The Monkey King 2 西游记之孙悟空三打白骨精

 Released Year: 2016

Directed by 鄭保瑞 Cheang Poh Sui

Casted by:

郭富城 Aaron Kwok as 孙悟空 Sun Wukong

巩俐 Gong Li as 白骨精 Baigujing

冯绍峰 William Feng as 唐僧 Tang Sanzang

小沈阳 Xiao Shen Yang as 猪八戒 Zhu Bajie

罗仲谦 Him Law as 沙僧 Sha Wujing

费翔 Fei Xiang as 云海西国国王 King of Yun Hai Xi Kingdom

陈慧琳 Kelly Chen as 观世音菩萨 Guan Yin

魏璐 Lu Weu as 蛇精 Snake Evil

齐浠儿 Xi'er Qi as 蝙蝠精 Bat Evil

母其弥雅 Miya Muqi as 箭猪精 Pig Evil

 Story:

500 years after Sun Wukong's imprisonment under the Five Fingers Mountain, a young Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang is sent on a journey to India to collect Buddha's scriptures. On his travels he accidentally frees Wukong and the Monkey King learns from the Mercy Goddess that he has to protect the monk throughout the journey. They also meet Zhu Baije, a lustful pig demon, and Sha Wujing, a djinn-like monk. All three demons accept Sanzang as their Master.

The company travel to the Yun Hai Xi Kingdom, a land terrorized by the White Bone Demon who snatches children. As the demoness learns about Sanzang, she decides to eat him in order to stop her reincarnation cycle and achieve everlasting demon-hood. She transforms into an old woman and beguiles the group into her cottage in the woods. While her disguised minions lure Wukong, Baije and Wujing into the forest, the demoness tells Sanzang a story about how she was forced to marry as a young girl, and when her village suffered with famine, the people blamed her for it, even calling her an evil demon, and left her atop a cliff as a sacrifice for the gods. As Sanzang comforts the old lady, she attempts to kill him, but is stopped by Wukong who has seen through her disguise with his Fiery Eyes. He kills the old lady and the demoness escapes. Sanzang and the others don't believe Wukong that all the women he murdered were demons, and blame him for killing the innocent.

The group arrives to the kingdom's capital and the King throws a feast for them, begging Sanzang to exorcise the bloodthirsty demoness. Suddenly the Lady White appears and demands the monk, but he expresses his desire to enlighten her. She tries to persuade Wukong to let her eat the monk, because only then he will be free of the spell that subdues his will. With Sun deceiving the demoness, a fight ensues. During the chaos, the King's guards kidnap Sanzang, but before the King kills the monk in order to cure himself of a disease - as he has been actually kidnapping all the children and blaming the White Bone Demon - Wukong saves him and the children as well. All of the group are celebrated as heroes, but as a little girl approaches Tanzang, Wukong kills her and her mother as well, seeing the demoness possessing them. That angers Sanzang, and, accusing him of seeing demons everywhere, orders Wukong to leave. Wukong flies away, but as soon as he does, the White Demon kidnaps Sanzang.

Baije and Wujing decide to disband, Baije heading to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to beg Wukong for help, and Wujing rushing to the demoness' lair. Baije arrives at the mountain, but Wukong's not there. In her lair, the demoness confesses to the monk that the story she had told him earlier was true, recounting her previous life. Sanzang gets to understand why she doesn't want to become human again, and gives up. Outside the cave, Wujing fights the the Lady White's skeleton army, and later is joined by Baije and Wukong, who saves Sanzang. After a hard battle, the White Bone Demon is defeated by the Monkey King. However, Sanzang pleads Buddha to save her soul, only to be told he would have to give up his own life in order to save her. Tanzang accepts that and the demoness is absorbed into his body. In his subconsciousness, the monk tells the Lady White he will do anything to help her, but she refuses, rather destroying herself. In the real world, Sanzang pleads Wukong to kill him, which he refuses to do. The monk tells him he desires to help the demoness change her doom, no matter how many lives it will take to accomplish. Wukong tearfully agrees, promising to wait for his return forever, and kills him. Because of Sanzang's sacrifice, the demoness is led to her reincarnation to human, finally free of her pain and hatred.

