Laughter! Romance! Sex! Murder! Courtroom drama! You get this and more in Terry Tong's (Coolie Killer) wildly crowded (and crowd pleasing) final film. The above is what he spends time jumping in between as he portrays the life of one gigolo (Simon Yam) turned upside down when a client of his (Veronica Yip, back in smut territory after a fine performance in Call Girl 92) goes postal. Longing for love after he's fulfilled the duty of impregnating her, she gets seriously ticked off when Simon is actually in love with lawyer Sandy (Sandra Ng)...

Tong scores points in the low-brow area of the comedy since he has Michael Chow to work with and obviously the bonk-a-thon featuring Veronica and Simon is entirely welcome, if not a little bizarre. There's also a great deal of unconventional casting on display here as it's Sandra Ng who gets the be the actual object of desire, not a common occurrence at this time. Then when Tong takes cues from Fatal Attraction, you realize what an oddly compelling piece of smut this is.

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Gaining word of mouth due to it being funded by the triad boss it is a biopic of, Casino still is a quickie gangster-entry of messy proportions. Talking with a journalist (Kennix Kwok), Simon Yam as Giant recaps the days of late 80s/early 90s in Macau where he and best friend Liu (Alex Fong) rose to fame. Now in a deadly conflict with rival boss Ping (Frankie Ng), the games of twists and deception are in motion...

Billy Tang (employing past cast & crew largely) had fun with the triad genre in Sexy And Dangerous but the treatment here is all over the place. Chunks of the script was either filmed, subsequently cut or simply never written as no character except for maybe Alex Fong (the better performer of the film) has any hint of depth. Best example of this poor treatment being a short appearance by Ada Choi as Giant's wife and all of a sudden we're subjected to what apparently is a dramatic backstory to their relationship... dealt with in 2 minutes via dialogue. It doesn't pan out to be cheap, quick and possess a desire to provide a epic production about Macau gangster life. Your typical wide eyed and large performers occupy the flick (Frankie Ng "best" representing this) and the odd satirical moments of millions of followers constantly talking on their mobile phones and how quickly the different sides mobilize their squads should be put to use in a better movie that actually does satirize all of this. That I think Billy Tang is capable of. Kent Cheng and Ben Ng also appear.

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Reportedly loosely based on the life of casino tycoon Stanley Ho, this largely Macau set Wong Jing epic surely had in mind a little acclaimed (but poor in this reviewer's opinion) flick from 1991 called To Be Number One. Therefore Wong takes his time, giving us a 2 hour movie coming out at best as standard. Just because you have ideas of grandeur and can design it as much, doesn't mean you clinch your goal. Wong seems to think so.

Starting with a quick run-through of Hsin's (Andy Lau) life, starting in poor times, going through war times and his first steps towards securing a position in the world of casinos and gangsters, with him he has loyal friend Kuo (Alex Man). There's a restraint in terms of the amount of times Wong attempts to lighten up the proceedings. There's no restraint to be found in the creation of the lush surroundings though that may radiate but does symbolize a director desperately trying. And that's a fact because in the end this larger narrative doesn't have good character-drama to warrant the expansive arena. These are age old characters possessing righteousness and all that bla bla and lead Lau is running on an autopilot that makes his performance watchable only if you really try hard. Leading ladies Chingmy Yau and Joey Wong are decorations and victims in the frame but it's Alex Man's role reversal that actually registers. Easily destined for the Wilson Lam role instead (playing a rival of Hsin's), Man puts forth warmth and a funny recurring bit where he uses his only knowledge of rather naughty English in any situation. By the hour mark, rivalry, jealousy and power struggles have taken form and it's actually an easy subsequent hour to go through. Much due to some colourful over the top acting by Paul Chun and scattered offensive material coming from Wong Jing as a pregnant woman is kicked around (you take notice, not put forth thanks) It IS standard and a 40 minutes shorter running time wouldn't have been unwelcome. To Wong's credit though, you do wish to take on the sequel just because it presents itself as a shorter tale and hopefully less dreamy in terms of character and grandeur wished upon. Lau Siu-Ming and Kwan Hoi-San also appear.

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Come to think of it, I didn't REALLY, REALLY want to go into a sequel of a rather failed movie anyway but I did. Following in the footsteps of the successful first by having events unfold 20 years later, clearly Wong Jing must've felt pretty anxious to make a dopey movie again and while there's no rules in cinema saying you have to keep a straight line in whatever you do, Casino Tycoon fans need to be pretty forgiving if they're going to endure this mess. Watch Andy Lau's Hsin mostly feature in a serious gangster movie where power struggles of Macau casinos are at the forefront while past rivalries and romances also pop up to give Casino Tycoon II more melodramatic drive.

But Wong Jing is tired of the textured design and everyone being gloomy all the time so he decides to make proceedings akin to a melodramatic gangster comedy instead. Yes, see him disrupt any momentum he might've had by featuring Feng Shui-nutters, recycle the God Of Gamblers score, make multiple racist jokes come out of the mouth of respectable lead Lau even and the aging process of having select gray strands of hair being similar in all characters except Lau Siu-Ming's who seems stuck in a time warp. Wong lays flat on his back and directs in his sleep so there's no argument here apparent that we should care for the soap opera that unfolds. Hui Siu-Hung gets used frequently the excessive comedy way Wong Jing likes, dishing out VD jokes amongst other things and Alex Man is thoroughly annoying in his reprisal of a character that was actually likeable the first time around. Also with Michelle Reis, Remus Choi, Calvin Choi, Sandra Ng, Lee Shu-Kei, Kingdom Yuen and Joey Wong appears in a cameo.

