title is Shine's name in Chinese. To realize this fluid-action fantasy, animators at Tsui Hark's Film Workshop in Hong Kong labored for four years. Shown at the 1997 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Lam, Lai Sui-yan, (more)
- 2008
Seven Swords director Tsui Hark proves his multi-genre mastery with this romantic comedy. Kitty Zhang (CJ7), Guey Lun Mei (Secret), and Zhou Xun (Painted Skin) star as three women who are very different, but they share a similar goal of finding romance. They encounter a variety of strange experiences and even stranger people on their journey to love, but will their dream men be waiting for them at the end of the road? ~ All Movie Guide
- 1981
After thrice failing at the box office, future Hong Kong cinema behemoth Tsui Hark has his first bona fide success with this wildly popular slapstick spoof on Hollywood gangster and detective flicks. Yoho (George Lam) is a private dick on the skids who thinks that his luck is about change with his latest case. Soon, however, he finds himself ensnared in a brouhaha between notorious gangster Ah Capone (Karl Maka) who is plotting to bilk an aged millionaire out of his highly valued stocks. As Yoho bumbles from one situation to the next, he crosses paths with a variety of shady characters including a beautiful femme fatal (Kelly Yiu) and a hired gun known only as Popeye (Eric Tsang). Along the way, he gets help from his diminutive childhood chum Chief Inspector Robin (Teddy Robin Kwan). Throughout the film, Tsui Hark pays frequent tribute to American silent film slapstick and Warner Brothers cartoons. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Teddy Robin
- 1983
A follow-up to the wildly popular All the Wrong Clues, this slapstick comedy directed by Teddy Robin Kwan, who had a supporting role in the original, concerns a number of shady characters looking to get their hands on atomic bomb secrets in Japan-occupied Hong Kong during World War II. Private detective-cum-resistance fighter Yoyo (George Lam) receives orders to get the formula from a Jewish scientist who is defecting from the Nazis. When corrupt police commissioner Fat Chick (Paul Chun) swipes the plans from the scientist, Yoyo and his childhood chum Police Inspector Robin (Kwan) set out to steal it for themselves. Unfortunately, a beautiful cat burglar, who is also Yoyo's ex-girlfriend Bridget (Brigitte Lin), beats them to it. Yoyo and Robin then set their sights on Japanese diplomat Tora Hiroshima (played by Tsui Hark, who directed the first installment), who is supposed to receive the plans from Fat Chick. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Teddy Robin
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
The Black Mask (Andy On replacing Jet Li) faces-off against a series of gruesome mutants while frantically searching for a cure for his ability not to feel pain in this flashy sequel to the 1996 original. When the Black Mask learns that genetic scientists worldwide are falling victim to an unknown assassin, he races to save the life of the next on the list. Arriving a bit to late, Black Mask learns that the mutants who have carried out the killings were created by the same sentient computer had which created him. Later rushing to the rescue upon learning that a professional wrestler has turned mutant and kidnapped a child, Black Mask makes the horrific discovery that terrorists plan to detonate a mutant bomb that will turn the population into hideous creatures. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy On
- 1994
- R
Tsui Hark produces and Ringo Lam directs this bleak kung-fu action thriller. Qing dynasty era martial arts heroes Fong Sai Yuk (Willie Chi Tian-sheng) and Hung Hei-kwun (Yang Sheng) are students at the Shaolin temple when the government decides that the celebrated monastery is a threat to imperial power. Ordered to disband, the disciples of the temple are rounded by imperial troops led by the evil General Crimson (John Ching Tung) and sent to the dreaded Red Lotus Temple, a cavernous underground complex filled with booby traps and other nastiness. The place is run by the pathologically debauched Elder Kung (Wong Kam-kong), who not only has a taste for painting with human blood but also for having his way with his large collection of embalmed women. Along the way, Fong Sai Yuk falls for former prostitute and fellow inmate Tou Tou (Carmen Lee Yeuk-tung) while Hung Hei-kwun considers renouncing his Shaolin vows and allying himself with the villainous Kung. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
A traditional Chinese opera provides the basis for this nonmusical sweet & sour romance that tells the tale of a 4th-century student who finds himself confused when he becomes attracted to a fellow student. Unbeknownst to him, the "he" is really a she in disguise. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
