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Casino
Raiders 2 |
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Year: |
1991 |
Andy Lau does David Copperfield |
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Director: |
Johnnie
To Kei-Fung |
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Producer: |
Jimmy
Heung |
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Action: |
Ching
Siu-Tung |
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Cast: |
Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Wu
Chien-Lien, Dave Wong
Kit, Monica Chan Fat-Yung,
Anthony Wong Chau-Sang,
Lau
Siu-Ming, Lau
Kong, Kelvin Wong Siu, Lee
Siu-Kei, Wong Yat-Fei |
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The
Skinny: |
There's
not much gambling going on in this mildly entertaining melodrama
from Johnnie To. If the film comes off as a bit underwhelming,
it's not for a lack of trying. After some card playing tomfoolery
in the initial reel, EVERYTHING GOES TO HELL! Enjoy. |
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Review by
Calvin
McMillin: |
At first glance, the cover art
of Casino Raiders 2 looks absolutely ludicrous. With
the customary action movie "wall of flame" in the
background, a leather-clad Andy Lau walks toward the camera,
flanked to his right by a morose-looking Dave Wong and a blank-faced,
but otherwise cute, little girl. Both of them, mind you, are
sitting astride a snazzy black motorcycle. Oh, and I almost
forgot: Andy and Dave are holding katanas too. Peculiar as
these individual facets seem, as the film unfolds, little
by little, each and every element is featured in the movie.
Andy Lau sporting a Fonzie jacket with requisite motorbike
in tow? Check. Dave Wong with a pig-tailed cherub? Double
check! How about that huge fireball of death? You got it!
Katanas? Well, no. In fact, there's nary a samurai sword in
the entirety of this Johnnie To-directed flick.
Now, lest you think that I am about
to launch into an extended diatribe on the perils of false
advertising, let me just say that this digression on the merits
of the film's poster art—an exercise in seeming futility—does
have a purpose. In many ways, the sheer nuttiness of the poster
parallels the "kitchen sink" philosophy embodied
by the filmmakers in the creation of this movie. Instead of
merely piling on the stock action imagery as the cover art
does, the film itself is a veritable deluge of shlocky, tear-jerking
occurrences.
Andy Lau and Wu Chien-Lien,
the popular couple from the hit film A Moment of Romance,
reunite for this unnecessarily bleak conman movie. In fact,
there's so much melodrama going on that one has to wonder
whether Casino Raiders 2 is supposed to be a freewheeling
gambling movie or a daytime soap opera. All evidence points
to the latter since the list of traumatic events occurring
in this movie is seemingly endless. There's a little homicide
going on, a sad case of infidelity, a harrowing scene of self-amputation,
some Andy Lau strip blackjack, a few ridiculously impossible
card tricks, a high speed wheelchair-bound chase of doom,
unplanned parenthood, child neglect and/or abuse, blindness
by lightsaber, assorted grisly gunshot wounds, and at least
one hanging. But no matter what, Andy Lau still looks cool
with a cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth.
The plot? Ah, yes, that little
contrivance. Well, Casino Raiders 2 centers on the
gambling misadventures of Uncle Fan (Lau Siu-Ming), Chicken
Feet (Lau), Lin (Wu), and Kay (Lee Sui-Kei). As related in
flashbacks, a trusted gambling pal named Mr. James (Kelvin
Wong) turned against Uncle Fan, leaving the elder gambler
confined to a wheelchair and the old man's son, Kit (Dave
Wong), taking the rap for murder! After Uncle Fan pays a visit
to Davy Jones's locker, Kit coincidentally returns from prison,
but is hesitant to join Chicken Feet in his plot for revenge.
But Mr. James and Pow (a delightfully sleazy Anthony Wong)
just won't leave things alone. It seems they're after a miraculous
piece of green jade that was once owned by the God of Gamblers
(sorry, no Chow Yun-Fat cameo), and was supposedly in the
possession of Uncle Fan.
In addition to all the aforementioned
human tragedy, the film contains a welcome dose of good stuntwork
thanks to action director Ching Siu-Tung. Wu Chien-Lien driving
a car underneath the low trailer of a truck, a boat zooming
onto a pier, and Andy Lau battling evildoers as fireballs
explode dangerously close behind him are just some of the
highlights. Of course, our heroes get pushed to the limit
by the film's antagonists, leaving Chicken Feet and Kit no
choice but to "get back what's theirs" in the twisty,
but wholly predictable, gambling finale. Sure, Casino Raiders
2 manages to be somewhat entertaining thanks to its winning
cast and interesting plot setups, but it's by no means a film
you'll want to watch again and again. (Calvin McMillin 2003) |
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Notes: |
•
The sequel has nothing to
do with 1989's Casino Raiders aside from the presence
of Andy Lau in both films and, presumably, "casinos"
and "raiding."
• The
theatrical trailer included on the DVD contains a scene
of Chicken Leg and Kit training before the gambling championship,
but the sequence does not appear in the actual film.
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Theme song: |
"The Days We Passed By Together" by Andy Lau 
Request this song on HKVP Radio | Vote for Andy Lau |
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Awards:
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The
11th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards
• Nomination - Best
Song ("The Days We Passed By Together", performed
by Andy
Lau Tak-Wah) |
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Availability: |
DVD
(Hong Kong)
Region 0 NTSC
Universe Laser
Widescreen
Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks
Dolby Digital 5.1
Removable English and Chinese Subtitles |
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image
courtesy of Universe Laser and Video Co., Ltd.
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| LoveHKFilm.com
Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen
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