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SCMP Reporter

BLOCKBUSTERS - 2002-2006

2002: Infernal Affairs, directed by Andrew Lau Wai-keung and Alan Mak Siu-fai, grossed an impressive HK$55 million at the box office.

It was hailed as a 'miracle'  in the year  local cinema was at its lowest ebb.

The story, which is about an undercover cop (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and a gangster (Andy Lau Tak-wah) who infiltrates the police force, was adapted by Martin Scorsese into  The Departed  which won the Best Picture Oscar this year.

The movie revived the pride of Hong Kong cinema, garnering  international respect for local filmmakers.

2003: The Infernal Affairs franchise ballooned into a Godfather-like gangster epic series within a year.  The third  and final instalment,  with Leon Lai Ming added to the stellar cast, grossed  HK$30 million at the box office.

Yet the film, which  interweaves major events from  before and after the  first instalment,  was too complex for many local audiences, who  wanted a more straightforward thriller.

The  demise of Lau's character   drew the curtain on the most memorable film series of the  decade.

2004: Hong Kong's leading comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi's Kung Fu Hustle broke all box office records, grossing more than HK$4 million on its opening day and  going on  to make over HK$60 million at the box office.  This makes it the highest grossing local film ever in Hong Kong history.

But the fact that the film  was the lone Cantonese  film on offer  that Christmas  spoke volumes about the plight of the local film industry.

Chow also  toned down his trademark humour and emphasised more on action, in an attempt to tap into overseas markets.

2005: The influence of Japanese pop culture on Hong Kong filmmakers is evident in Initial D, the box office winner that grossed HK$37 million.

The film, adapted  by  Lau and  Mak from a popular manga, stars Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou as a young delivery driver who turns out to be a talented racer.

It was also a regional success,  particularly   in Japan, Taiwan and China. The movie  caused   filmmakers  to shift  from focusing solely on the local market and make movies for  regional or worldwide audiences.

2006: Jet Li's Lunar New Year action flick Fearless kicked off the year impressively, making  more than

HK$30 million and  generating high hopes for local filmmakers.

But the year was a let-down. Many big-budget productions, such as the summer action movie Dragon Tiger Gate  starring Donnie Yen Ji-dan and Nicholas Tse Ting-fung, failed to reach the HK$20 million mark.



movie buff