With a marvelously convoluted plot and featuring plenty of slapstick action, Chinese Feast is essentially a kung-fu film with a tasty twist: the combatants battle with knives, not to carve each other up but to make exquisite culinary delicacies. The story's impetus comes from a long-standing feud between cooking schools and centers on an upcoming cook-off in which two master chefs compete to present the most delicious version of the Qing & Han Imperial Feast staples -- monkey brains, bear paw, and elephant trunk. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Tsui Hark's original version of this violent and bloody film was first banned, and then censored and recut to eradicate any unwanted political comments. Although politics were not completely excised, the film runs mainly on high testosterone. Like many Hong Kong films of the slasher genre, the story introduces graphic scenes of violence, including short scenes of actual animal torture. The plot centers around a group of teenagers who accidentally run over a man, an unhappy event that is witnessed by the warped animal hater, played by Lin Chun Shi. She blackmails the teenagers into sadistic acts, one of which inadvertently lands them with a pile of Japanese money claimed by the mob. From there, the teenagers fight off malevolent white guys who do not wield anything less than AK-47s. Outgunned and outnumbered, the teens seem doomed to extinction in great, bloody, graphic detail. If a political statement can be found in the saga of bad whites against Chinese teens, it certainly does not involve passive resistance. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Internationally renowned filmmaker Tsui Hark produced this amiable screwball romantic comedy from Hong Kong director Chor Yuen. Popular action star Chow Yun-fat plays Chow Ting-fat, a stockbroker who is in love with two different women. Joey (Joey Wang) is a beautiful boutique owner and Sally (Sally Yeh) is a glamorous stewardess. Chow wants to marry them both, and manages to do that very thing, but naturally must keep each woman unaware of the other's existence in his life. The usual farcical situations ensue, with Chow's friend Chi-hung (Waise Lee) aiding him in the constant subterfuge necessary to keep his activities a secret. One person who does notice when two different women claim to be Chow's wife is Inspector Cheng (Kent Cheng), who starts investigating Chow's situation with a grim dedication rarely seen outside of homicide units. As might be expected, Chow's luck eventually runs out after one too many near-misses, and Joey and Sally join forces to get revenge on the two-timing bigamist. It's a familiar plot, but the exuberant actors and Yuen's skilled direction make it constantly seem fresh and amusing. Carrie Ng leads an impressive supporting cast including David Wu and Shing Fui-on. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Like John Woo and Ringo Lam before him, noted Hong Kong action director Tsui Hark made his American filmmaking debut with a thriller starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. For this film, Hark also had the privilege of guiding basketball star Dennis Rodman through his first dramatic role. American anti-terrorist agent Jack Quinn (Van Damme) has retired from duty, content to stay with his pregnant wife at his seaside hideaway. However, the CIA lure him back into duty for one last mission: wiping out crazed international terrorist Stavros (Mickey Rourke). Quinn flies to Antwerp to ambush Stavros, but his plan fails; Quinn is captured and imprisoned in "The Colony," a prison camp for spies "too valuable to kill and too dangerous to set free." To further torture Quinn, Stavros kidnaps Quinn's wife; after she gives birth to their son, Stavros keeps him captive, surrounded by land mines and wild animals. Quinn escapes and makes plans to rescue his wife and child, but he can't do it alone, so he seeks the help of Yaz (Rodman), a top-level underground arms merchant with a tendency towards flamboyant body modification. Rodman also appears with R&B vocalist Crystal Waters on the song "Just a Freak" which appears on the film's soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Rodman, (more)
Snakes and special effects abound as human and mythical worlds collide in this lavish variation of an old Chinese fable about a learned man who falls under the spell of two snake women. After 1,000 years of practice, White Snake is finally able to take on a completely human form. Hsu Hsien, the scholar, falls in love with the lovely White Snake. Her sister, Green Snake, is not as adept at shape-shifting as she has only practiced for 500 years. She is human above the waist only. The serpentine sisters are hunted by a Buddhist monk who is almost to nirvana, and a Taoist monk determined to rid the area of all snakes. When the two forces finally meet, Hsu stands by as a secular witness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Cheung, Joey Wong, (more)
