March 9, 2006
Are Hong Kong Movies Getting Better? (And Why Did They Get Bad In The First Place?)
In 1997, when Hong Kong was handed over to China from the British, a lot of people thought that every thing would change. Like Cinderella at midnight, the excessive Hong Kong would turn into very plain communist workers. But surprisingly, at least from the film industry point of view, nothing changed. We got sequels to pre-turnover films that were largely the same. In fact, all of the movies were vaguely the same. How odd.
But it didn't last. The movies started to get...bad. They were stale. We saw the same films we had already seen. The same stars, just older. The same directors too who had been at the top for almost two decades. It was a safety blanket in a place becoming increasingly unclear about it's identity.
Yes, Hong Kong had an identity crisis and it’s hard to make films about anything when you don’t know who you are or who you are making films for. What was a Chinese Hong Kong? What were their values? Hong Kong was like an adopted child -- raised British but forced to now live in China under their rules.
The film industry thought the best way to deal with this was to hold on to the past. Another Andy Lau-Sammi Cheng romantic comedy? Well at least it reminds us of the old days.
Tsui Hark, then (LEGEND OF ZU) and now (SEVEN SWORDS), is desperately hanging on to a genre he pratically created and certainly pioneered which has no resonance in the current world. It was great for every one to be greater than human and flying all over the place when Hong Kong corporate business was top of the world and a taller and taller sky scraper was going up every day. But where does wuxia and wushu fit in a Communist Hong Kong?
But the drought began to break with INFERNAL AFFAIRS. It was one of Hong Kong’s biggest hits at home and abroad in quite a long time. And it’s success was largely because it finally dealt with the identity issue -- the last installment even having a Mandarin aspect.
But still, INFERNAL AFFAIRS was directed by an established director (Andrew Lau) with actors who had been stars for more than a dozen years (Andy Lau and Tony Leung). And the comparison between them and their younger counterparts (Edison Chen and Shawn Yue) only showed the gap in charisma and ability.
The reason that all the post-turnover films were from the same directors with the same stars was because it was a necessity. There were no upcoming stars who could take the place of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' (Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Leon Lai and Jacky Cheung) who had dominated the industry for so long. There were no upcoming directors breaking through.
Take a look at the GEN-X COPS. If you look at that film and GEN-Y COPS it would seem the new generation of Heavenly Kings was supposed to be Nicholas Tse, Stephen Fung, Edison Chen and Daniel Wu (sorry Sam Lee you are funny-looking sidekick/comic relief). Why did they not reach this status? Well, for one, they’re not all very good or very charismatic. But there is a bigger reason than that for why they didn’t resonate with the audience (Because being good and charisamtic are not everything -- I would argue that among the current kings that Kwok is not a very good actor and Leon Lai is as charismatic as drift wood). It’s because these four men are too American. They were all raised and schooled in America or Canada at some point. Chen and Wu were not even born in Hong Kong. And while they all attended North American grammar schools, Wu and Fung both also went to American colleges.
But America (and capitalism) represent Hong Kong’s past, not their future. The future is China and it’s in Mandarin. Wu and Tse have managed to stay relevant in the film industry by doing Mainland films. In fact, Wu was doing them while no one else was and has built a good career for himself because of it. Tse may have come late to the Mainland game but it working on it with full force now -- even lowering himself to do a Mainland TV show for the mass exposure it will bring him.
Only now is Hong Kong finding it’s place again but this time as Chinese. So now when you look to films like SPL and HOUSE OF FURY, which I review below, they definitely still owe much to the films of the past, but have a more concrete sense of identity.
Also, what SPL and HOUSE OF FURY have are fresh, new talent. The director of SPL is Wilson Yip, who started working in the mid-90s but didn’t direct anything I’d really heard of till the ‘00s. And then with each of his recent films, has gained more and more attention. As will be discussed below, SPL has the talent of old -- Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Donnie Yen, but also new talent in the form of Wu Jing.
HOUSE OF FURY is directed by former actor Stephen Fung in a capacity no one could have ever guess he’d be any good at.
