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May 27th, 2002 Issue #110a

Hong Kong Digital is a recurring series of movie reviews by John Charles -- associate editor / film reviewer for Video Watchdog magazine and the author of The Hong Kong Filmography.


Rich and Famous
(1987; Golden Harvest / Johnny Mak Production / Win's Movie Production)

Tragic Hero
(1987; Golden Harvest / Johnny Mak Production / Win's Movie Production)
Title for English Dubbed Version: BLACK VENGEANCE


Cover art courtesy Tai Seng.


Cover art courtesy Tai Seng.

RATING
10
A Masterpiece
9
Excellent
8
Highly Recommended
7
Very Good
6
Recommended
5
Marginal Recommendation
4
Not Recommended
3
Poor
2
Definitely Not Recommended
1
Dreadful

Cantonese: Gong woo ching
Mandarin: Jiang hu qing
English: Underworld Love
RATING
10
A Masterpiece
9
Excellent
8
Highly Recommended
7
Very Good
6
Recommended
5
Marginal Recommendation
4
Not Recommended
3
Poor
2
Definitely Not Recommended
1
Dreadful

Cantonese: Ying hung hou hon
Mandarin: Ying xiong hao han
English: Heroic Hero

A HK gangster epic released to theatres and video in two parts, this Mak Brothers / Win's co-production (directed by Taylor Wong Tai-loi) does not do nearly as good a job at balancing its action and drama components as its obvious inspiration, A BETTER TOMORROW. In RICH AND FAMOUS, Yung (Alex Man Chi-leung) is caught forging a betting slip, necessitating that his brother, Kwok (Andy Lau Tak-wah), save him from having his little finger cut off in punishment. When further troubles arise, the brothers enlist the aid of Chai (Chow Yun-fat), a powerful opponent of their nemesis, and he smooths things out. The siblings join Chai's gang and are betrayed during an exchange with one of Chai's competitors. Further trouble arises when a Thai drug baron refuses to continue supplying his HK underworld clients, unless Chai turns over the man's old enemy (Fan Mui-sang). Yung's big mouth puts him out of favor with Chai, prompting the former to accept a contract to murder the dealer under the latter's protection. This is done and Chai quickly surmises Yung's guilt but Kwok intercedes for him again. Chai spares the traitor but orders them both away, prompting Yung to join up with Chai's adversary.

Chow Yun-Fat in RICH AND FAMOUS. Image courtesy Tai Seng.
Click here for a still of Andy Lau and Alex Man (courtesy Tai Seng)

TRAGIC HERO (which actually came out first because the producers felt it was the more commercial of the two) opens a few years later, with Yung more determined than ever to kill Chai, now a successful businessman who seeks peace. Yung eliminates his competitors in the organization one by one, until only he and his target retain any real hold on power. The two meet face to face and it seems clear that a war is imminent. Kwok returns from self-imposed exile in Malaysia to try and convince Yung to spare Chai and, apparently, calms the waters. In the meantime, one of Chai's lieutenants (Shing Fui-on) tries to assassinate Yung on his own but is betrayed by a confederate (Lam Chung). In light of this tragedy, Chai finally comes to the realization that the situation cannot be resolved without violence, a position that Kwok also adopts, when Yung has his wife and children murdered.

Alex Man from TRAGIC HERO. Image courtesy Tai Seng.
Click here for a still of Andy Lau and Alex Man (courtesy Tai Seng)

While it compares well to many of the post-A BETTER TOMORROW triad films, RICH AND FAMOUS is not as bold and compelling as it clearly wishes to be. This is partly because the dramatic conflicts remain unresolved at the end but mainly due to the fact that the characters are largely interchangeable and never expand beyond genre stereotypes, a flaw that also carries over into the next film. Yung's actions and intent in TRAGIC HERO are so obvious, the relentless stalling on the part of Chai and Kwok is frustrating and illogical, making it even less dramatically sound than its predecessor. However, the final battle in part 2 (which includes inordinate amounts of gunplay and destruction) is quite satisfying on a kinetic level and Joseph Chan Wing-leung's score is among the most driving and memorable in the genre. Alan Tam Wing-lun co-stars in the first film, while Danny Lee Sau-yin (as a thick-headed cop determined to nail Chai), Carina Lau Kar-ling, Pauline Wong Siu-fung, and Yeung Kwan, are among the performers who appear in both.

DVD Specs for RICH AND FAMOUS:


DVD menu courtesy Tai Seng.

DVD Specs for TRAGIC HERO:


DVD menu courtesy Tai Seng.

Tai Seng #80124 (U.S. Label)
Dolby Digital 1.0
Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish Language Tracks (all post-synched)
Optional English Subtitles
22 Chapters Illustrated In the Menu With (Tiny) Clips
Letterboxed (1.75:1)
Coded for ALL Regions
Macrovision Encoded
104 Minutes
Contains brutal violence

Film Board Ratings and Consumer Advice

Great Britain: 18
Ontario: R (Violence)
Singapore: PG [Passed With Cuts]

Tai Seng #80143 (U.S. Label)
Dolby Digital 1.0
Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish Language Tracks (all post-synched)
Optional English Subtitles
22 Chapters Illustrated In the Menu With (Tiny) Clips
Letterboxed (1.75:1)
Coded for ALL Regions
Macrovision Encoded
96 Minutes
Contains brutal violence

Film Board Ratings and Consumer Advice

Great Britain: 18
Ontario: R (Brutal Violence)
Singapore: PG*

*The Singapore database states that the first version of the picture submitted was banned, while the second version was passed uncut. No additional information is provided but the likely scenario is that the distributor made substantial changes to the movie and this watered down version was then passed intact.

Presentation

RICH AND FAMOUS measures out at 1.75:1, while TRAGIC HERO is also that ratio, with the frame slightly off-center. The source materials have light but consistent scratches and speckles, as well as a few splices. The first film looks soft and murky, with some artifacting in backgrounds, though colors are usually passable; the second part is sharper and brighter but also grainier, with light blacks and some blooming whites. RICH AND FAMOUS sounds passable but TRAGIC HERO is a bit fuzzy; both features are also available in Spanish editions with dubbing so terrible, the Chinese dialogue can often still be heard underneath the new voices! The discs include a theatrical trailer for BLACK VENGEANCE (the English-dubbed version of TRAGIC HERO), as well as video promo spots for other Tai Seng discs and scrolling filmographies for Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau, and Alex Man (RICH AND FAMOUS also has one for Alan Tam).


RICH AND FAMOUS and TRAGIC HERO are available at Poker Industries.


Click here for more information about The Hong Kong Filmography


Copyright © John Charles 2000 - 2002. All Rights Reserved.
E-mail: mail@dighkmovies.com


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