Storm Warriors II

All of China’s most formidable martial experts are in chains. Wicked warlord Lord Godless (Simon Yam) has subdued even the best of them all, Nameless (Kenny Ho).
But in an unexpected moment, the heroes break their chains. Nameless marshals a cloud of swords and hurls them at Godless but the evil conqueror withstands the deadly onslaught.
The unchained martial artistes escape with their lives, but just barely. That’s 10 minutes of intense action and the movie hasn’t even started. Storm Warriors has started its blazing run across the Asia Pacific region.
The hype that preceded its official screening has been raging on for months. In a single sentence, it is like watching a gigantic comic book come alive on the big screen.
Ma Wing Shing, the creator of Fung Wan (Wind and Cloud), is a legend in his own time among Chinese comic readers. In 1998 when Storm Riders first hit the cinema screens, it was hailed as one of the most entertaining movies of the decade.
Now 11 years later, Storm Warriors returns to fulfill its long forgotten destiny. The saga of two famous Wu Xia (martial art heroes in the world of wushu) swordsmen continues with all the spectacular swordplay and fantastic feats.
The original Wind and Cloud in Storm Riders have reprised their roles. Aaron Kwok (Cloud) and Ekin Cheng (Wind) don’t look a day older even after 11 years. Aging is not an option in the realm of Wu Xia.
Lord Godless doesn’t look that mean even though Simon Yam puts on his fiercest expression. The villain’s armour is an expression of exaggerated protection.
Two pretty women make fleeting and insignificant appearances throughout the show. They are Second Dream (Charlene Choi) and Chu Chu (Tiffany T).
Basically, this is a man’s world and women seldom venture beyond the kitchen door. If you can overlook these minor flaws then Storm Warriors should be more than capable of tickling your fancy.
The sensurround experience during the show is enough to jiggle the loose change in your pocket. The background colours of battle scenes have been shifted to stun mode.
Clearly, this is not an ordinary film of the sword and sandal genre. Everything about it is of abnormal proportions. A swinging sword cuts through boulders. A moving hand lifts hundreds of swords into the air.
Among Chinese movie viewers, Fung Wan (Wind & Cloud) represents an animated and exciting childhood for generations. The fact that the comic title is so popular in Southeast Asia countries is evident that fantasies become larger than life, as long as technology allows it.
There are two ways of watching this movie. One is viewing it like a living comic book. Two, the viewer becomes a willing participant in it as if it is a dream. Whichever option, the staggering display of superpower feats and melodramatic pyrotechnics will keep your eyes peeled from start to finish.
The essence of Storm Warriors is still as traditional as Chinese dim sum. It’s all about love, honour, hatred and ambition. All these qualities have been covered incessantly for ages in Chinese novels.
The movie epitomises the finest human values from the ancient world. Perhaps that is what makes the film such a powerful attraction among Chinese audiences.
The swordplay is fast and furious and is chiefly the work of action director Ma Yuk-sing. The heroes’ blades of exaggerated proportions are successful in their application more due to artwork than handwork.
Aaron Kwok (Cloud) and his warrior pal Ekin Cheng (Wind) have once again fared fairly well in their roles. Even though their Wind and Cloud characters should have been fleshed out to give the story more meat, ultimately the fight scenes are what audiences will be watching out for.
Since Storm Warriors is a direct Hong Kong import, the dialogue is in Cantonese, and not Mandarin which is the official language among the Chinese-speaking nations.
Viewers who are strangers to the dialect will have to resort to the subtitles for a more complete understanding, as most non-Cantonese speaking Malaysian Chinese will naturally do.
The conclusion is an abrupt as it is apocalyptic. It opens the portal for an expected third instalment and if the total earnings allow it, Storm Warriors will surely return for another exciting episode, two or three years down the road.

Poker King

THERE’S a bad joke about the Chinese. They say if you put two Chinese together, they will either start to gamble or open up a coffee shop. So it’s not surprising that for decades, Hong Kong has been producing intermittently movies that focus on gambling or gamblers.
Poker King is not a movie that will knock those mahjong tiles off the table but it’s entertaining. Louis Koo is not exactly the type of guy one would like to see as a gambler.
However, lately he has been hogging the cinema limelight so he’s box-office material. Chow Yun-Fatt in God of Gamblers (1989) was immensely better than Koo. That’s my biased opinion.
Anyway, the poker that’s being played on screen is not the usual five-card stud poker but one that pedestrians like most of us are unfamiliar with.
The name of the game is called Texas Hold ‘Em Poker. It certainly looks interesting and exciting in cinema. But what normally holds a story like this together are the actors who play out their acting skills to the hilt.
Uno Cheuk (Lau Ching Wan) was a two-bit crook who made it to become the big kahuna at a Macau Casino. The owner who also happened to be his mentor has passed away, leaving him in charge.
This is however one proviso. Uno can only claim his place at the helm of the casino if the owner’s son Jack Chang (Louis Koo) proves inept to be the CEO.
So Jack is hustled back from Canada to meet Uno. As it turns out, Jack seems to be mentally challenged who is only good at winning online poker games.
That makes Uno’s life much easier. Now all he has to do is to make sure Jack doesn’t embark on a winning streak or turn out to be a chip off the old block.
On a scale of one to 10, this show rates a six. The performance of most of the actors is passable. Only Lau Ching Wan stands out. He’s the man holding all the cards in this movie.
Lau almost never fails to deliver when he takes on a role, any role. The others including Louis Koo are average. Koo doesn’t have that glint of mischievousness in his eyes like Ah Fatt-kor (Chow Yun Fatt) as the main player.
My bet is Poker King is not going to win any Golden Horse Award. However, it may just score at the cinemas. That’s not a given but the odds are on its side. A fifty-fifty chance. The Chinese call it “Tai Sai” (big and small)
Nonetheless, not all is lost at the poker table. There’s a dose of love that adds a touch of spice to the story and some sexiness thrown in for good measure.
The three cute girls who make the filmS palatable are Stephy Tang who plays Jack’s girlfriend, Smiley, Josie Ho is Ms Fong (a rival casino owner), and poker-faced Jo Kuk (Uno Cheuk’s personal assistant).
Naturally, all bets are off when it comes to the final poker tournament which is what the movie is all about. It’s Jack versus Uno for the Poker King title.
The sequential order of subplots leading to the grand finale won’t cause irregular heart rhythm for anyone but it has a certain expectancy that comes with this type of Hong Kong movie.
Poker King is slightly more than 120 minutes long but it’s not up there with the likes of Slumdog Millionaire. Bollywood can thumb its nose at Kowloon in this instance.
Still, cinema goers of Chinese origin probably won’t mind so much. Anything that reminds them of something that’s even remotely about gambling holds a certain attraction.
Like all those who make a beeline every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday for the betting outlets, Poker King will lure them to the cinema like an irresistible siren call.
Place all your bets on the table, ladies and gentlemen and watch the fun. In the end, don’t forget, this is a comedy show. So no refunds, please.

Avatar

Sci-fi entertainment has taken a quantum leap since CGI made a paradigm shift in recent years.
In Avatar, the full effects can only be appreciated and felt in 3D. So if you feel the urge to go the full nine yards, dig into your wallet and cough up RM18 and experience a mind-blowing experience.
When director James Cameron decided to make a technologically superior movie, few doubted his resolve. What was in doubt was whether he could pull it off.
In the face of the 11-Oscar Titanic, Cameron fans were unsure whether he could really top that. After almost three hours in the cinema, any trace of reservation dissipated with the conclusion of the credits.
This movie, simply put, is one of the most satisfying cinematic experiences for the entire 2009. But to really appreciate it, I would recommend nothing less than watching it in 3D.
The 3D spectacles are pretty cool, and when you have dragon-like creatures whisking past just above your head and little fluorescent life-forms floating inches from your eyeballs, you know you are no longer in the 20th century.
Even the story is amazing. Kudos to James Cameron, who is also responsible for the story. Cameron’s imagination is truly of titanic proportions.
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic whose life has taken a 180-degree turn after a war. A sliver of light shone into the dark corridor of his life when he was offered to in his deceased twin brother’s scientific project.
The assignment involves travelling to planet Pandora which is 4.3 light years from Earth. A corporation is financing the Pandora programme because it wants to mine a very precious metal found only on that planet.
The only problem was that the indigenous natives of Pandora, the Navi, were standing in the path of human prosperity. Jake’s mission was to infiltrate the Navi community so as to learn more about them.
Unfortunately, humans cannot breathe in the alien planet’s atmosphere. Thus, a human-Navi hybrid has to be created under laboratory conditions. This life-form is the Avatar.
Through some form of mental transference, Jake can assume the form of the Avatar and move freely in the hostile environment.
The pace picks up quickly once Jake lands on the planet because he’s chased by relentless Viperwolfs and other ferocious creatures of the night.
He is rescued by a female Navi, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and is brought to meet her people, the Omaticaya. His encounter with the warrior race nearly resulted in his swift demise if not for “a sign” noticed by Neytiri.
Avatar is a splendid labyrinth of ethereal vegetation and dazzling landscapes, some of which float. The gossamer life-forms that inhabit Pandora only add to the mystique that surrounds the whole environment.
What gives Avatar a big edge over other interplanetary tales are its moral and social messages. On the one hand, the battle between the Navi and humans could be juxtaposed with past-century conflicts between the Native-Americans and the white pioneers.
The moral message rests squarely on caring for one another on a global village basis. Then there’s the question of love, loyalty and lasting bonds with strangers.
In other words, the story of Avatar is founded on the firm ground of life values that endure the ages, human or otherwise.
Apart from the staggering display of aerial flights on the flying Banshees, the battle scenes between the aliens and humans are so well conceived that they could only be the products of 21st century science.
The main players in Avatar are Dr Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), and ex-Marine pilot Trudy Chacon (Michelle Rodriguez).
The outstanding performances of Weaver and Rodriquez are what made Avatar such an outstanding outing at the cinema.
But the crème de la crème of the show must surely be the faceless backroom boys and girls who are responsible for the CGI magic that is Avatar.
Captain Kirk and Spock of USS Enterprise of those bold Star Trek missions can now bow out graciously and gracefully to their superiors who have courageously gone further and farther than their predecessors had gone before.