Some time later, Wukong and his friends still wait for the return of the monk, but continue their journey to the Thunder Monastery. It seems that Sanzang actually reenters life, as a human finger cracks through the Buddha statue Wukong is carrying with him.

 L² Scored: 6.5/10

L² Comment:

Due to Donnie Yen not able to act in this sequence, Aaron Kwok was given the chance to took up the main character and fight against Gong Li the diva. Comparing to the first movie, this is definitely much more better and follow more on the fiction. Well, if they have anymore sequence, will it be Donnie Yen or Aaron Kwok acting as the Monkey King?

The Monkey King 西遊記之大鬧天宮

 Released Year: 2014

Directed by 鄭保瑞 Cheang Poh Sui

Casted by:

甄子丹 Donnie Yen as 孫悟空 Sun Wu Kong

郭富城 Aaron Kwok as 牛魔王 The Bull Demon

周潤發 Chow Yun Fatt as 玉皇大帝 Heaven Emperor

何潤東 Peter Ho as 杨戬二郎神 Er Lang Shen

夏梓桐 Xia Zhi Tong as 九尾狐 Nine Tails Vixen

陈乔恩 Joe Chen as 铁扇公主 Princess Iron Fan

 Story: 

The Bull Demon attacked the heaven with his army of hell, but was defeated by the emperor of heaven. When he almost get vanished, sister of the emperor of heaven, Princess Iron Fan beg her brother to let him go and willing to follow The Bull Demon away and never return back to the heaven. Even though the war has settled, but it also ruined a lot of the Heaven's structure. NuWa goddess uses her diamond stone to cure the ruined part but one of the stone drop into the earth and created a monkey evil in it.

The Monkey evil get to know a nine tails vixen when he was stuck in it, but after that the nine tail vixen has gone by saving from the Bull Demon as his apprentice. GuanYin Buddha informed Subhuti that this monkey evil need to be train and control his evilness. Subhuti trained monkey evil and named him as Sun Wu Kong. But Sun Wu Kong is too arrogant and went back to his Hua Guo Shan to live with his monkey fellow. The Bull Demon wished to attack heaven again and try his best to influence Sun Wu Kong to attack Tian Nan Men. Before that the Bull Demon has plotted Nine Tail Vixen beside Wu Kong as a spy. Wu Kong also went to Shui Jing Palace to steal his weapon Jing Gang Bang and caused a lot of life to die.

The Bull Demon went to Hua Guo Shan when Wu Kong is doing his work duty in the heaven. The Bull Demon's army of hell has killed all the monkey at there together with the nine tail vixen. Wu Kong believed The Bull Demon's lie and attack the heaven with the army of hell. Even Er Lang Shen & Emperor of Heaven can't stop him. But on a twisted moment, Wu Kong suddenly realize the Bull Demon is behind all this and turn back to fight against the Bull Demon...

 L² Scored: 2/10

L² Comment:

I never watched this movie in the cinema back in 2 years ago because everyone keep on told me its not worth to; after watching this movie yesterday, I finally agreed with everyone. Not only that the whole movie has twisted the original story of the fiction, it also sounds kinda ridiculous to me as well. No doubt the graphic and effect is welly done, but the story appeared to be empty and the most important is, this is not the Journey To The West that we have all known...

And I Hate You So 小親親

 Released Year: 2000

Directed by 奚仲文 Kenneth Yee

Casted by:

郭富城 Aaron Kwok as 章戎 Rong

陳慧琳 Kelly Chen as 吳秋月 Yue

毛舜筠 Teresa Mo as Cat

曾志偉 Eric Tsang as 武 Mou

宣萱 Jessica Hester Hsuan as 馬丹莉 Lei

雷頌德  Mark Lui as 陳振華 Wah

Story:

The story started because of a vinyl record & a male dog being abandoned. Yue is a newspaper column writer with the title of "Period". She get into a fight with a famous radio DJ Rong, after failing to get back the vinyl record she has bought for her first boyfriend and Rong told everyone in his radio talk. 

Yue and Rong met in a party, and after discover each other identity, Yue angrily splash Rong with red wine. The war has been declared, both attacking each other with their own media. In another hand, Cat & Mou's fate link together because of an adopted dog...

