The Millionaire’s Express (1986) May 15, 2007
Posted by Cal in : Comedy, Action, 1980s films , trackbackDirector: Sammo Hung Cast: Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Richard Ng, Kenny Bee, Eric Tsang, James Tien, Jimmy Wang Yu, Lydia Shum, Sek Gin, Rosamund Kwan, Emily Chu, Pauline Wong, Richard Norton, Cynthia Rothrock, Hwang Jang-Lee, Kurata Yasuaki, Oshima Yukari, Lam Ching-Ying Action Director: Sammo Hung Territory: Hong Kong Production Company: Golden Harvest
The plot revolves around a ne’er-do-well named Chin Fong-Tin (Sammo Hung), who deliberately derails the titular train on its way to Shanghai so that the wealthy passengers will have to stop at the nearby village and visit his “hotel”. Which sounds straightforward, but there’s a group of people who want to rob the train and they’re the kind of people you really don’t want to mess with. Added to that are problems with local upstanding citizen and Fire Chief Tsao (Yuen Biao), who endeavours to thwart Chin’s efforts at every opportunity, and a hostile local population who remember Chin’s conniving nature from when he was a kid. As if that wasn’t enough, Chin also has to deal with his troublesome but well-intentioned prostitutes (which include Rosamund Kwan, Emily Chu and Pauline Wong). Oh, and there was a bank robbery earlier and the fugitives are on the loose and they also want to rob the train. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s a lothario on board the train who’s brought his wife and his mistress and must keep them from meeting each other. And none other than Wong Fei-Hung himself (Jimmy Wang-Yu) is feuding with a fellow master (Sek Gin) and their young protégés and that’s not to mention the three Japanese swordsmen (and woman) who are after a national treasure…and…and…
If you think the above must make for some horrific Hong Kong throw-everything-at-the-screen-and-hope-something-works type of experience, you’d be wrong. The Millionaire’s Express is, for me if no one else, pretty much the pinnacle of Hong Kong action comedy cinema. While some films have better action sequences, and other films are perhaps funnier, none bring together the elements in one movie better than this. It may well be broad farce and little more than a Hong Kong version of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, but when the results are this much fun, who cares?
The cast includes pretty much everyone involved in Hong Kong cinema and television at the time (apart from Jackie Chan, who is very conspicuous by his absence) and all work together beautifully. Although nobody gets much screen time apart from Sammo and Yuen Biao, you rarely get the feeling that people are simply being rolled out for a quick cameo (apart from Bolo, perhaps) and some, like Richard Ng as an unlikely Don Juan, have incredibly memorable (and hilariously funny) parts.
Picking out standout events in the film is pretty much impossible, and I’m not even going to try except to say the almost cartoon-like way Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao knock seven shades of crap out of each other is a joy no fan should miss. Sammo Hung excelled himself in his directorial duties, and the three scriptwriters (the late, great Barry Wong, Alfred Cheung and Wong Wang-Gei) should have been given medals for creating such a coherent whole out of the sum of so many parts.
This is definitely one film you can watch again and again and again and still get immense enjoyment out of. This film was the first of what many fans consider a trilogy of films linked by nothing other than their sheer quality (the others being Eastern Condors and Pedicab Driver). While the other two certainly are great, this is probably the one that bears repeated viewings best.
Comments»
I love this film too so you are not alone! An absolute classic IMO. Surely one of the most enjoyable films ever made.
Thanks for your comments Michael! It’s good to know someone else appreciates this classic movie!
A real classic, and one of the few films from this era to have such a good cast and manage to give evry one of them a few nice moments. Cynthia Rothrock has never looked better. Yuen Biao fighting Dick Wei is another great moment for me.
Yes, it’s all good in this one. Funny you mention Cynthia - I can’t help but feel she never got enough good roles. I only like her in this and RIGHTING WRONGS - some of the other stuff she did was just awful. It’s a pity she never really “made it”.
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