Twilight: New Moon

It is twilight time and the wolves begin to howl. The full moon peeks from the darkened skies. But a word of caution, if New Moon is your first Twilight movie, the entire picture will be like a jigsaw puzzle that has several key pieces missing.
So like me, you may want to hurry down to the video rental show to get a copy of the first Twilight that was released last year. The reason is obvious after watching the first 10 minutes of the Twilight sequel.
The first rays of Twilight will demist the foggy circumstances that continue to surround the small town of Forks. If you don’t do a little catch-up with the original, you will be left clueless and forever earn a place in the bad books of the countless passionate teen Twilight fans.
Admittedly, the original Twilight is much more exciting and has a faster pace. The Cullen family continues to maintain a shadowy presence in New Moon. They are an unusual bunch of vampires because they do not survive on human blood.
In fact, they jokingly admit that they are “vegetarians” because they prefer to subsist on animal blood.
Yes, they are still immortals and immensely powerful but the Cullens have long decided that they do not want to be like their fellow non-humans who frequently yield to the irresistible urge to taste human blood.
Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) is a 90-year-old high school student who looks 18 and his girlfriend Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has sworn to be by his side, come death or blood thirsty creatures.
New Moon expands on the incomplete pages of the first chapter, that some young Native Americans are actually werewolves. Among them is Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) who has a crush on Bella.
The film spotlights on enormous werewolves that can cover a hundred metres in a single bound. They are ferocious when provoked and their mission in life is to crush the life out of vampires.
The savage shape-shifters almost stole the limelight from the restrained Cullens who spent much of their time avoiding contact with humans. This sequel lacks the oomph that was prevalent in the original.
The question that nags the viewer is why nobody questions the parlour-looks of the Cullens. Besides possessing somewhat exotic features, Edward looks for the most part like a director of a funeral parlour. His lips are even redder than most glamour girls.
Any lover of vampire movies would be taken aback by the fangless ones who live in the town of Forks. Count Dracula would be aghast by the appearance of these modern vampires who have beautiful teeth instead of long and jagged incisors.
Anyone who has watched True Blood on TV would be inclined to detect similar trends in New Moon, except this one is designed to arouse the ardour of anyone below the age of 18.
Perhaps it is not so much the savagery that is normally associated with vampire movies but the love that bestirs the hearts of all warm-blooded adolescents.
There are hardly any blood stains in this show. That is something new in movies of this genre. Before you could utter, “show me the fangs”, the werewolves pounce on the audience and display their predatory canines.
Twilight: New Moon has successfully hastened the pulse of many a young maiden when it draws feral beings and frail humans into a romantic realm of sunshine and shadows.
Apart from the deathless ones’ tremendous strength and skin that glitters like rhinestones in the sunlight, Twilight has scuttled generations-old perception of what the vampires should be.
In the boiling cauldron of bestial urges and inhuman passions, the crux is the Edward’s decision to leave Bella for her own sake. But the lovesick girl vows to tread the path of immortality in order to be with her loved one.
The finale dangles on a cliff-hanger which paves the way for a possible trilogy. Of course, this will depend on how many innocent souls the vampires manage to lure to the box office.
Teenagers who thronged the cinemas during its recent opening could not be prevailed upon to accept that New Moon is sluggish in parts because handsome Edward’s gaze is simply too mesmerising to ignore.
Whatever your verdict may be, Twilight: New Moon offers good entertainment on any given evening during this holiday season. Fang you very much then.

Ninja Assassin

When Jung Ji Hoon, more popularly known as Rain, went to Los Angeles in 2008 to make his debut in his first Hollywood movie Speed Racer, he was very much the unknown.
The movie bombed but Rain was shot like a cannon ball into the entertainment atmosphere and landed on a bigger project called Ninja Assassin. This movie has been receiving a lot of attention from Rain’s fans throughout Asia. It is now here.
The Wachowski brothers, Andy and Larry, directed Speed Racer and they instantly recognized the star quality in this Korean singing sensation. So before you could say “ahnyong haesayo” (hello in Korean), Rain was offered the major role in Ninja Assassin.
It was a role in which producers Wachowski brothers said was tailor-made for the man who was “unbelievable, a natural and a dream come true”.
With that kind of accolades from the Wachowskis who were also responsible for the Matrix trilogy, Rain dove headlong into the movie.
But first he had to hone his body most excruciatingly for the battle sequences over very long months under several physical instructors.
So the guy you see doing the almost impossible stunts is not a body double. It is indeed Rain with a superb physique and a look that sets all the young female hearts a-fluttering.
Rain’s dialogue in the show has been scripted in most parts into one-liners. But who cares? It’s Rain talking and it’s the cool dude’a moves that counts.
Ninja Assassin is very bloody, graphically violent and explicitly brutal. The splattering of blood walls, floors and bodies occur with great frequency.
Ninjas are trained killers who struck fear in the hearts of the common folk for their swift and silent assassinations back in 14th century Japan. In this show, Rain plays Raizo, an orphan who was brought up by Lord Ozunu (Sho Kosugi).
Ozunu keeps a stable of trained killers whom he adopted when they were very young. Failure to meet Ozunu’s stringent standards was met by ruthless punishment that drew blood.
The boys and girls are taught to be merciless and to ignore extreme pain and suffering. Death is not to be feared.
Raizo grows up and becomes one of the best in Ozunu’s ninja clans. His body, arms and the soles of his feet bear the scars of the arduous training since childhood.
The breath of fresh air within the walls of the ninja academy is young Kiriko (Kylie Liya Goldstein) who cares very much for Raizo. On the day Kiriko was killed for attempting to escape from Ozunu, Raizo made up his mind to leave.
The trail then leads to Berlin where Raizo stumbles upon Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris), an employee of Europol investigating the possibility of ninjas behind a series of assassinations in Europe.
By the time, Mika finds proof of the ninja existence, they are on their way to kill her. Raizo intervenes and saves Mika. And together they try their best to keep one step ahead of the shadow warriors.
The fight scenes in this film are some of the best I have seen. The Wachowski brothers have ratcheted the benchmark for choreographed martial art combat scenes.
Since Rain performed most of the difficult stunts, the bloody fight scenes imparted great visual gratification. Some of the best action sequences were between Raizo and Takeshi (Rick Yune) who was Raizo’s clan brother.
Both actors were amazingly agile and nimble on their feet. The twisting and mid-air body flips were captivating and engaging. In real life, Yune is an Olympic-standard Taekwondo expert so he was a perfect complement for Rain.
To witness these two human killing machines in action was sufficient to get the adrenaline flowing. All martial art exponents will definitely be enthralled by the interplay of light, shadow and the katana (Samurai sword) against a background of fire and a crescendo of death cries.
Some movie critics may want to find fault with the less-than-brilliant plot but the graceful movements of the finely-trained athletic actors will leave you with little cause to be dissatisfied.
Ninja Assassin is for martial art exponents who have a penchant for the art of ninjutsu. Of course, fans of Rain will need no other reason to be at the cinema.
This movie may or may not launch Rain’s Hollywood career but I have a gut feeling it won’t disappoint the Wachowski brothers at the box office.
Ninja Assassin can be summed up in two words: shockingly entertaining.

