Winners and Sinners (1983) [Film Review]

Winners and Sinners; or, Here Come the Lucky Stars

     From now on, we must stick together.

Winners and Sinners (1983) marks the first instalment in Sammo Hung’s successful Lucky Stars franchise. Hung conceived the idea of a light-hearted comedy with an ensemble cast after watching a TV programme about police officers using specific skills to crack down a case. The end result is an entertaining flick harking back to such classics as The Marx Brothers or The Three Stooges films.
Release Info

Directed by: Sammo Hung Starring: Sammo Hung, Stanley Fung, John Shum, Charlie Chin, Richard Ng,
Jackie Chan, Cherie Chung

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 奇謀妙計五福星 Runtime: 101 min

 

Synopsis

The movie tells the story of five petty criminals who end up together in a jail cell. Teapot (Sammo Hung) is a chubby and clumsy burglar, Curly (John Shum) is a workers’ rights activist, Wind Pipe (Richard Ng) steals car parts, Vaseline (Charlie Chin) specialises in stealing jewellery, Ranks (Stanley Fung) is the eldest member with an unknown past. The cellmates befriend each other and, after their release, they decide to set up Five Stars Cleaning Company. They are joined in their endeavour by Curly’s attractive sister, Shirley (Cherie Chung). Everything goes smoothly until one day someone accidentally throws a suitcase into their van. The Lucky Stars have found themselves in the middle of a financial trade between gangsters. They have to use their wits and fists in order to clean their names. 

 

Five Lucky Stars

Winners and Sinners may be nearly 40 years old, but it is still an enjoyable comedy. I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. Sammo Hung can really make a feel-good actioner and elicit some strong laughs at the same time. I particularly liked the scenes in which Richard Ng’s character tries to learn invisibility or when the team members fumblingly try to seduce Shirley.

 

Apart from recognisable stars in the leading roles, the film is filled with great supporting parts. For instance, Jackie Chan plays a hot-headed cop who always ends up causing trouble for himself. He has an awesome chase sequence halfway through the film and it is a shame that it is not mentioned very often whenever Jackie’s amazing stunts are recapped. Interestingly, Yuen Biao choreographed action for this movie and he has a funny cameo in one of the scenes. Perceptive viewers can also spot cameos from Moon Lee, Mars, and Wu Ma.

The success of Winners and Sinners led to the creation of whopping six(!) sequels. Please refer here for the full list. Unfortunately, Sammo Hung did participate in the making of every film, but he often served either as a director, producer, or actor on the sets. In fact, the only actors from the original cast who appeared in all seven Lucky Stars films were Richard Ng and Stanley Fung. I hope that I will be able to review every entry in the series.

 

Recommendations

If you are in the mood for a light, kung-fu oriented comedy that does not rely on swearing or clichés, then Winners and Sinners is the choice for you. It is a great action comedy flick that will not disappoint you. I wish that Sammo Hung could keep making these even today.

Overall score: 7/10

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983) [Film Review]

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain; or, Folk-Tale Star Wars

     Chubby, even though we are apart, our minds are together. I hope by the time I give you back this water bottle all minds are in unison, all wars have ended, and the world is at peace. Then everyone will live happily ever after.

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is a supernatural fantasy film from 1983 directed by Tsui Hark. It is the first Hong Kong production to combine traditional HK action stunts with Western special effects. At the 3rd Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony, the film received five nominations.

Release Info

Directed by: Tsui Hark Starring: Yuen Biao, Adam Cheng, Brigitte Lin, Moon Lee, Sammo Hung

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 新蜀山劍俠 Runtime: 98 min

 

Synopsis

Zu is a collective name of a mountain chain located somewhere in present-day Sichuan. Being a place of great military importance in ancient China, it was always a battleground between various warring factions. Nevertheless, it was also a place of great mystique due to numerous exotic peaks and old temples. An army deserter Dik Ming-kei (Yuen Biao) is accidentally attacked by vampires in a cave, but he is rescued by Master Ding Yan (Adam Cheng). Dik Ming-kei does not realise that he entered the underworld where good is in an eternal struggle against evil (controlled by the Blood Demon). Chung Mei (Sammo Hung) can hold the Blood Demon in captivity only for 49 days until the stars shift. In order to stop the Blood Demon, Dik Ming-Kei must find and assemble the purple sword of Heaven and the green sword of the Earth in order to save mankind.

 

Two Blades to Rule Them All

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is a classic action-adventure tale crafted by brilliant Tsui Hark. I know that such a statement will not give the film justice, but it reminded me in many ways about Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings (1978) animation, mostly because the two pictures share similar fantasy aesthetics. Nevertheless Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is a live-action flick which wonderfully combines old-school wire work with cell compositing effects.

 

The only disadvantage of the film is uneven pacing. There is a lot of stuff going on during 98 minutes of runtime and the viewers really have to pay attention to what is happening. However, the film makes up for its shortcomings with a zero-to-hero story structure, great special effects, and an ensemble cast of magnificent actors.

 

With regard to performances, Yuan Biao is great as the main protagonist. There are also amazing performances of Adam Cheng, Brigitte Lin, Moon Lee, and Judy Ogg. Interesting music score by Kwan Sing-yau and Tang Siu-lam also deserves to be mentioned.

 

The success of the film ultimately pushed Hark to release a semi-sequel The Legend of Zu in 2001, but it was received unfavourably. Allegedly, the director wanted Brigitte Lin to reprise her role of the Ice Queen, but she declined.

 

Recommendations

If you are in the mood for a fantasy adventure, then Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is the choice for you. The film is exciting, funny, and unique in its own right. It is an unforgettable milestone from the Hong Kong film industry.

Overall score: 8/10