THE NEW LEGEND OF SHAOLIN, starring Jet Li, Yau Suk-ching and Deannie Yip. Directed by Wong Tsing. Category II. Coming to the Newport Theatre circuit.
AFTER his failed attempt at making contemporary action films in the late '80s, when his traditional martial arts skills seemed out of place in a gun-crazed world, Jet Li re-discovered his niche playing historical Chinese heroes from Wong Fei-hung to Fong Sai Yuk.
And just when you thought the kung fu genre had been squeezed dry, up pops Li with yet another fictional hero - Hung Hey-kwun, a revolutionary fighter who hails from the revered Shaolin Temple and is on the run from the government. Hung Hey-kwun is being hunted by his arch-rival, but at the same time he has to deliver to the Red Flower Society an important map, which is tattooed on the backs of five young Shaolin disciples. Instead of his trademark cheesy grin, Li adopts a cold demeanor for this role whichmakes the baby-faced actor a more believable hero.
Director Wong Tsing balances well-choreographed fighting with a father-and-son relationship and scenes involving a group of charismatic young martial arts proteges to produce a well-packaged kung fu film in an otherwise tired genre.
FAMILY VIEWING IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, starring Kwan Tak-hing, Cho Tak-wah, Lee Heung-kam, Raymond Wong, Fung Bo-bo, Tony Leung Kar-fai, Teresa Mo Shun-kwan, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Lau Ching-wan, Do Do Cheng and Anita Yuen Wing-yee. Directed by Clifton Ko Chi-shum. Category I. Showing on the Mandarin circuit.
SINCE the early '80s, producer-director-actor Raymond Wong and director Clifton Ko have been making inoffensive comedies for family consumption over Lunar New Year. These festive offerings have tended to be low-budget in terms of production, but in latteryears they have featured stellar casts. They always make favourable viewing, and It's a Wonderful Life is no exception.
This light comedy boasts an all-star cast that spans three generations, from Kwan Tak-hing (the original star of Wong Fei-hung) to the silver screen's current golden couple, Anita Yuen and Lau Ching-wan. Wong can't resist the temptation of ripping off classic material from the past, from Shakespeare to Moliere.