Little Big Soldier

Jackie Chan’s fans must be physically and mentally tired by now. After chasing their idol from cinema to cinema over dozens of films for more than 30 years, fans know a jolly good time awaits them when Jackie is in town.
Little Big Soldier may not be as grand as Red Cliff I and II, but it has its moments on the big screen. Unlike John Woo’s historical epic, Little Big Soldier takes a micro view approach to a period in China’s ancient times when the Middle Kingdom consisted of a chaotic bunch of warring states.
Jackie plays the role of a farmer turned soldier for the State of Liang. Actually, he and his two brothers were reluctant recruits into the army. Only the Little Soldier (Jackie) survived because he has more wit and luck than brawn.
His fate takes a detour when he rescued a wounded enemy soldier in the battlefield. The wounded soldier turns out to be a general (Wang Lee Hom) from the State of Wei.
The general was actually a prince who was the sole survivor in a dastardly plot by his brother Wen (Steve Yoo) who wanted the throne for himself.
The main focus is on the rocky relationship between the soldier and his captive general. While the soldier is adamant about returning to his original lifestyle of being a simple farmer, the general seeks to fulfil his destiny as a conqueror.
Wang Lee Hom, who is in reality is a talented singer with youthful looks, plays a scruffy, dirty and pugnacious prince who is quite embarrassed that he is a captive of a part time soldier.
His major however does not give him a weighty presence. But Wang has acquitted himself well in this role for which he had to strenuously trained for months on the use of ancient fighting weapons.
Naturally, he’s overshadowed by Jackie who somehow manages to steal the thunder from everyone who are his co-stars.
Not for the first time, Jackie plays the underdog but his role as a second fiddle suits him well in this film.
Together the pair makes an odd couple but there’s a moral to the story. Jackie conceptualized Little Big Soldier more than 20 years ago but circumstances prevented him from turning the story into reality until recently.
It is not the kind of movie that one expects to see as far as period movies are concerned. This Chinese New Year movie focuses on the relationship of two men who have divergent interests in life.
Somehow in the melee and chaos that rule their lives for a while, both arrive at a mutual understanding but not before fate throws them into a boiling cauldron of close calls and life-threatening situations.
Little Big Soldier does not have spectacular battle scenes. What it has in spades are cheeky repartees that draw laughter and sometimes trigger quiet reflection.
The two newcomers in the film are Steve Yoo or Yoo Seung-Jun who plays Wen, the ambitious brother of the general. Yoo was a Korean pop idol about 10 years ago.
His music career came to an abrupt end in 2002 amid controversy over his US citizenship status just before he was drafted into the Korean military service.
Lin Peng or the songstress who added a feminine touch to an otherwise macho movie is from mainland China who caught the world’s attention when she performed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.
Little Big Soldier marks Lin Peng’s debut in the film industry.
The biggest surprise in this show is Jackie Chan’s uncommon approach to a storyline of epic proportions. Some of the scenes in the movie come from China’s popular scenic spots.
The rivers and the mountains are a wonder to behold. These make up for the clumsy battle scenes that simply could not stand up to the standards of John Woo’s Red Cliff battle scenes.
But this film has its own limited merits. While Wang Lee Hom now has bragging rights to being Jackie Chan’s sidekick in a movie, the show is singularly designed to entertain all who are going to the cinema this Chinese New Year season.

True Legend

New Chinese martial arts movies have clawed found their way into the Year of the Tiger. In accordance with the traits of the Lord of the Jungle, True Legend displays the ferocity and power of this year’s Lunar animal.
Director Yuen Woo-ping has once again tipsily treaded down memory lane and revisited his favourite subject, drunken fighting. About 30 years ago, Yuen together with a young actor Jackie Chan made each other famous in the classic movie Drunken Master.
True Legend focuses on Su Can, the founder of Drunken Fist. Because it is Yuen’s forte, the fight scenes are exhilarating and at times mind-blowing.
The story of the founder of Drunken Fist, Su Can, has obviously been stylised and exaggerated to give the movie a grittiness that draws the Chinese New Year crowds.
Vincent Zhao is an excellent choice for the main character, Su Can. In reality, Zhao was a champion in various martial art disciplines in China since his teenage years.
The physical demands that the Beggar Su role exacts on the actor calls for a man who has not only the stamina but also the skills to put forth a convincing performance.
It is always a pleasure to watch a highly skilled wushu exponent flips and turns his body in a fight sequence and know that you have not been shortchanged.
Director Yuen who is responsible for some of the most exciting scenes in The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill has once again proven that he’s THE man when it comes to thrilling fight scenes, ancient or modern.
Mainland China actress and singer Zhou Xun who plays Xiao Ying, Su Can’s wife is the bright spark that ignites the show when it could have easily fizzles off down the misty mountain trail.
Zhou’s superb portrayal of a loyal wife who exhibits wisdom and courage in Su’s most trying times gives True Legend the cutting edge this festive season .
The only glitch in the entire plot is probably Jay Chou who seemed overdressed for his part as Lord of Wushu. It might not be Chou’s fault but the glitzy costume was not in congruence with the theme or the natural surroundings.
Michelle Yeoh’s role as Sister Yu was surprisingly short but nevertheless memorable. Her extensive acting experience in Hong Kong and elsewhere holds her in good stead in this film.
David Carradine a.k.a. Kwai Chang Caine shows up in the last segment of this movie like a ghost of kung fu past. Carradine who died in June last year had only a minor role but the actor’s fans will probably appreciate that “Grasshopper” has left them something to remember him by.
Even veteran Hong Kong actor Gordon Liu has a minor but significant role in this film. Liu plays a beaded master of levitation who floats to great heights during Su Can’s lost years in the wilderness.
If one can recall, Liu is the man who’s responsible for the spate of Shaolin Temple movies that overwhelmed local cinemas back in the 1970s.
Liu’s last memorable role was in Kill Bill (2003) when one of his biggest fans, Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino, cast him as Master Pai Mei.
In a way, True Legend is a tribute to the living legends who have contributed in no small way to the martial arts movies from the side of the earth where the sun rises every morning.

In the final analysis, True Legend is flamboyantly entertaining. At times, the action scenes are over the top but then it’s Yuen Woo-ping’s piece of work, so expectations are rather high.
So if you have a few hours to kill, invest some of your Ang Pow money on True Legend and embrace those riveting sensations that personify Yuen Woo-ping’s early movies like Snake In the Eagle’s Shadow, Iron Monkey and Tai Chi Master.
There’s a bonus in this show too. Some of the most spectacular faces of China’s countryside are also on full display.

Echoes of the Rainbow

Yesterday’s years and tears



SOMETIMES we unexpectedly meet scenes in a movie that open the floodgates of childhood memories. Echoes of the Rainbow (Chinese title: Sui Yuet San Tau) has a whole cupboard full of these mementos, keepsakes and tokens that have long been forgotten with the passing of the elders.
Sometimes we wish we wouldn’t have to travel down that lane again because it can be heart-retching because of its bitter-sweet taste. This is one of the few Hong Kong films that embarks on a different path, unlike its usual fare of gangsters, murder or insane comedy.
Not surprisingly, Echoes of the Rainbow has struck a chord, and quite loudly too, in the hearts and minds of its middle-aged viewers.
We who are old enough have now arrived at that plateau in our lives when reflections of old friends, schoolmates, parents, relatives and the difficult times occur more often than expected.
In Echoes of the Rainbow, Simon Yam plays a struggling cobbler, Mr Law, who tries to make ends meet to put food on the table for his wife and two sons.
Sandra Ng, the backbone of the household, is the kind of mother who may remind many of us of our own.
She puts a protective arm around our shoulders when dad comes with the cane, and makes us forget about our outrageous demands with some funny stories.
She is also constantly at our bedside when we are sick, feeding us with spoonfuls of bland porridge whether we like it or not
This then is where the past catches up with our present and makes us appreciate what awaits us in the future.
Director Alex Law who is also responsible for the excellent script belongs that age group where flashbacks of the past are in abundance and as vivid as ever.
The dialogue is superb in this movie. It is reality par excellence because it jolts our memory of what our parents had always told us “to keep us in the right path”.
Naturally, there is a touch of adolescent romance that will put a smile on many faces. It’s that distant admiration of a girl just quite beyond our reach.
Desmond’s fledgling romance with schoolmate Flora (Evelyn Choi) may conjure similar emotional experiences which some of us have experienced.
In the realm of love, time has no relevance. The young heart often remembers with greater intensity than what mature minds may have unintentionally forgotten.
The tale is seen through a pair of young eyes, Big Ears (Buzz Chung), who is the dunce of his class. The lad is the opposite of his older brother Desmond (Aarif Lee) who’s the favourite of his parents.
Desmond excels in sports and is one of the top students at the Diocesan Boys School, which by the way is also director Law’s alma mater.
A major part of the plot focuses on Desmond who serves as the rallying point of the Law family when tragedy follows closely the heels of a typhoon that destroys the tiny family shop.
The pathos of Echoes of the Rainbow is founded upon the ground of past realities that is so familiar with Chinese communities in Malaysia and Singapore.
It will have special appeal for the older generations who will remember this story only too well because family quarrels and dinner conversations in the movie will resurrect old scenes of our forgotten years.
It is no wonder that Echoes of the Past won the Crystal Bear Award for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival in February this year.
On top of that, it has garnered six nominations for the 2010 Hong Kong Film Awards. It is a movie well worth watching at least once. Bring along your parents. They will thank you for it.
Echoes of the Rainbow opens in cinemas this April.

