5 Stephen Chow movies that made him Hong Kong’s king of comedy
We look at the most hilarious 1990s movies which made Stephen Chow Sing-chi one of the box-office stars of Hong Kong film
Whether you are a Generation X member brought up on TVB Jade’s children’s programme, 430 Space Shuttle, during the 1980s, or a fan of those Cantonese mo lei tau (“silly talk” or “makes no sense”) comedies in the 90s, there can be no denying the enormous contribution Hong Kong’s “king of comedy” Stephen Chow Sing-chi has made to the Hong Kong movie industry.
Chow, who started out as an extra at Rediffusion Television, joined Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) in 1981. He switched to the silver screen seven years later, a move that was an immediate success, and his first role in the crime film Final Justice landed him the best supporting actor award at the 25th Taiwan Golden Horse Awards.
Chow starred in blockbusters, such as the gambling comedy All for the Winner in 1990, the gangster comedy Fight Back to School in 1991 and action comedy Justice, My Foot! in 1992.
These movies involved nonsensical gags that people referred to them as “mo lei tau” humour.
The 90s were regarded as the golden era of those “mo lei tau” Cantonese movies and the phrase has since became synonymous with Chow’s comedies. The decade is considered an integral part of Hong Kong’s popular culture too.
As Chow prepares to turn 57 on Saturday, June 22, here are five of his most remarkable movies from that period that made us laugh so much we were in tears.