L² Scored: 2.5/10

L² Comment:

Seriously, this movie is not good at all. Not only there's no main point in this movie which lead to no excitement part at all, it ends badly as well. Think this movie only selling point are Aaron Kwok and Kelly Chen...

The Age of Miracles 嫲嫲·帆帆

 Released Year: 1996

Directed by 陈可辛 Peter Chan

Casted by:

袁咏仪 Anita Yuen as 林美勤 Kan

谭咏麟 Alan Tam as 常帆 Fan

杜丽莎 Teresa Carpio as 常满 Moon

陈小春 Jordan Chan as 常春 Chun

伍咏薇 Christine Ng as 阿薇 May

曾志伟 Eric Tsang as 伟叔 Wai

乔宏 Qiao Hong as 白衣公公 Death God

陈慧琳 Kelly Chen as 女警 Police

 Story:

The movie talks about Kan who lost her husband and almost lost her first son, Fan, whom drown. She beg the death god and use her own 10 years in exchange her son's life. Among the years, Kan did not live happily but as a grumpy old lady. She foreseen her eldest daughter Moon is coming back which hints that this will be the end of her life.

Hearing that Moon & Fan decided to left her alone after they migrated, Kan left home without informing anybody. During her trip at the hill, she met death god and fell off from the cliff together. She begs to extend her life, death god agreed and left. Kan happily went home and agreed Fan to migrate with his wife, May to America. But Fan later realize Kan has already met the accident few days ago, just that her eager to live makes her came back.

During Moon's giving birth, Kan saw death god again. Kan has the final talk with Fan and tell him to stay strong even after she gone... 

L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:

First time ever Anita Yuen acted as an elder character, a good challenge for her during that time. Though not bad, but she can be better if she is given a new chance now. It was sad when i watch it many years ago, now i feel very touching after rewatch it almost 20 years later... I miss my parents :(

Tokyo Raiders 東京攻略

Released Year: 2000

Directed by  馬楚成 Jingle Ma

Casted by:

梁朝偉 Tony Leung as 林貴仁 Ren

鄭伊健 Ekin Cheng 畢大勇 Yong

陳慧琳 Kelly Chen as Macy

張柏芝 Cecilia Cheung as 沙織 Saori

仲村亨 Toru Nakamura as 高橋裕二 Takashi

阿部寬 Hiroshi Abe as 伊藤武 Ito

 Story:

Macy is waiting for her fiancee Takashi to attend their wedding in LA, but he did not appear. Macy went back to Hong Kong and met with Yong, who is a body guard of her father (to pretend as interior designer), and together they depart to Tokyo to look for Takashi.

At Tokyo, interpol officer Ren is looking for Takashi as well. He pretends as a private inspector to get near Macy for more information. 3 of them was hunted by the gangster Ito. On a boat fight, Takashi beat down Ito, but he was also arrested by police with the help of Ren and Yong. In the end, Yong escort Macy back to Hong Kong.

 L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment:  

The storyline is kinda predictable, nothing special seriously. The most exciting part will be the fighting action part, it was carried out mostly by Ekin & Tony throughout the movie. For me, Kelly Chen is really an extra of this movie, i believe any actress can take her part if it weren't of her fame...

Infernal Affairs III 無間道III：終極無間

 Released Year: 2003

Directed by 劉偉強 Andrew Lau & 麥兆輝 Alan Mak

Casted by:

劉德華 Andy Lau as 劉健明 Lau Kin-ming

梁朝偉 Tony Leung as 陳永仁 Chan Wing-yan

黎明 Leon Lai as 楊錦榮 Yeung Kam-wing

陳道明 Chen Daoming as 沈澄 Shen Cheng 

陳慧琳 Kelly Chen as 李心兒 Dr. Lee Sum-yee 

 Story: 

Infernal Affairs III uses parallel storytelling, flashing between the past and the present.

