Movie: God of Gamblers, The Return (1994)

Reposted from Worst Ninja Ever (April 19, 2005):

Just finished watching "God of Gamblers: The Return," the 1994 sequel of the classic Hong Kong gambling fantadramedy starring Chow Yun-Fat. The film features the return of Chow's "Ko Chun, the God of Gamblers" character and is set four years after the original "God of Gamblers." Here, Ko Chun has retired to Paris where he and his wife are expecting a son. Ko's idyllic life in self-imposed retirement is shattered when Chan Kam-Shing, Ko's final opponent in the original film, brings a new player to help him get revenge on Ko.

This new player is none other than Chao Siu Chi, the Taiwanese Devil of Gamblers, and he doesn't mess around. Within the first few minutes of the movie, Chao double-crosses Chan Kam-Shing when the two gamblers and their entourage invade Ko's mansion. When Ko returns with his faithful bodyguard Lung Wu, our heroes fight their way up to Ko's wife, who has had her unborn child mercilessly ripped from her womb by Chao. Ko makes a deathbed promise to his wife that he will neither gamble nor identify himself to be the God of Gamblers for one year. Of particular note during the firefight is a shot where Ko, with guns in hand, leaps to the side. Lung Wu kicks a couple of clips directly into the guns while Ko is in the air! Neat!

Unable to exact his revenge, Ko travels. 11 months later, he befriends Hoi On, a Taiwanese syndicate member who, unbeknownst to Ko, has ties to Chao Siu Chi (hey, they have to get these plots rolling somehow) through the Wung Tu Group. Due to some strife within the group Hoi dies, but not before making Ko promise to take Hoi's son home.

Along the way, Ko and little Hoi Yuen (Miu Tse) are captured by Chinese police captain Kok Ching-Chung. Ko and the child escape police custody and hole up in a hotel run by a man and his niece and nephew. The niece and nephew, nicknamed "Little Guitar" and "Little Trumpet," respectively, attempt to con Ko and Hoi Yuen but end up aiding and abetting the two fugitives when Captain Kok and the police arrive. Little Guitar, whose real name is Siu Yiu-Yiu, has a girlish crush on the God of Gamblers but doesn't believe a girl like her would ever be lucky enough to meet her favourite celebrity. She does, however, think her new traveling companion looks a bit like her idol when viewed from behind.

The entire group ends up in Taiwan a couple of days early. Minor hijinks ensue; Captain Kok loosens up, being promoted from caricature to sidekick/comedy relief; Siu Yiu-Yiu and Hoi Yuen manage to get themselves kidnapped by Chao's men; and Little Trumpet gets to play God of Gamblers to divert suspicion from Ko and to woo a pretty girl.

This all culminates in the final showdown between the God of Gamblers and the Devil of Gamblers. Two billion dollars, a hijacked US$16 billion children's fund, body parts and very lives of two of the greatest gamblers in the east rest on the table between the gambling duelists.

I found this film to be much more enjoyable than its predecessor. The story was much tighter and tension was higher, but the line between fantasy, comedy and drama is still very vague and transitory. I grew up with these kinds of films, so I didn't find it unusual that a dramatic scene can quickly take a slapstick turn, or a fantasy action sequence turns to comedy then drama, all within a few lines. The character of Ko Chun doesn't get much more development in this film, since it's assumed that the "God of Gamblers" is enough of a character for an audience to grasp. The supporting characters are there to give Ko Chun something to react to, and they are separated into two groups.

The first group is Ko's traveling companions, who are all colourful, dynamic and generally sunshine and lollipops. They are there to elicit sympathy when they're attacked, cheered when they fight, and give the stone cold Ko someone to empathize with. They are also there to provide the comedy. The other group is comprised of the big players: ruthless gamblers and heartless killers. They are there to do the dirty work and provide the dramatic tension. Except for Ko and maybe Hoi Yuen, neither of the two groups ever tread on each other's territory. Never do we see Siu Yiu-Yiu competently kick ass, or Lung Wu slip on a banana peel and fall into the bosom of a large woman. Hilarity never ensues when Chan Kam-Shing's around, and Captain Kok is never taken seriously enough to be considered a threat.

But that's par for the course. Archetypes, outrageously short shooting schedules and overdubbing are Hong Kong movie staples. This film isn't Oscar material, but it's got a little something for everyone. I would highly recommend this film as a stand-alone viewing experience, or in conjunction with its predecessor. Heck, I'd even recommend it as an introduction to the subgenre of fantasy gambling films, where martial arts and gambling combine for high stakes action and unreal gambling duels.

This film is not to be confused with Stephen Chow's similar sounding "Du sheng/All for the Winner" or "Dou hap/God of Gamblers II," which is sequel to both "God of Gamblers" (Andy Lau's "Dagger Chan" character co-stars) and "All for the Winner" (Stephen Chow's "Saint of Gamblers" character co-stars). Weird. The closest that North American films come to that would probably be the first few Quentin Tarantino films, all of which are complete-in-themselves films but are set in the same universe.