Say Yes to life, just like Jim Carey

There are times in life when you need to laugh out loud. And when you have finished laughing, you suddenly realise there's something to be learnt from the hilarious situation.

I found that out when Jim Carrey and I had a rib-ticklin' time in the darkened hall of the cineplex near my home. Yes Man is one of the funniest movies in recent years.

Carey is known as "rubber face" in parts of Hollywood. Even though he's not an American and is actually a Canadian, he's definitely one of the best movie imports in the past two decades.

I have enjoyed Carrey's Bruce Almighty in the past. It made my day whenever I think of God and then Carrey (in that order).

With Yes Man, there's an underlying message. Most of us lead sedentary lives. We couldn't care less about the happenings around us. Most of the time, we don't have time to consider other options in life.

It would be great if we give in to our whims and fancies now and then. However, most of us are afraid to. We think our friends will consider us crazy. Our family may disown us, and we may just regret our actions.

Yes Man is basically about a man who decides one day to say "yes" to all and any challenges that come his way. Once he has made that life-altering decision, he went on to try bungee jumping, attend wacky parties and giving loans to all dubious bank customers.

Suddenly his life began to careen off the usual run-of-the-mill tracks. Along the way, he encounter strange and sometimes wonderful people.

His boss gives him a raise and promotion due to his spontaneity and as bank officer Carl Allen, he even manages to find the love of his life in Allison.

There were times in my life when I too found walking down the road less travelled daunting but on those rare occasions when I tried trudging down the unknown path, I had some interesting experiences.

So Yes Man did bring back a bucketful of feel-good sensations. After watching this movie, I reminded myself that I must say yes to some offbeat but reasonable challenges in life.

I am glad this movie showed up when it did. Very often, we lead very mundane and dull lives. We grow into adulthood and allow others to convince us that being a non-conformist is bad for our health.

Then somehow after entering the portal of matrimony, we convinced ourselves that we have to be careful all the time because we are now "family men".

This movie tells us in a hilarious way that we could live life to the fullest and have a whale of a time when we let our hair down. In other words, we must learn to let go and let the fun in.

I say a big "yes" to this movie. I am grateful it has jolted my sense of inertia that has got a lockdown on my life. Thank you Jim Carrey for the reminder.

Okay, let get off the road and drive straight down that country road and smell the wild flowers, if they are any.

Just grab those balls of fury

It's nice to sometimes come across a senseless, wacky and out-of-the-ordinary movie fare that offers nothing but fun, laughter and hilarious situations.

I am talking of Balls of Fury. If not for a couple of famous names and faces like Christopher Walken and Maggie Q, I would have given this film a pass.

But like all armchair movie critics of little significance, I made a pit-stop at this cinema hall for a brief glimpse into the window of incredible laughs.

I wasn't disappointed. Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) is a ping-pong has-been who prefers to forget the good old days. One day, a FBI agent of equally dubious repute, Rodriguez (George Lopez) came a-visiting to recruit him to flush out a fiend who had eliminated Randy's dad with extreme prejudice.

From the moment Randy accepted the dangerous assignment, it was a roller coaster of laughs.

Nobody in his right mind is expected to take the movie seriously but you will be pleased to know that there's a smattering of familiar faces popping up on the screen now and then; people like Jason Scott Lee and James Hong.

If you want to know who is James Hong, then you haven't been sitting in front of the TV long enough. Mr Hong is that familiar looking chinaman who has appeared in countless TV shows over the decades. He's not particularly famous but his face is rather familiar in an insignificant way.

Maggie Q is sexy without being salacious or wicked. She's fun and has that kind of Eastern charm that most men, Oriental and Occidental, find rather attractive.
This 90-minute show probably wasn't a dramatic box office hit but I am sure it did make a commendable pile of cash at video rentals.

Most weekenders who have nothing better to do will rent this video on a lonely Saturday afternoon. I have caught this show in its re-run on Astro at least twice.
Each time, it came across as something like you want to view over and over again.

Perhaps it's just me but I find some of the comedic plots too insane to ignore. Christopher Walken was a small time tour de force back in the good old days. I was referring to the Deer Hunter that came out a generation ago.

These days, Walken find it personally satisfying to play roles in movies like Hairspray and Balls of Fury, and he's doing a good job at it too. Good for you, Walken!

You are in absolutely no danger of going into hysterics in praising this movie but you certainly won't want to watch it alone. See Balls of Fury who also have funny bones in their body.

Buy a couple of packets of pistachios, cashew nuts and macadamia buts and gallons of beverages and then turn on the DVD to see Balls of Fury.

Laughter is free. Laugh as if there's no tomorrow. For all of us, one day, tomorrow may never come. Think about it. Meanwhile, just laugh.

Love follows the scent of three women

Producer/director Tsui Hark who is better known for producing movies like Swordsman, Once Upon A Time in China and Seven Swords has ignited a trail of aromatic pheromone that has triggered packs of men and women catching its scent and following it.

After having sniffed it, they have either got lost or may have continued to walk in a daze.

All About Women is the story of three women who are a mixture of bohemian, oddball and corporate types. It is amazing that the entire plot was born on the cradle of pheromone. Pheromone is a chemical substance secreted by animals, including humans regardless of gender, that normally sparks sexual attraction.

On such a premise, the plot is born and before long, becomes quite convoluted that the ordinary movie goer may struggle to keep up with its pace.

Tsui Hark's brand of humour in this instance is fired simultaneously in several directions. Even though it is a romantic comedy of the slightly weird kind, it manages to draw some feeble sniggers from the audience.

However, Tsui Hark shares the credit of writing the screenplay with Korean director Kwak Jae-yong. One wonders what these two men were up to when they conjured the story in their minds.

There's an allusion that links All About Women to that Korean hit movie My Sassy Girl. Those who watch this movie can arrive at their own conclusion.

The focus of the show is on Tang Lu (Kitty Zhang Yugi), a beautiful, top-notch corporate powerhouse who has everyone running to her office when she barks an order. However, she doesn't hold a high opinion of men because she believes intelligence is the key to happiness, until one day a pheromone bullet went right up her nose.

Fan Fan (Zhou Xun) on the other hand is a dedicated lab rat who one day discovers that the secret of a woman's sexual success lies in a substance that will bring down any man to his knees. Thus, begins her experiments and the consequences that later leads to the intertwining of three women's lives.

The third party involved is Tie Ling (Kwai Lun-mei) who is an unusual specimen of a woman because she boxes in her spare time, turns rocker at night and has a handsome boyfriend that's the figment of her imagination.

If this movie wasn't so ambitious, it would have succeed magnificently from the word "go". But Tsui Hark may have momentarily forgotten that All About Women is not all about swordplay where battlefield melee adds to the attraction.

Numerous sexual tension filled scenes were deliberately exaggerated in their effects. That technique could have scored if it had been a novelty, except that it has been overused in countless films.

It would be unfair to Tsui Hark who is regarded as somewhat of a legend in Hong Kong if the conclusion is drawn that he has fumbled and fallen flat on his face.

All About Women does have its moments. They were far and few between but nonetheless they were there at unexpected moments. It wasn't a total washout.

I won't venture to say that this movie rates a "must-see". It would be more accurate to say "see it if you so wish and have some hours to kill".

Apart of Kitty Zhang who instantly draws any hot-blooded man's attention with her stunning looks, Zhou Xun and Kwai merely make up the numbers in the show. Since this movie is written, produced and directed by men, it is assumed that it also caters to men. So we get to decide where the axe falls.

This pheromone scented film is not designed to be intellectually stimulating but it seems to make a valiant attempt at arousing our physical senses in a season of Hong-Kong-no-hit-movies.

The limpid conclusion of All About Women makes one almost regret leaving Cecelia Ahern's The Gift lying unread at the bottom drawer. May be Tsui Hark will have better luck next time. We all know he can do much better.

Fire and steel mark Quantum of Solace

WHO could resist the temptation of watching the latest James Bond movie? I could. I have been doing it for years. I am not one of those diehard Bond fans.

Since Sean Connery "left M's Office", I am quite oblivious to the fact that there have been a series of Bonds gracing the screen over the decades. But recently, I yielded to temptation by walking into the cinema and watched Quantum of Solace.

I recalled reading in the newspaper that an overseas movie critic has said that unlike the previous Bond movies, Quantum of Solace was found wanting in the electronic gadgets category and a trifle shy in the sexy girls department.