But I think Derek Yee is the best chance for the future of Hong Kong (although he recently admitted that he’ll be selling out since it’s hard to get your films made otherwise.) While not a young or new director (he directed his first film in 1986, wrote his first feature in 1981 and has been acting since the 70s), he’s finally come to real prominence with ONE NIGHT IN MONGKOK(2004) and LOST IN TIME (2003). He seems to be at the head of the fresh, new Hong Kong scene. And while he may not be a ‘new’ director -- he is only recently an ‘auteur’ who is being given the respect of Johnny To or John Woo on the international scene.
Things are looking up. It really seems like things can get better. And in the future I think we’ll look back on the films I review below and say -- that was where it started, the Hong Kong Renaissance.
SPL
Many people have heralded SPL as the savior of the industry. This was an interesting view to go into the movie with. And surprisingly, most of all to myself, it’s the view I came out with.
Chan (Simon Yam) is the head of a police task force and obsessed with bringing down Po (Sammo Hung), a criminal who Chan failed to prosecute in the past. But when Chan finds out he has cancer and not long left to live his task force is handed over to Ma (Yen), who has a reputation as a great fighter and a by-the-book attitude.
But Chan isn’t ready to give up on the Po case quite yet and continues to pursue it with Ma in tow but untrusted by the other men in the task force. Po unleashes his henchmen Jet (Wu) to rid himself of his police problem.
In the end, circumstances bring Chan, Ma and Po together for a final showdown. Each character is suppose to represent one of the astrological qualities -- Sha Po Lang -- Destruction, Conflict and Greed.
First off, this film is the closest thing to John Woo we’ve seen in a while. Bad guys who aren’t all bad, good guys who aren’t all good. While Yam does not the charisma of Chow and he and Sammo do not have the rapport of Chow and Danny Lee nor does the film have Woo’s operatic quality, but in mood, tone, action and theme it’s there. And all the stars acquit themselves well.
Yam has a tendency to overact and I’ve never been a fan of his but he never bothered me in this film. He really fit in. Sammo’s introduction is his slow motion release from prison and the shot gave me shivers. It announced that the master is here to show the kids how it’s done. And at 54 and his usual 200lbs or so Sammo shows us that he still has it. He commands the screen. But Yam and Yen are strong presences and no one is completely overshadowed here.
But I suppose you want to know about the fighting. The fighting is good! It’s a little awkward how they have to work Simon Yam out of the fights with the heavyweights but it’s not too distracting. Choreographed by Yen and performed by some truly great artists, the action really shines.
I’ve always thought Yen’s choreography has gotten better with each movie but I never thought it was quite good enough to match up with the greats. But he’s working with genius here. Sammo is unmatched in his ability and intensity. Also, his henceman Jet, played by Wu Jing, shines and steals his scenes. This boy is fast! And Donnie Yen takes great advantage of this fact. The most talked about fight of the film is the knife fight between Wu and Yen. Despite all it’s press, I find it a bit uneven -- it starts out like gangbusters but gets old fast. Not enough originality or creativity in the moves probably due to the fact that it was largely improvised. But the first minute of it will blow your mind. (Many of you will probably disagree with my views on this fight as I’ve been known to be much harder on choreography than most fans of the genre and readers of my column. Many of you will be so mezmorized at the beginning of the fight that it’ll last the entire duration).
 |
But what this movie tells us in big bold letters is that Wu Jing is the future of HK martial arts films. Jing is very reminiscent of Jet Li, particularly in his absurd speed and command of wushu (he studied under Li’s master). But he has a very expressive face, which is something Jet Li certainly lacked. I remember when everyone thought Andy On was the future of martial arts films and that fell through. But this guy has got the goods.
The film represents three generations with Sammo who worked with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen from the Jet Li era and Jing who is, I can only hope, where we are going. He showed himself able in Legend of Zu with his work being some of the most impressive of the film. But here he shines up against he heavy weights.