In this stylish Hong Kong thriller, Tony Leung stars as a cop in Shanghai during the 1930s. His department is overrun with corruption, while gangsters rule the city via the opium trade. The young cop recruits the aid of some rickshaw drivers who turn out to be men he served with during the war, and in the tradition of The Untouchables of U.S. television and film, the group leads a crusade against the mob. This is an early work by Kirk Wong, who later directed the 1998 film The Big Hit starring Mark Wahlberg. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
This kung fu classic weaving fact and myth earned a theatrical release in the U.S. from Miramax eight years after it was produced, following a successful retrospective screening at the 2001 Los Angeles Film Festival. Wong Kei Ying (Donnie Yen) is a master of the Hung Gar style of boxing in mid-19th century China. His son, Wong Fei Hung (Sze-Man Tsang), though still just a boy, will grow up to become a martial arts legend, a nearly mythical figure in Chinese history. When Wong Fei Hung is kidnapped, his father is forced to use his daunting skills in the service of the abductor, a dishonest politician plagued by the Robin Hood-style thief known as Iron Monkey, a mysterious masked avenger stealing from the rich, delivering the spoils to the poor. Wong Fei Hung's only allies are the kindly Dr. Yang (Yu Rong Guang) and Yang's assistant, Orchid (Jean Wang), who are protecting an important secret. Iron Monkey (1993) director Yuen Wo Ping is also the masterful martial arts choreographer behind The Matrix (1999) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000); his father served as action choreographer on a series of popular, long-running films centered around the Wong Fei Hung character in the 1950s. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yu Rongguang, Donnie Yen, (more)
- 1987
In this gangster epic in the tradition of The Godfather, the murder of a crime boss leads to a tense power struggle between his three adopted sons. As it is slowly revealed which brother is the traitor, the three-way standoff turns into a bloody final shootout. The signature style of Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo is somewhat absent, most likely due to his collaboration with co-director Ma Wu. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
In Taipei, Taiwan, a television executive is helping the emcee of a television show about child prodigies prepare for a segment featuring a young chess prodigy. While he does this, he remembers a visit to the mainland at the time of the Cultural Revolution to visit a cousin. While traveling by train, he encountered another chess player who was on his way to a prison camp. As he wonders what happened to him, the film cuts back and forth between the two different stories. One is about the cutthroat competition the prodigy must face in 1980s Taipei, the other is about tournament competition in Chinese labor camps in the 1960s. This film looks like two films cobbled together, because that's exactly what it is. After the director of the prison-camp chess match film walked off the job, the film sat on the shelf until the producer could think up a way to finish it. His solution was to shoot a parallel, contemporary story and intercut between the two. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Kar-Fai, Yang Lin, (more)
Hong Kong action genre craftsman Tsui Hark directed this martial arts tale, his second collaboration with actor Jean-Claude Van Damme after Double Team (1997). Van Damme stars as Marcus Ray, a Hong Kong fashion designer who specializes in "knock-offs," cheaply produced jeans and sneakers meant to look like major-label merchandise. With his new partner Tommy Hendricks (Rob Schneider), Marcus hopes to go legit and put his shady past behind him, but Tommy is really an undercover CIA agent investigating the smuggling of mini-bombs in Marcus' products. An unwitting pawn in a scheme concocted by the KGB and Tommy's CIA superior Johanson (Paul Sorvino), Marcus must clear his name and save his company. His quest to do so becomes even more complicated when local authorities link him to a murder and a vice-president, Karen (Lela Rochon), arrives from Marcus' parent company to investigate discrepancies in his bookkeeping. Knock Off is based on a script by Steven E. de Souza, author of 48 Hrs. (1982) and Die Hard (1988). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rob Schneider, (more)