After nearly two hours (106 minutes to be exact) of coming face to face with Daniel Craig, I found that comment to be true. While Craig as the latest Bond is a very physical guy, there was a notable absence of Nasa-type electronic devices to impress the non-science guys like me. That's not like James Bond at all!

To compound the thorny and stereotyped issue, the Bond girls were very much less than sexy.

Whoever heard of a James Bond movie that scores a low rating on girls? That wouldn't be a British spy flick of Bond calibre. Olga Kurylenko who starred as Camille in Quantum of Solace is probably one of the least sexy Bond girls in recent decades.

Ogla came across as an Eurasian damsel, not exactly in distress. In fact, she gave Bond a run for the money as far as fights are concerned. She could even turn dangerous turns in a street car chase.

I caught that Hollywood One On One on Astro that showed Olga commenting how she trained for months on fighting techniques. Well, there was little of all that training on screen.

I guess when you have grown up on a steady diet of martial arts type actresses a la Hong Kong, anybody would come to expect much more from fighting women.

On that matter, just look at Michelle Yeoh. When she acted in those Hong Kong movie, she was more than a match for a lot of guys on the screen who were attacking her. And she could really fight. In Hong Kong, either you stay really fighting fit or you take out a big insurance policy on physical injuries.

Most Bond girls would come across as "drop-dead gorgeous" or "beautiful but lethal". Olga was neither. In fact, in one scene, the director deliberately exposed her back and reveal the burnt scars on her back. I guess the cinema colour wasn't that great because I thought she had a bad case of ringworm.

It was only when the movie progressed that I realised that those "spots" on her back were the result of a childhood tragedy that involved her family.

The plot in Quantum of Solace is a bit weak. We are made to understand that it is the continuation of Craig's first Bond outing in Casino Royale.

Bond's arch-nemesis Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) came across more as a psychopath than a ruthless villain. They really don't make Bond villains like they used to. These days, Bond villains looked like my benign next-door neighbour.

On the plus side, Quantum of Solace tried to make up for its shortfalls with lots of action. From start to finish, there is an endless stream of action scenes that involved Craig jumping from one window ledge to the next. That jumping scene reminded me of Jason Bourne in Bourne Supremacy.

Then there was that scene where one of Bond's paramour was killed and coated with black oil from head to toe. She was naked of course. It was reminiscent of Goldfinger when Sean Connery starred in it.

Director Marc Forster tried his best to make it a watchable Bond but I believed he tried a bit too hard and forgot the essence of Bond. All successful Bond movies must have that edge that defies explanation.

It must have that sense of suspence and sexual tension that force all men to ogle at the girls with undesirable intentions.

Of course, there must be those special tools that make James Bond stand head and shoulders above the rest of the super spies.

So without further ado, I give Quantum of Solace a four out of 10 rating. But if you are Bond fanatic, you would probably find this film satisfactory without bursting a capilliary.

Love and war over the Red Cliff

JOHN WOO needs no introduction in the Chinese cinema industry. Better known as the man behind some of Hong Kong's most successful gangster movies in the 1980s, Woo is also credited with having turned his favourite actor Chow Yun-fatt into a legend.

With Red Cliff II, Woo finally got the opportunity to make one of China's most popular stories, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, into a big screen epic drama.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been done before. The most famous one in distant memory starred the late actress Lin Dai in 1958 where she won the Best Actress award.

Chinese literature students will tell you that Red Cliff is only a small part of the long and exciting tale of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is as much about the culture and traditions of third century Middle Kingdom (China) as it is about military strategies.

So one is tempted to see if this movie has succeeded in transplanting the nuances and depth of the novel onto the big screen. Curiosity will no doubt be also focused on the many facets of a convoluted storyline with many twists and turns.

Those who have a deep interest in the Chinese art of war will obviously have read Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a military text, after digesting the contents of other novel entitled The Water Margin.

However, Red Cliff II, due to the length of its plot, has been split into two parts. The first part was released in July last year. In total, Red Cliff and Red Cliff II are about four hours long.

For audiences outside Asia, Red Cliff comes as a single length feature. Red Cliff takes the credit for being the most expensive Asian movie to date. Its budget was US$80 million (RM272 million).

For non-Chinese viewers, Red Cliff is basically about ambitious Prime Minister Cao Cao, the Emperor's uncle Liu Bei, military strategist Zhuge Liang, Viceroy Zhou Yu and warlord Sun Quan. Adding colour to this epic drama are numerous historical figures like Zhao Zilong and generals Zhang Fei and Quan Yu.

Quan Yu is a much revered figure even today. He is considered the "God of War" and figure of this famous general adorns the altar of many a Chinese home and police stations in modern Hong Kong.

The central figure in Red Cliff II is talented Tony Leung who recently received worldwide attention for his role in Ang Lee's Lust, Caution. However, his character as viceroy Zhou Yu is at odds with his previous roles as a brooding spy or a tacturn husband. Perhaps some people may not be able to reconcile Leung with his character as a wily and intelligent politician and man of war.

The man who stands tall and commanding among the cast of thousands and a legion of famous names is Zhang Fengyi. Zhang is one of China's most celebrated actors who made a name for himself in Chen Kaige's Farewell, My Concubine (1993).

Playing Premier Cao Cao puts the spotlight on Zhang throughout the movie and it was a joy watching an actor who's a master at tis craft.

Takeshi Kaneshiro as Zhuge Liang has acquitted himself well. As a young military advisor to Zhou Yu, Kaneshiro's handsome looks helps bring a certain charm to an otherwise series of sombre war discussions among the various warlords.

Zhuge remains till today as one of the most admired strategists of ancient China.

Zhuge's unique brand of war strategems has earned him much respect and won him great fame throughout the ages. Kaneshiro does not disappoint in his portrayal of his favourite childhood hero Zhuge Liang. He has a personal interest in the character and it shows in his acting.

A face that most people will find it hard to ignore is Xiao Qiao, the wife of Zhou Yu. Played by Taiwan's most recognised face Lin Chiling, Xiao Qiao is what Chinese firmly believe in life as well as in literature that a beautiful woman can bring a general to his knees.

Xiao Qiao attained notoriety for having a face that "sank two thousand ships" as opposed to Helen of Troy's face that "launched a thousand ships". In her first feature film, Chiling went under the tutelage of three Beijing acting coaches.

Even though her maiden efforts will not earn her critical acclaim, Chiling will nevertheless be much appreciated for her very distracting but enchanting demeanour.

Red Cliff II also boasts some of the most beautiful rustic scenes inside China. Director John Woo has spared little expense in locating the right places for important scenes.

The battle scenes were of course not as elaborate and sophisticated as those in Lord of the Rings but for Red Cliff, they plainly suffice. We understand the CGI limitations with regard to Asian movies which usually don't have the mega budgets like some Hollywood films.

It wouldn't be wrong to say that this movie will appeal more to Asian audiences than those in the West. The theme and the familiar stories revolving around the Romance of the Three Kingdoms have a special appeal to the Chinese community across the region.

John Woo has done a fine job of turning a complicated story into a watchable film. Yes, he has taken great liberties in interpreting some of the facts of the story but then this story is 1,800 years old and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel by Luo Guanzhong was only published in the 13th century, so like most tales born of misty conditions, the truth of the matter is subjective.

In this case, it was handiwork of John Woo and three other writers.

Wang Yu's a pretty cool dude

THERE'S one name in the Hong Kong cinematic world that raises eye-brows among
the Chinese baby boomers - Wang Yu. In the 1960s, Wang Zheng-quan (later Jimmy
Wang Yu) could outpunch, outkick and outfight any opponent in the Shaw Brothers
martial arts films.


Wang Yu shot to fame with The One-Armed Swordsman in 1967. The Chinese name for
that film, Dubei Dao, still rings a bell in most video shops. Ask any video shop
proprietor for this film and chances are you will get a knowing look. Born March
28, 1943, in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province of China, Wang Yu was also known by other
names like Wong Yu-lung and Wang Yue.


With a lean and wiry physique, the actor had few equals as a martial arts actor
in Southeast Asia some 40 years ago. Before he joined Shaw Brothers in 1963,
Wang Yu was a Hong Kong swimming champion as well as a racing car enthusiast.
During his stint with the House of Shaw, the Chinese actor teamed up with famous
sword-fighting director Chang Cheh.


He acted in The Golden Swallow with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon actress Cheng
Pei-Pei in 1968. If One Armed Swordsman was the move that launched Wang Yu's
acting career, then The Chinese Boxer (1970) was the film that sealed his fame
in the realm of Chinese films.


The Chinese Boxer is credited with being the first Hong Kong martial arts film
that kickstarted unarmed combat genre, mainly kung fu. The film also triggered a
phenomenon that filled the ranks of many Chinese martial arts associations
across Southeast Asia. Chinese youths in their bid to emulate their screen hero,
Wang Yu took to punching sandbags and reading up on Shaolin kungfu history.