Six months before Chan's death

Undercover cop Chan Wing-yan seeks to uncover the link between Hong Kong triad boss Hon Sam and the mysterious Chinese gang leader Shen Cheng. Since Hon's ascension to the seat of triad boss was due to the death of his predecessor, Ngai Wing-hau, Hon is suspicious of all his men for fear they might usurp his position. He tests Chan's loyalty by ordering him to smash an ashtray on Shen's brother during a negotiation, resulting in Chan's arrest by Inspector Yeung Kam-wing. Yeung tells Chan that though Chan does not recognise him, he recognises Chan and he warns the latter to "be careful". Chan is released after both Hon and Shen fetch him at police headquarters.

Concurrently, Chan is prosecuted for violent behaviour. His superior, Superintendent Wong Chi-shing, persuades the court to allow Chan to seek therapy, leading him to meet Dr. Lee Sum-yee. Hon asks Chan to deliver arms to Shen, but he and other triad members do not show up. When Chan delivers the cargo, Shen's men discover that the boxes are empty and open fire on Chan; Shen and Chan shoot each other in the limbs during the crossfire. Shen finds out that Chan is an undercover cop when Yeung unexpectedly arrives on the scene. Yeung tells Chan that Shen is also an undercover cop, working for Chinese authorities. Yeung also tells Chan that he gained top honours when he was in the police academy due to Chan's "expulsion". The three shake hands and wait for the chaos to subside before leaving.

Ten months after Chan's death

Lau Kin-ming, Hon's former mole in the Hong Kong Police Force, has been demoted to administrative duty pending an investigation into the deaths of Chan and Inspector B. He falsely claims that B shot Chan in the head while holding him hostage, and that he killed B in retaliation. After months of investigation, Lau is transferred back to Internal Affairs, where he struggles to whitewash his past and cover his true identity. Lau later learns that Hon had previously planted five other moles in the police force, one of whom might be a fellow Security Division Inspector, Yeung. A battle of wits develops between Lau and Yeung, as each of them tries to discover the other's secret.

Meanwhile, Lau suffers from an identity collapse as he loses track of reality, wrestling with guilt over Chan's death and grappling with his impending divorce from his wife, Mary. His psychological trauma deteriorates to the point where he begins to see himself as Chan. As "Chan", Lau makes it a personal mission to apprehend Yeung, whom he sees as his former self. After witnessing an incident where Lau suffers a hallucination, Dr. Lee conducts a hypnosis on him and finds out that he was Hon's mole. Lau realises his folly and knocks Lee unconscious before escaping.

Lau steals tapes from Yeung's office safe, using spy cameras to determine the code. He thinks he hears recordings of Yeung relating information to Hon, and leads his team to the Security Division to arrest Yeung just as Shen arrives. Lau plays a tape recording, which is actually the conversation between him and Hon. When Lau's second-in-command tries to arrest him instead, Lau panics and draws his gun, killing Yeung. He is immediately shot by Shen and attempts suicide by shooting himself in the neck. During a search of Lau's office, a tape is found in his safe and played. It is a recording of the song sung by Tsai Chin, given to him by Hon's wife.

Eleven months after Chan's death

A series of flashbacks play: immediately after Chan's death, Shen and Yeung meet. Shen suspects Lau. Yeung breaks into Lau's office to find tape recordings of his conversations with Hon, proving that Shen is right.

Yeung is buried next to Chan in the police cemetery. Shen and Lee visit the graves and Shen says to Lee: "Events change men, but men do not change events. But these two men are extraordinary because they changed events."

Lau ends up crippled and catatonic, lost inside his own mind, haunted by the spirit of Mary (Hon Sam's wife, whom he had a crush on in Infernal Affairs II) and locked in his own "continuous hell". His divorced wife Mary visits and tells him, "Our baby can say "papa" now." Before the picture fades into the next scene, the camera pans down onto Lau's fingers tapping out in Morse code, "H-E-L..." (and then the start of another 'L' as the picture dims).

Before the film ends, there is one final flashback to the hi-fi shop scene in Infernal Affairs, where Lau is buying an audio system from Chan.

  L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment:

Years before this film, it has been quite sometime we cannot find so many superstars to act in one Hong Kong movie, this movie did it and it comes to an end for the infernal affair series. The movie is still lead by Andy Lau & Tony Leung and in the meantime added in Leon Lai and Chen Dao Ming to spice up the whole movie. Not sure why they chose Kelly Chen as the only main actress, but her acting skill is kinda fake but luckily it did not affected much of this movie. Happy to see that Carina Lau and Sammi Cheng appeared again on the closing part. Both of them appeared less than one minute but u can feel that their acting is way way way much more better than Kelly. Anyway, this movie also won Andy Lau his Golden Horse Best Actor Award...

