A very
prolific period for the
Asian film industry.
Obscure to the rest of the world,
famous in this region, this
Hong Kong genre began in the 70's, peaked in the 80's, and is slowly dying out as we speak. Locals still fondly remember the carefully scripted
chaos of
John Woo and his favorite
protagonist (and sometimes
antagonist)
Chow Yun-fat, the
hijinks and spectacular
stunts of
Jackie Chan and his
posse, and the
antics of the "
Little Fat Man" and "
Beethoven" (who actually looks like the
composer).
These films are fairly formulaic. There are three main categories:
- The Pulp Fiction sexual melodrama splattered with lots of gore
This one is standard. John Woo's favorite, the plot is very guessable, consisting of one of the following usual elements.
Usually, a Judas emerges or a good friend is slain, causing the good guy to kill all the bad guys in a massive fit of rage. Love is inserted at strategic positions to bolster the story. Good entertainment while it lasts. There are some variations to keep us interested. Sex is oft used to attract audiences.
- Silly slap-stick humor
There were too many of these. Almost Jim Carrey in style, these films are watched and abandoned. Typical plots:
It gets tiring fast, but it draws laughs.
- Jackie Chan
He is the master of his own genre. Go watch Supercop.
Not a bad bunch of
films. Recently, the
Mozart of Mayhem moved to
Hollywood, so directors here are trying to be
artsy, and failing. Good
Chinese films always come out of Northern
China. Temporary
entertainment.