Adult Chinese males who were in their teens in that era would recall that the
lean, slightly mean and stoic look was the persona that best described those
Chinese youths who sometimes recklessly expressed themselves with their fists
and legs, much to their own detriment. Controversy dogged Wang Yu's heels after
the fame that exploded with The Chinese Boxer.


As teenagers, my friends and I were fascinated with Wang Yu's screen persona.
Long before the grunge look became the vogue, Wang Yu was already exhibiting it
in his swordsman and boxer movies. Cinema audiences were thoroughly thrilled and
fascinated by his more-than-occasional unshaven appearance. It gave the actor
that much applauded sinister look. I believe women would label that as "the
mysterious, moody and dangerous" appearance.


There were times when the sword of an opponent would knock off his "goondu"
(knotted hair) and the aftermath was Wang Yu in all his on-screen long-haired
splendour. Those were the days when long hair was in. Could be the time of
memories of the Woodstock gathering still hadn't faded away. Whatever it was,
Wang Yu with his long dark hair and unshaven face gave the women the thrills and
young men the chills. We all lapped it up.


I now recall vaguely that I had once suggested to my mum that perhaps I would
look "good" with long hair and I cited Wang Yu's example. My mum told me that
she couldn't afford to have such a "famous person" staying in her house so I
might have to think of an alternative accomodation. And I, being all of about 12
years ago, decided that I would thoroughly be satisfied with my own ridiculously
short hair and staying in my humble abode afterall, when I found out quite
quickly that I would never be accustomed to sleeping under some "pokok kelapa".


The years that followed saw Wang Yu broke his contract with Shaw Brothers and
was promptly slapped with a law suit. The legal tussle which ended in Shaw's
favour led to Wang Yu being banned from making films in Hong Kong. The tall,
handsome actor who had by then gained a fair measure of fame looked to Taiwan
for better career prospects. He linked up with Golden Harvest Productions and
other independent film outfits.


His subsequent films were mostly done in Taiwan. With the success of The Chinese
Boxer, Wang Yu stood unchallenged for a better part of a decade as the Chinese
actor with the most formidable fists and legs. His fame spread throughout
Southeast Asia and remained so until the arrival of Bruce Lee in 1971 with The
Big Boss.


Wang Yu's private life was reportedly as colourful as his fighting film roles.
In 1969, Wang Yu married actress Lin Tsui who was nine years his senior but not
before conducting a scandalous affair with a well-known actress who was then
married to director Qin Jan. Qin Jan hanged himself before a divorce took place.


The actress, who was also known as Lam Chui or Lin Cui, was one of the more
famous names in the Hong Kong film industry in the 50s and 60s. She dropped out
of the film scene almost immediately after her marriage. Matrimony turned out to
be a tumultuous affair for Wang Yu and Lin. Amid allegations of wife-beating,
the marriage crumbled in 1975. Lin migrated to the US in 1977.


She died in 1995 after an asthma attack. Lin's brother is Kenneth Tsang who's
also an actor. Wang Yu later remarried. This time to air hostess Kai-cheng. This
marriage too proved to be a stormy relationship. They separated in 1997.
Kai-cheng filed for divorce and Wang Yu balked. Probably in frustration,
Kai-cheng started an affair with a young businessman. Wang Yu got wind of it.


Accompanied by reporters and police, Wang Yu surprised the couple at their
lodging and publicly exposed his wife. Satisfied with the public humiliation
heaped on the couple, Wang Yu then dropped Kai-cheng. There were other serious
problems in the actor's life. In 1981, he faced a murder charge in Taiwan.
However, the charge didn't stick due to lack of evidence.


Wang Yu's involvement in public brawls also made the headlines from time to
time. But there's a positive side to his character that's seldom mentioned. In
the late 70s, a young actor was trying to make a break in films and somehow he
got into a misunderstanding with veteran director Lo Wei. Initially, the issue
could not be settled.


The young actor sought the help of Wang Yu. Wang Yu settled the matter to the
satisfaction of both parties. Years later, the actor repaid the favour with his
role in Wang Yu's film Island of Fire. (1990) That actor is Jackie Chan. Wang Yu
starred in several notable films like Return of The Chinese Boxer (1975), Temple
of the Red Lotus (1965) and Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976).


With the advent of the 70s, Wang Yu's star began to eclipse with the entry of
new actors like Ti Lung, David Chiang and especially Bruce Lee. In 1986, Sammo
Hung cast Wang Yu as the father of the famous Chinese martial arts hero Wong Fei
Hung. In the years that followed, Wang Yu kept a low profile.


He made a rare public appearance at the funeral of his old friend and mentor,
Chang Cheh, in 2002. Even though Wang Yu left an indelible mark on the Chinese
film martial arts scene, in truth he was never the accomplished martial arts
artiste which his films made him out to be.


It was actually the camera angle and the clever film editing that gave Wang Yu
the aura of invincibility in the fighting arena. Real martial arts exponents who
later became actors like Bruce Lee and Jet Li would have "put him in their
pockets", so to speak.


Still, credit belongs to Wang Yu for paving the way for other unforgettable
Chinese kung fu films that came after he had left the centre stage.

His name rightly belongs with the others who had carved their names on the hallowed halls
of the once thriving Hong Kong film industry when kung fu films held sway from
Kowloon to the Singapore.

Cheng Pei Pei cuts down the competition

CHENG Pei Pei can be considered the forerunner of women martial arts exponents
who made an impact in the Eastern cinema. Born on January 1, 1946, in China,
Cheng acted in 45 movies before she finally called it a day.


In the riotous decade that was the 60s, Cheng held sway as the most prominent
swordswoman in the Shaw Brothers' stable of actors and actresses. Her training
in dancing helped her immensely in acquiring some martial arts skills that were
essential for her roles in the movie industry.


Her career in acting began after she graduated from the Southern Screen
Experimental Theatre in 1963. She joined Shaw Brothers soon after and was
received minor parts in music and drama films. Before long, fate intervened and
a relatively unknown director (then) name King Hu cast her in his movie Come
Drink With Me.


King Hu was considered to be one of those avant garde directors who had been
credited with changing the face of Hong Kong martial arts movies. In Come Drink
With Me (1966), Cheng Pei Pei became an overnight sensation. Today, it is
considered by many as a cult movie in which Cheng as a newcomer to an action
movie held her own firmly against actors who were more experienced than her.


Her role in Come Drink With Me was in the character nicknamed Golden Swallow. I
remember this movie particularly well because it left such an impact on a close
friend of mine that he could still recall quite vividly some of the scenes in
the film. Apparently the inn and temple scenes were quite remarkable. The DVD
and VCD versions of Come Drink With Me are much sought after.


Shaw Brothers later recast her in a lead role in a subsequent movie called
Golden Swallow (1968). But this time, the director was Chang Cheh. Cheng Pei Pei
stood out among her Chinese contemporaries because of her graceful movements in
action scenes and her forceful on-screen personality that often left an
indelible mark on movie-goers. The fact that she was actually quite fetching in
her 20s did help young men to retain some beautiful memories of a very talented
young Hong Kong actress.


Some of the other action movies in which Cheng played prominent roles were Kung
Fu Girl, Flying Dagger, Jade Raksha, Whiplash and Shadow Whip. By the middle of
1970s, the sun began to set on Cheng Pei Pei's acting career.


Through the years and well into the next decade (80s), there was a trickle of
movies which she starred in but perhaps family considerations weighed in heavily
against her pursuing the movie career further. For a while back in the 80s, she
had a cooking show in America.



Cheng did make occasional appearances in some movies like Painted Faces (1988)
and Flirting Scholar (1993). Her biggest comeback movie was Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon (2000) in which she played Chow Yun Fatt's deadly adversary.
Michelle Yeoh was the other main character in the movie.


In 2002, Cheng Pei Pei produced and starred in a film entitled Flying Dragon,
Leaping Tiger. It was probably not her most memorable performance because I have
neither heard of it nor have my friends seen it.


Her latest movie is one called The Counting House. According to the grapevine,
Cheng's daughter has recently decided to follow in her mother's footsteps -
acting.

Audrey Hepburn - a timeless beauty

ALMOST everybody loves and adores Audrey Hepburn. Many young girls want to be
just like her when they grow up.

Some young men wish to marry a woman who personifies Audrey Hepburn.


Now what is this mysterious and nearly mystical allure that is Miss Hepburn.

Some of that regal bearing that others see so clearly in her comes perhaps from
her mother Baroness Ella van Heemstra, a Dutch aristocrat. Her mother's
bloodline can be traced to English and French kings. Her father, an Anglo-Irish
banker, is John Victor Hepburn-Ruston.


