The Last Tycoon

[Drunk Monk]

Chow Yun Fat returns to the role he was born to play - a pistol-toting gangster in a white suit. Set when the Japanese invade Shanghai, this is directed by Wong Jing, who makes irreverent flicks that can either hit or miss, but never fully either way. He gives some nods to Chow's John Woo gangsters, especially in a candle-light church gun fight, but it's not enough. Sammo has a decent role. He's Chow's master, then martial brother, in the gang. The gang is righteous, in fact it's not quite clear what illegal trade they are into that is making them so rich aside from the occasional assassination, and it's usually Japanese traitors. It's a pretty film, using that same old corner club set we see in almost every Shanghai flick of that period now, punctuated by some decent ultravi. Inexplicably, Chow's character is played by Huang Xiaoming as a youth and Chow in middle age, while all of the other characters travel in time alongside him using the same actors, even Sammo, who now in his 60's, has a hard time looking young. I'm tepid on Huang. Wasn't into him in Guillotines or Badges of Fury and he's got White Witch coming out very soon. He might pass as a young Andy Lau, but Chow? No way.

The ultravi,when it happens, is good. Lots of big explosions, way too big given the amount of explosives, but a big explosion is a big explosion so why quibble? The merge CGI will real explosions to decent effect. Frankly, give Chow a pistol and a white suit, turn him loose, and I'm entertained. Unfortunately, there isn't enough of that. Too much sappy sentimentality. Too much Huang. Not enough Chow. No sword fight. Some spear and butterfly knife action (Philipino butt knife actually). I enjoyed seeing Chow shoot stuff with his usual panache, and enjoyed the film for that, but the story was unduly complex for what it delivered.

SPOILERS: There's a lot of nekkid Sammo in a bathtub - BE WARNED. Chow watches a lot of his friends' well-timed demise (one even says "I waited for you"). END SPOILERS