And for as many scenes as Wu steals, Sammo and Yen will not be ignored with their fantastic all out final battle. They work in all kinds of styles making for a dynamic, well paced and always exciting fight.
This film delivers. All the elements are there and are put together with skill and mastery from all involved. It’s a great achievement and a film I absolute recommend.
On the other hand, for as much as I liked it, I don’t think this film is one of the best out of Hong Kong ever as some fans have said, but I do think it’s an important film. It signals a change and a real hope for the future. This film makes me excited about the Hong Kong film industry again and makes me believe that it could rival what it once was. That’s a powerful impact.
Wilson Yip’s next collaboration with Donnie Yen, DRAGON TIGER GATE, has completed shooting and set to be released in Hong Kong soon (although I’m not really sure when).
ENTER THE PHOENIX (2004) & HOUSE OF FURY (2005)
As you can tell by his film titles, Stephen Fung likes certain kinds of movies. And he attempts to homage them in a Tarantino-esque way, but without that level of creativity. But I don’t mean to insult the pretty boy actor right out the gate, because these films really aren’t that bad. Unlike his acting, which I’ll briefly discuss first.
Stephen Fung came to what can barely be called prominence in the much mocked and loved-in-a-B-movie-way film GEN-X COPS. After that he acted in a number of so-so B-level movies (THE AVENGING FIST, 2002, LA BRASSIERE). And his roles kept getting smaller and smaller to the point where he was hardly ‘starring’ in anything anymore.
Then he actually did something kind of smart and decided to direct his first feature. His friendly relationship with a number of actors of his own caliber helped him assemble a real cast. Further, the unwavering support that Jackie Chan continued to show to the GEN-X COPS (a movie he produced) helped Fung get financing (and of course, a Jackie cameo). He had co-directed a short previously with his GEN-X COP pal Nicholas Tse so he wasn’t attempting this entirely out of the blue.
Well, what resulted was his first feature ENTER THE PHOENIX. The central conceit of the film is actual a good one. The head of a triad dies and his lackeys set out to find the man’s only son to take over. The only problem is that his son is gay.
The film stars Eason Chan, Daniel Wu, Stephen Fung and Karen Mok. They are backed up by heavyweight Hong Kong veterans (and masters of martial arts who don’t show that off here) Lau Kar-Ying and Yuen Biao. And of course with cameos not only from Jackie but the other GEN-X COPS -- Sam Lee and Nicholas Tse.
The triad men go to Bangkok to find the traid’s heir, because they note: for women go to Mongkok but for men go to Bangkok. Yeah. Georgie (Daniel Wu) is the gay son they are looking for, but instead his roommate Sam (Eason Chan), whose wall is full of posters of the triad films that clearly influenced this one, pretends to be Georgie because he’s obsessed with triads. The real Georgie accompanies him and is assumed to be his boyfriend.
But they find a nemesis in Chow (Stephen Fung), the second in command of a rival triad, who never received retribution for his father’s death (the agreement not to avenge him lead to peace between the triads ever since).
The film is essentially a comedy and not all of the gay jokes are really in good taste. But every necessary element of the triad genre is present. And Fung even mixes in some proper martial arts for an explosive ending.
This movie has it’s cute moments, but it’s clear Fung hadn’t quite learned all the rules of filmmaking yet and generally comes off as trying too hard. I don’t particularly recommend the film unless you are a fan of Eason who acquits himself pretty well here.
But fortunately for Fung and the rest of us, his skills improved greatly on HOUSE OF FURY. Without embarrassing gay jokes holding him back, his tongue-in-cheek effort at a kung fu film holds up much better.
The plot is strangely similar to that of SPY KIDS. Yue Siu Bo (Anthony Wong) is a widowed ex-agent who gets capture by an evil Bond-esque English-speaking wheelchaired villian named Rocco (Michael Wong) and must be saved by his children Nicky (Fung) and Natalie (Gillian Chung) -- who never believed his stories about being an agent and never thought it was weird that he trained them to be martial arts masters.