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HK Flix.com
Yesasia.com

Jien Chiu (Adam Cheng - Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain) and Bai Yu-Tang (Alexander Fu) are two rival swordsman constantly dueling it out. They share the same master who states that they have equal ability. This doesn't stop the rivalry and when Jien Chiu saves the traveling emperor (Gordon Lau) and his royal seal, he is knighted as an official, much to the dismay of the now hugely jealous Bai...

While My Young Auntie and The Lady Is The Boss divided its time between comedy and kung fu, Lau Kar Leung's 1982 effort Cat Vs Rat is almost exclusively the former. That beforehand means that it's aimed at a local market which also means that Westerners have it slightly more rough going with all goofy comedy featured. However the film comes highly recommended because after all frantic exchanges, verbal or physical are done, the double act between Adam Cheng and Alexander Fu emerges as a winning one. Fu especially is excellent as the deceitful rat and Adam contrasts well as the stoic Jien Chiu. It's not great fun but it's a minor delight and an unusual entry from master Lau Kar Leung. Possible nods to The Elephant Man and the animated Robin Hood resides in here and the action, while sparse and stripped of any serious intensity, adds to a fun mixture. Kara Hui, Hsiao Hou, Lydia Shum, Wilson Tong and an hilarious Lau Kar Wing co-stars.

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HK Flix.com
Yesasia.com

Right smack in the middle of drivel like Feel 100% and affecting efforts such as Love Is Not A Game, But A Joke, sits Vincent Kok's Cause We Are So Young. Playing out like a chapter of ache from the lives of coke can collector Chuen (Leo Koo, the standout performer in the film, playing it shy and inexperienced very well), Leung (Edmond So) with the well laid out life plans and emotionless DJ Paul (Mark Lui), what's likeable about Kok's slight lean towards nonsense comedy/felt youth romance is his intention to speak through the ages of his subjects. Therefore no experience experienced feels too basic as betrayal and longing for love is as real as anything and Kok's exaggerated first half generates much laughter as well (Big and An Autumn's Tale gets referenced in neat ways throughout). Also with Gigi Lai, Nicola Cheung, Kathy Chow with cameo appearances by Andy Lau, Lee Kin-Yan, Law Kar-Ying, Lee Lik-Chi, Tats Lau, Jan Lam, Lee Siu-Kei and director Vincent Kok himself.

Considering the title, I doubt anyone is interested in a plot synopsis in order to make a decision whether to venture into Keith Li's 1982 horror effort or not.

Bad acting, cheap sets and make-up effects mare this production but its biggest crime is the fact that the filmmakers opt to play out the movie totally serious. Seeing as much is so low-grade, that choice aaaalmost kills off the film. Li thankfully cranks up the black magic climax to both tension filled and ludicrous levels, earning Centipede Horror a minor recommendation for genre aficionados. Margaret Lee (We're Going To Eat You) walks away with the acting honors as she's "blessed" with a sequence where live centipedes spews out from her mouth. Respect. Miu Kiu Wai (Magic Cop) also stars.

Presented by Tomas Tang's Filmark, it's always a shocking truth when in fact they bring forth movies that are not pasted together from various sources. It doesn't turn their catalogue into a status akin to classy but the "actual" filmmakers of this ilk can ACTUALLY keep the proceedings fun all the way as opposed to the cut-and-splice fun that most of the time sparkles only when Tang or even IFD's Joseph Lai inject their touches.

Our real filmmaker is Taiwan favourite Lee Tso-Nam (Eagle's Claw) and although bootleg companies tried to sell this Elsa Yeung (Golden Queen's Commando) vehicle as a sequel to Chang Cheh's Five Element Ninja (to add insult to injury, it was cut and came with a false promise that Polly Kuan of Dragon Inn-fame would appear in the film), Challenge Of The Lady Ninja works on its own. Although we get a taste of early music theft (Star Wars in this case), director Lee spices the proceedings with aspects that he's aware of works. Fans wants to see and get off on ninja techniques and whenever stopping for a fighting romp involving these, Lee has us in his pocket. See Elsa employ her jumpcut technique, shadow technique, throw red bombs all over the place, fight ALMOST nude (skin coloured underwear and literally hand body paint conceals what needs to be) and square off against a final opponent who drills himself down in the ground but also fights with Elsa below it! None of the above should be considered particularly well crafted (the wirework is awfully patchy) but A particular crowd of viewers (moi) knows it's not polite to point fingers at technical inaccuracies or lack of movie logic because why take the fun out of cinema created just for a fun purpose? Perhaps a slightly fresh approach is the feminist message imbedded as Elsa's character puts together a team of women warriors in her quest for revenge against Chen Kuan-Tai's character Lee Tong. The most splendid ninja technique utilized here concerns creating an illusion of sex basically. Best seen to be believed and it gets the film into more dopey, raunchy places, without our objection. As a film, sloppy, been there done that-esque plot (Chinese vs. Japanese) but as a ninja experience, it should end up being well-regarded. Robert Tai, director of Ninja - The Final Duel appears as the head tattooed Japanese bodyguard of Lee Tong.