Audrey Hepburn's admirers have been known to describe her as "the most beautiful
woman of all time". In the American Film Industry list, she has been named the
third greatest female star of all time.


Audrey adored her father. When he left the family, Audrey was devastated.

She described that as the "most traumatic moment of her life". In later years,
she managed to track down her dad, gave him financial assistance and wrote the
kind of letters that only a loving daughter would write.


During the Second World War, Audrey danced ballet to collect money for the Dutch
underground resistance. Life was very difficult in Arnhem where the Allied
forces had been dropping bombs.

Audrey suffered a great deal and her frailty only added to her problems.


Audrey was trained since childhood in ballet but her trainers thought she was
too tall to be a professional ballerina because she was 5' 7". In her first
major acting performance, she played a ballet dancer.

The movie was "The Secret People".


Around 1952, she acted opposite Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. Peck who had a
soft spot for her requested that Audrey was given equal billing as him, even
though she was a newcomer.

For that movie, she won the 1953 Academy Best Actress Award.


Audrey's first husband was actor Mel Ferrer. Second husband was Italian
psychiatrist Dr Andrea Dotti. She has two sons: Sean in 1960 (by Ferrer) and
Luca in 1970 (by Dotti).


Audrey Hepburn died of cancer on January 20, 1993, in Switzerland. She was
buried there.


For me, Audrey Hepburn represents everything that is good about women.

She exudes a gentle charm and exhibited a certain kindness in her film roles
that truly reflected her character in real life. Sometimes, in about 100 years,
there comes a film star that touches the hearts and minds of audiences
worldwide. Audrey Hepburn was that kind of person.


AUDREY HEPBURN was an actress that many of today's young actresses look up to
and want to emulate. Her acting accolades are found in unforgettable movies like
Sabrina, Roman Holday with Gregory Peck, Breakfast at Tiffany's with George
Peppard and Wait Until Dark (1967).

Hepburn's femininty was what set her apart from her contemporaries during the
1950s.

However, there was one movie which she starred in that was claimed to be one of
best but was almost never in the limelight.
This movie is The Nun's Story released in 1959.

It involves a young girl by the name of Gabrielle van der Mal who entered the
convent to become Sister Luke.
Director Frank Zinnemann goes behind the seldom entered sanctuary of an
imaginary convent and tells the tense tale of a young woman who struggles to
find her faith in serving God and her desires to serve mankind in the sometimes
cruel world.
There was some talk of adverse public reaction to the way the life of a nun was
treated by Hollywood.

But Zinnemann was careful to portray Sister Luke as a person who was as much as
she was a faithful servant of God, she too was a young woman who was filled with
passions and desires of a person her age and gender.
In the end, it was a story well told by an excellent director.

Honestly, it was fair to the holy order and to the character whom Audrey Hepburn
played most magnificently. Later, Hepburn said The Nun's Story was one of her
two favourite movies.

The other being Funny Face (19570 Fred Astaire.
To appreciate The Nun's Story, it would be good if the viewer is not averse to
watch a movie with a religious theme. Audrey Hepburn captures the essence of a
nun trying desperately to find her true calling in life, even as she adorns the
habit of the sisters.


The prayers, the penance and the conversations with God will find receptive
audience among people of the Christian faith.

Director Zinnemann had done a marvellous job of capturing the essence of the
human spirit in thoes of spiritual quest.


The Nun's Story is in spirit true to its message when it was screened as it is
today. Modern generations will no doubt find it shares a kindred spirit with
Audrey Hepburn in her soul-stirring role as a nun who tries to find answers to
assuage her restless soul.


This movie gets more than two thumbs-up. It receives a silent prayer of praise
and a muted amen.

Ti Lung fights his way to the top!

Among the whole Hong Kong academy of actors, there was one who has a big influence on my life when I was in my growing years. This man is Ti Lung.


Ti Lung is not exactly the greatest actor ever to come out of Hong Kong. In
fact, by Hong Kong standards, he's mediocre but there was something about his
persona that I like very much. In my pre-teen and teen years, going to the
movies was a big thing for me.


In those days, RTM was mainly in black and white and when the ordinary Joe wants
to "escape" into another world, he would inadvertently choose the cinema. The
trouble was I was always walking around "poket kosong" (impoverished). So those
few times when I was able to watch a movie or two, it was usually memorable.


In the 70s, the Shaw Brothers of Hong Kong was the top dog of the eastern film
world. And in the midst of all this were that dynamic duo, Ti Lung and David
Chiang. Before every young boy wanted to be like Bruce Lee, I had already made
up my mind that I wanted to be like Ti Lung.


There was something about Ti Lung that had a kinship with me. Hey, I may not be
as tall as him or as muscular but it was something that I had aspired to. In my
mind, Ti Lung was a warrior on the exterior but in his heart he was always a
gentleman. I had this ambition that I could be like that.


When the lights are dimmed inside the cinema and the wheels of the film machine
are turning, a person can literally be anything he wants. When you are 10 and
below, it all begins with a dream and it is actually the greatest adventure one
could have for the price of one cinema ticket.


Over the years, I have followed Ti Lung's career, not like a bloodhound but
intermittently when his name slipped into the gossip columns of magazines or
newspapers. I am glad he's still there, hanging on and occasionally making a
name for himself.


I noticed he hasn't changed much, personality-wise. He's still that gentleman
whom I had perceived him to be. Yes, he has his ups and downs but generally he's
doing better than expected. I am glad I have not been wrong in choosing him as
my hero and role model. A lot of people want to be Albert Einstein, Gandhi,
Bruce Lee, John Wayne, Thomas Edison or even Genghiz Khan, but I was that
day-dreamer of a kid who was rooting for Ti Lung.


Below is Ti Lung's story - my cinema hero.


When you hear the name David Chiang, you tend to conjure the image of another
guy as well - Ti Lung. However, in Hong Kong, David Chiang had a bigger share of
the spotlight. Both guys were the favourites of director Chang Cheh at the
height of their fame in the 70s.


Since David was undisputedly the better actor, he always played the hero. Ti
Lung was that regular side-kick who jumped in and helped demolish the rest of
the opponents when David got into trouble in a fight. Standing at more than
183cm, Ti Lung had a physical presence on screen that was undeniable. His
handsome looks enhanced his muscular body which directors of his early films
never failed to exploit.


So the slightest shoulder or body injury in a scene called for the immediate
shedding of the shirt or period costume which Ti Lung was wearing. Ti Lung was
born on our National Day (Aug 31) in 1946 in Guangdong, China. His real name is
Tam Furong (in pinyin). His early years saw him studying in Hong Kong's Eton
School.


After graduation, he did a stint in the tailoring line. His friends must have
seen his potential as an actor, so Ti Lung auditioned for a part in Chang Cheh's
movie Dead End. He soon signed a contract with Shaw Brothers. As Tam Furong, the
young man would not have attracted much media attention, so he was given the new
name of Ti Lung which means "Dragon Ti" in Mandarin. However, there was another
side to the name.


Probably tongue-in-cheek, in Cantonese, "Ti Lung" sounds like "De Lon", as in
Alain Delon. Some quick-thinking Hong Kong producer must have figured that it
would be a wise move to capitalise on that French actor's fame in the 70s. Shaw
Brothers has its own training school for actors who didn't have the necessary
fighting skills.


So Ti Lung quickly learnt a number of convincing moves in sword-fighting and use
of the Shaolin long pole. Besides weapons, Ti Lung also studied under a Wing
Chun master. Shortly after he joined Shaw Brothers, Ti Lung teamed up with David
Chiang. Together, the fighting duo made about a dozen movies over a period of
three years.


These were Vengeance (1970), Heroic Ones (1970), Duel of Fists (1971), Duel of
Iron Fist (1971), New One-Armed Swordsman (1971), Deadly Duo (1972) and Angry
Guests (1972). Critics have described Ti Lung as being magnificent in scenes
where he was seriously wounded or died. They even said that "suffering superbly
remained a permanent staple of his screen persona".


I recall that in one film (probably Heroic Ones), Ti Lung wielded a silver
spear. In the last scene where he dies after suffering some deadly cuts, he
overturned his spear, stuck it to the ground and leant on it and died. That
memorable scene gave new meaning to the phrase "died standing".


In 1972, Ti Lung acted in two more notable films with David Chiang - Blood
Brothers and The Water Margin. With the advent of Bruce Lee, Ti Lung and David
Chiang began to take a backseat to the new cinema sensation from the US. Ti Lung
soon parted ways with David Chiang.


Rumour at that time had it that David was peeved when Ti Lung got the bigger
role in director Lee Hanxiang's The Express Dowager in 1974. Because of his
association with director Chang Cheh whom he regarded as his mentor, Ti Lung
continued to act in his films which were filmed in Taiwan. Some of these were
Five Shaolin Masters (1975) and Shaolin Temple (1976).