The film opens with some cute scenes between the kids and their father but mostly with the kids kung fu fighting over the remote and such things. Gillian Chung, who plays Natalie, is of course one half of the Hong Kong pop sensation The Twins (they’re not really twins, they’re not even related) so Charlene Choi shows up in the film as well as a love interest for Nicky. Natalie’s love interest is Jason, who is played by Daniel Wu the star of Fung’s other film.
There are not as many cameos this time, with Fung needing the legitacy a little less and the cast being somewhat bigger named. But Lau Kar-Ying does show up for a moment and Josie Ho has an actual fight scene.
But the anchor of the film is the amazing Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong who really keeps the film legitimate while Stephen Fung and Gillian Chung continue not to be the best actors ever. Wong even fights quite a lot in this film and for the literally dozens of films I’ve seen him in, I can’t say I’ve ever seen him fight this much.
And oh, the fighting. It’s not terrible. Other reviews will tell you it’s choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping but I think they are not correct about that. The opening titles of the film credit him as "Martial Arts Advisor" with two other men being credited as the choreographers at the end of the film. So I don’t know what size role he really played in this production (except having his name plastered all over the marketing for it) but the choreography is certainly in his style and some of his moves are certainly used. But some of those moves will look overly familiar as they are the same moves shot the same way as other films he’s worked on.
 |
Still, the fighting is actually alright even when being done by non-professionals like Fung, Chung and Wong. And you want to know what was really decent? The final fight of the film. I’m sitting there watching it and thinking -- wow, this is really decent! It’s even shot well, something Fung couldn’t quite achieve on his first film. And if you haven’t seen a lot of Yuen Wo Ping films then the same moves being redone by less adequate performers actually won’t bother you (recycled Yuen Wo Ping is still better than new anyone else). He’s always done very well at adapting a style for non-professionals (see: THE MATRIX) and the trio fight very well all things considered.
The villain, Rocco, never fights (oh, I take that back, he does do something positively goofy at the end). While the film is absurd enough that you wonder if he won’t hop out of that wheelchair and throw down, I’ll save you the speculation and let you know that he doesn’t. But Michael Wong, as always, is one of the worst actors currently still employed. He’s never been good and he shows it here. But it’s almost a nice touch to an enjoyable B-movie that the villain is such a bad actor.
Since he can’t fight, his son does. And that’s certainly worth talking about. The American actor in this role is named Jake Strickland and the internet tells me he is now 16 and is a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do who holds 8 World Championships. This kid is so cool. I wish I was this cool when I was 16. I wish I was this cool now. But I think he’s actually a highlight of the film when he enters it. It’s so absurd to see this little white boy move so fast. It cracked me up. Evidently he’s signed a contract with the Jackie Chan Group so I imagine we’ll be seeing more of him.
 |
But no matter how hard I try to make this film sound bad, it isn’t really bad. This film truly rises above the recycled plot, the so-so acting on everyone’s part but Wong’s and the severely un-imposing villain. It’s fluff, but it’s fun. I did enjoy myself and I think you will too. Fung seems to want to direct the ultimate fluff piece and I’m really impressed by his improvement on this film from the last one. If he can continue to improve at this rate he’ll be someone worth watching.
But what he really needs is a jolt of originality. His current of modus operandi of ripping off genre standards is not going well. He’s not Tarantino. And it ends up making the picture quite stale. But the fact that he’s taken this not-great material and made it enjoyable shows that he has skills. Hopefully his next film will be in a different direction.
Still if Stephen Fung, a pretty boy actor who I never found to be very pretty or a very good actor, can manage to direct something this enjoyable then there truly is hope for the Hong Film industry. You heard it here first (you probably didn’t, others have been saying it) but it looks like Hong Kong is making a come back. And I, for one, welcome it whole-heartedly.
IN TWO WEEKS: At last, I review SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Also, I hope, to discuss it’s lovely star Lee Young-ae and her work like JSA (also directed by Chan Wook-park) and the show I can’t say enough good things about DAE JANG-GEUM.
E-MAIL THE AUTHOR |
ARCHIVES
