The Heroic Trio
by Johnny To
from Miramax
A Hong Kong combination of Batman and The Three Musketeers, The Heroic Trio is a winning mix of action, sci-fi, fantasy, and police caper starring three outstanding Hong Kong actresses. Former popular singer Anita Mui is Tung/Wonder Woman, a mysterious crime fighter who aids the police whenever needed. Michelle Yeoh is Ching/Invisible Woman, an unwilling disciple to an age-old Evil Master, and Maggie Cheung is Chat/Thief Catcher, a runaway enlisted by the Evil Master who is now a bounty hunter for hire. When baby boys are being stolen for a horrific plan, Tung assists in the investigation while Chat plans to make some bucks off of catching the culprit. The baby thief is none other than Ching, who is carrying out the kidnappings for the Evil Master with the aid of her lover's invention--an invisible robe. But the good in her wins out, and she joins forces with Tung and Chat. This is a superhero film, to be sure. Fantastic sets and impressive wire-strung fight choreography make The Heroic Trio extremely fun to watch. Wonder Woman enters the picture by running full-tilt atop power lines while Chat rides a motorcycle and wields a shotgun like the Terminator. The outlandish and complicated plot seems right at home here, heightened by the moody lighting and the combined screen presence of Mui, Yeoh, and Cheung. All three give fierce and touching performances in a hyperbolic and enjoyable film. --Shannon Gee
Michelle Yeoh (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, TOMORROW NEVER DIES), Anita Mui (Jet Li's THE ENFORCER, RUMBLE IN THE BRONX), and Maggie Cheung (SUPERCOP) form an unstoppable combination as three powerful martial arts experts -- each with her own secret superhero identity -- who band together to battle the ultimate evil! Their foe is a demented but powerful wizard who believes that if he kidnaps all the babies in China he can build a demonic ruling class and eventually dominate the world. With everything on the line, it's up to the Heroic Trio -- Shadow Fox, Mercy, and Invisible Woman -- to rise up and stop him! A big screen adventure that's like CHARLIE'S ANGELS meets THE TERMINATOR, you're sure to love all the hard-hitting fun in this action-packed martial arts fantasy!
Election
by Johnny To
from Tartan Video
Every two years the senior members of the Wo Shing Triad the oldest gang in Hong Kong elect an up-and-coming younger boss as their chairman. The two candidates they are voting on couldn t be farther apart in personality; Lok (Simon Yam) is a levelheaded businessman and Big D (Tony Leung Ka-Fai) is a loud obnoxious violent criminal. When the voting does not go how some people would have liked lines are divided and a gang war begins to form. System Requirements:Run Time: 97 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: FOREIGN/ASIAN UPC: 842498030462 Manufacturer No: TVD3046
Triad Election
by Johnny To
from Tartan Video
A second-tiered triad member vying aggressively for the position of godfather is restrained by the current mob boss who isn't officially eligible for reelection. This leads to a bloody and cutthroat battle of wills between the two men carried out in a shocking and ultra-violent fashion culminating in an ending that will take your breath away! System Requirements:Run Time: 93 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE UPC: 842498030479 Manufacturer No: TVD3047
Running Out of Time
by Johnny To
from Tai Seng
Johnny To, whose cool, precise gangster thriller The Mission is one of the best Hong Kong films since the Chinese takeover, brings a stylish flair to Running Out of Time, an absurdly plotted but compelling cat-and-mouse crime drama that became a box-office smash in Hong Kong. Criminal genius Wah (pop star Andy Lau) is given only a few weeks to live by his doctor, so he embarks on an elaborate heist and strings along hostage negotiator and unconventional supercop Sang (Lau Ching Wan) as part of the fun. "I just want to play a game with you for 72 hours," Wah confesses. "Great," responds Sang's blustery boss, "it's lunatic against lunatic." The elaborate scheme has something to do with a bald badass mobster (an almost unrecognizable Waise Lee, of John Woo's Bullet in the Head and A Better Tomorrow), a priceless gem, and a debt of honor. There's a hint of Woo's warrior bonding as cop and crook develop a respectful adversarial friendship in their running battle of wits: "If you can get me to the police station, you win." It all hinges on some far-fetched twists and the Hong Kong cops are little more than buffoons for most of the film, but To's steely seriousness, sleek style, and runaway pacing keep the film flying through most of the improbabilities. --Sean Axmaker
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