In the second half of the 70s, Ti Lung worked with other directors like Sun
Chong (Avenging Eagle, Kung Fu Instructor, Deadly Breaking Sword) and Chor Yuen
(Magic Blade, Sentimental Swordsman, The Jade Tiger, Clans of Intrigue). In the
1980s, Shaw Brothers' winning streak came to an end. With that, Ti Lung's career
also plummeted. Actors like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung began to rule the screen.


In 1984, Shaw Brothers shut down its film-making facilities. It was a bad time
for Ti Lung. Exiled into limbo, it was rumoured that Ti Lung took to the bottle.
Then in 1986, one of Chang Cheh's former assistant directors called on Ti Lung
to act in A Better Tomorrow (Ying Hung Boon Sik). It was a smash and Ti Lung's
film career was back on track. The following year, Ti Lung was in the sequel
Better Tomorrow II.


His career was now on firm ground. With a receding hairline and qualifying for
senior citizen status, Ti Lung took on more mature roles in the late 90s
onwards. Some of his films during this period were Drunken Master II, The Kid,
High Q and Paramount Hotel.


Ti Lung has been married to To Man Ming for over 30 years. They have a son Shaun
Tam Jun-Yin who is following his father's footsteps. Ti Lung is one of the few
Hong Kong actors who has pursued his acting career well into the new century.
Along the way, he has picked up a few prestigious awards.

He has acted in 98
films stretching from 1969 to 2005. As an actor, his reputation is rock solid.

A big hand for David Chiang, please

The first time I saw David Chiang on the big screen, I asked my friend who was
sitting next to me in that old cinema in Ipoh, "who's that skinny guy?" My
attention was actually drawn more to his side-kick Ti Lung whom I admired
deeply.


Boys my age (about 10) back then tended to love those muscle-bound guys who more
often than not projected our inner desire to look macho like them, and David
Chiang didn't feature anywhere near my Wish List.


David's Chinese name is Chiang Da Wei. Born in China, on June 29, 1947, David
continues to act up till today. His current involvement in the acting industry
is mainly confined to TV series where he normally plays the role of a wise
senior citizen or someone who has walked the talk. In reality, he has.


Chiang started in martial arts movie career in 1966 when renowned Hong Kong
director Chang Cheh hired him as a stuntman for the movie Golden Swallow.


He however had had some experience in acting when as a teenager he played minor
roles in films like Street Boys and The Kingdom and The Beauty (starring Lin
Dai).


In 1968, Chiang shot to prominence in his lead role in The New One-Armed
Swordsman. His association with director Chang Cheh spanned almost two decades.


However, David Chiang is best known for his partnership in Hong Kong movies with
Ti Lung, that strapling chap I mentioned earlier. Ti Lung tended to make Chiang
look a little effeminate but Chiang's acting tended to supersede that of Ti
Lung's.


In 1970, David Chiang earned himself a sterling reputation in The Wandering
Swordsman. This was followed by Vengeance which bagged him the Best Actor Award
in the Asian Film Festival.


In the 70s, Chiang and Ti Lung paired up for about a dozen of the Blood Brothers
series. These were Duel of Fists, The Anonymous Heroes, The Duel, Heroic Ones
and The Singing Killer.


Once during one of David Chiang's shows, I told my friend, "that guy better
don't take off his shirt because I think the audience won't be able to tolerate
the sight of his splendid Chinese spare ribs!" Director Chang Cheh had wisely
neglected to instruct Chiang to take off his shirt, unlike Ti Lung who often
went "topless" and encouraged boys like me to try our luck with dumb-bells and
other weights.


In late 1960s, the Blood Brothers faced an insurmountable odd. It came in the
form of Bruce Lee who literally blew the competition away. If audiences up till
then were impressed with Ti Lung and Chiang, they were literally left breathless
by Bruce Lee's real punches and deadly kicks.


Director Chang Cheh recognised the death knell of his successful run and quickly
made a graceful exit while director Lo Wei (The Big Boss) took over and basked
in the lime light.


When his successes with Shaw Brothers and Chang Cheh ended, Chiang went solo and
tried his hand at directing. His debut effort The Drug Addict was a major flop.


In the second half of the 70s, Chiang teamed up with Wang Yu (The Chinese Boxer)
to set up a Taiwan based film company. Coincidentally, their first joint venture
movie was called One Armed Swordsmen.


Chiang continued to be involved with some free-lance work in the meantime, and
he changed his name to Gareth Lo. Don't ask me why he found that name so
attractive. Anyway, he finally decided John Keung suited him more.


Many people don't know that John was actually Chiang's original name. David was
his adopted screen name. And Keung was the Cantonese spelling for Chiang. So the
mystery of John Keung is now solved.


In the late eighties and early nineties, David Chiang was involved primarily in
directing comedies. All in all, Chiang acted in more than 75 movies. With Chang
Cheh, he acted in about 30 films.



Today, David Chiang stays in Vancouver, Canada. He is married to Maggie Lee
Lam-Lam. The couple have two daughters and one son.


Professionally, he is deemed not as successful as his old movie partner Ti Lung
but it is undeniable that Chiang has stamped his mark in Hong Kong and in other
Southeast Asian countries rather emphatically back in the 70s.


He's a good actor who exploited every opportunity that came his way and
continues to earn a decent living playing supporting roles in TV serials from
time to time.


One thing hasn't changed, he still keeps his shirt on.

Sammo's the man!

ONE of the first remarks ever said about Sammo Hung was "boy, this fat guy can
sure move". Mr Hung has single-handedly changed the perception of "fat guys"
since he appeared on screen in 1961 in the movie "Education of Love".


In the Hong Kong film industry, Sammo is also called "Tai Loh" (Big Brother) by
those who know him well. Sammo's two closest friends and colleagues are Jackie
Chan and Yuen Biao. Both guys studied with Sammo at the Peking Opera School from
an early age.


Life in the opera school wasn't easy. Actually that's an understatement. It was
very hard, as Sammo later admitted. He along with the other little boys had to
learn martial arts and acrobatic skills. Sammo later became an attraction in the
troupe called Seven Little Fortunes. This group went on tours to showcase Wushu
martial arts. Since Sammo was the oldest compared to Jackie and Yuen Biao, he
became known as "big brother".


When he graduated from the Peking Opera School, Sammo quickly found work as a
stuntman. He was later much sought after as a stunt coordinator as well as an
action director. In 1973, Destiny kept its date with Sammo and this roly-poly
martial artiste appeared in a sparring match with the famous Bruce Lee in Enter
the Dragon.


Sammo was a close friend of Bruce and was later responsible for completing The
Game of Death when he took on the role of fight choreographer. He made his
directorial debut in "The Iron Fisted Monk" in 1977. One year later, in a
tribute to his deceased buddy Bruce, he starred and directed in Enter the Fat
Dragon.


Much to delight of Sammo, audiences in Southeast Asia found his role in comedy
kung fu movies refreshing and endearing. Often, Sammo was bouncing all over the
movies like a very elastic rubber ball, and deadly too when he needs be. Sammo's
biggest contribution to the world of martial arts was the policy of "never
underestimate the shape and size of your opponent".


Before I learnt about Sammo's background, I was always puzzled by his agility
and physical dexterity. After I dug a little deeper into his past, it became
quite clear that Sammo was an abnormal physical specimen having unusual
acrobatic skills.


In the 1980s, Sammo, Jackie and Yuen Biao became known as the Golden Trio. What
has been left relatively unknown to a lot of people around the world is Sammo's
directorial efforts of global proportions. He was the man behind "Wheels on
Meals", "Eastern Condors" and "Ashes of Times" (Wong Kar Wai's arthouse martial
arts film).


Sammo later became involved in two of Jean Claude Van Damme's movies "Double
Team" and "Knock Off". He was the action direction for one and second unit
director for the other. His other notable achievements were being the fight
choreographer for "A View From The Top" starring Gwenyeth Paltrow and Mike
Myers.


In recent years, Sammo Hung can be seen in the CBS TV series Martial Law in
which he plays Shanghai cop Sammo Law. Sammo's excellence as an action
choreographer resulted in his active participation in Jackie Chan's 2003 movie
The Medallion. At that time, it was Hong Kong's most expensive movie, costing
US$35 million.


His latest acting role was in SPL in which he played the role of an underworld
godfather starring Simon Yam and Donnie Yen. Born in 1952, Sammo Hung at 54 is
still amazing agile. He also goes by the names of Hung Kam Bo and Hong Jinbao.


Some movie viewers are of the opinion that fat guys almost never make it big in
the film industry. Sammo will beg to differ. In fact, he won't even want to
dignify the statement with a comment because he's too busy making millions from
his Hollywood and Hong Kong movie commitments.


So let's stand up and give our "fei koh" (fat brother) a big hand in his
outstanding success as an actor and director.