Lavender 薰衣草

 Released Year: 2001

Directed by 葉錦鴻 Ip Kam Hung

 

Casted by:

陈慧琳 Kelly Chen as Athena
 金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro as Angel
 陈奕迅 Eason Chen as Chow Chow
 郑佩佩 Cheng Pei Pei as 董夫人 Madame Dong
 谷德昭 Vincent Kuk as 肥天使 Fat angel
 尹子维 Terence Yin as 小提琴天使 Violin angel

 Story:

Athena is a sad woman who can't forget about her passed away boyfriend's smell, she use her whole life to create the smell but fail. She met a fallen angel who is a handsome and innocent guy. The angel live by creating loves to human being, but he was targeted by Chow Chow, a gay guy who live opposite of Athena.

 

It seems like Chow Chow has fall in love with Athena's ex boyfriend and can't forget about him too, especially the smell. Chow Chow was envy of Athena for getting angel as hers. Angel told them where he really from and ready to fly back to heaven after his wings cured. Athena brought angel to buy lavender and hope he can bring it up to heaven for her ex boyfriend. During the trip, both of them fall in love but angel still need to leave.

 

Athena woke up from her filled bathtub after hearing some bang noise. Its seems like she was having this weird dream when she fell asleep in the baththub. The restaurant owner, Angelo is the one who fell down from the roftop when fixing the wire. Athena realize Angelo looks exactly like angel (without the wings of course), and the restaurant name is Michealangelo. It seems like the God has arrange a new faith for her, for her to accept a new love and forget about the old sad one. 

 L² Scored: 8/10

 

L² Comment:

Its quite touching and romantic for me, i love the storyline, love that Kaneshiro is able to act innocent angel which i think is a superb. The movie was brought to the Berlin and shown to the world, though it did not win any awards, but it has been nominated in quite a lot in the HK academy awards. The only flaw i would say is Kelly being a bit stiff, but i think she can be much more better if she has more experience in acting during that time :) 

All's Well, End's Well 2012 八星抱喜 2012

 Released Year: 2012

Directed by 陳慶嘉 Chan Heng Ka & 秦小珍 Qin Xiao Zhen

Casted by:

甄子丹 Donnie Yen as 譚冠榮 Rong
吳君如 Sandra Ng as 宋秋波 Bo
古天樂 Louis Koo as 彭堅 Kin
陳慧琳 Kelly Chen as Julie Sun

黃百鳴 Raymond Wong as 陳李張 Zheung
楊冪 Mini Yang as 陳思思 Si
杜汶澤 Chapman To as 華一聲 Sheng
熊黛林 Lynn Xiong as 談笑 Xiao

 Story:

The movie breaks into 4 parts, part one is about both Rong & Bo who are the old time singer and when they met together and Rong help to pretend as Bo's boyfriend so that Bo's ex partner will not laugh at her. Part two is about photographer Julie wanted to find inspiration on her photo shoot, therefore she pretend and let the model Kin to fall in love with her so that she can take a nice pictures. Third part is Zheung pretend to be Si's father and help her to deliberate which guy is suitable to be her husband. Last part is Sheng a romance novelist who wanted to fall in love, he found a blind pretty woman Xiao and pretend he is a good looking man who is meant for her.

L² Scored: 2/10

L² Comment:

Oh Lord, all these well i have been a fans of "All's Well, End's Well" series, but definitely not the 2012 version. The 2 marks i gave is for Sandra Ng & Kristal Tin. Both of them are good in their part and they are the only one who makes me laugh. 

Donnie Yen is definitely making a big fool of himself in this movie; Kelly Chen as usual - bad in her acting; Lynn Xiong not much of a blame - model really can't act!!!; Louis Koo, oh please, i'm gonna write him off from my idol list soon; Chapman To, pathetic!!! As for Raymond Wong, i really hope he stop producing all these rubbish movie!!! Where has all his good movie gone? !!!! I'm frustrated now :(