Chow Yun-Fat has more cool characters to his credit than most actors this side of Clint Eastwood: Mark Gor, Jeff the bouncer, The Killer, Tequila Yuen, and so on. Here he adds another one to the list, with a brilliant performance as Ko Chun, the titular God of Gamblers. Chow oozes cool as the smooth, supernatural cardsharp but also gets to show his comedic side, as his character regresses into a chocolate-fueled, childlike savant following a serious head injury.

As is often the case, Wong Jing is on thin ice here. This concept could have been truly painful to watch. But for once, ol' Wong shows great restrain, as does the cast. And while the film might teeter on the brink here and there, it luckily never spills over into inane Canto-comedy mode, making it a really palatable and fun piece of entertainment.

Andy Lau also pulls his weight here, as the lovable, lowly scam artist and degenerate gambler, looking for the big win. And I have seldom seen him or Chow more charming and funny than they are here. They have great chemistry, and carry the film from start to finish. It helps that the supporting cast all comes through as well, with a myriad of fun and colorful side characters--like the late, great Shing Fui On as a lowlife gambling fixer; Ng Man Tat as a sleazy loan shark; and real life triad turned movie producer and actor Charles Heung as a badass bodyguard; plus a whole host of others, all adding to the proceedings.

The movie might be a little light in the action department, but it is not to the detriment of the film as a whole. And what action there is, is really good--most notably the big chase and shootout towards the end. The lack of action would have been less forgivable had it not been for all the other components working so well. The comedy is genuinely funny, and probably some of the most accessible I have come across in a HK flick of this type and time. The drama works on the strength of you caring for the likeable characters. And the gambling scenes are done in a slick and interesting manner, so that a knowledge of the games at hand are not required for you to enjoy them.

It is not a flawless movie. There are the usual plotholes, flawed logic, etc., and a wasted subplot involving Chow's wife and his valet. But personally it doesn't bother me in any great way.

This is just a fun, cool ride, a personal all-time favorite, and a true HK classic with wide appeal that you owe yourself to check out, if you have love for the genre.

Chow stars as Ko Chun a gifted gambler with an almost supernatural gift for gaming, hence his exalted title. Ko Chun is a suave and sophisticated master of his gaming, monetarily successful and confident in his abilities. This makes him enemies among not only opponents, but as it turns out, his allies.

Having narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, Ko Chun unwittingly walks into a trap set by Knife, a young gambler wannabe who hankers after a big score. Knife meant to teach someone else a lesson by sabotaging a trail near his home,instead, Ko Chun is the victim.

Finding the head injured gambler, Knife and his family take him in and nurse him back to health, not realizing who has literally tumbled into their lives.

Ko Chun awakens from his trauma with no memory and regressed to a childlike demeanor. He's an appealing manchild with an insatiable hunger for a particular brand of chocolate (one carry-over from his former life), and as Knife and Co. find out, a talent for gambling. Knife and his crew make good use of their new friend's abilities--becoming upwardly mobile thanks to "Chocolate"--the nickname they bestow upon him, knowing no other.

Chow Yun Fat has never been more endearing and astounding as the brain injured "Chocolate". Chow makes believable and incredibly touching this dramatic transformation from genius to idiot savant. His physicality reflects the change-- his facial expressions, movements and general demeanor are transformed to the point that the two aspects of Ko Chun seem almost to have been played by two different actors.

Knife and his crew come to love and protect their friend, mortgaging all they have to provide him with a surgery that might restore his sensibilities. Their Chocolate-aided success brings unwanted attention, which leads to pursuit, kidnapping, ransom and gunplay. Further trauma to poor Chocolate follows which leads to a showdown that highlights the God of Gamblers uncanny ability to win, even when opponents cheat and "friends" betray.

While Chow Yun Fat's impressive talent and charisma are at the heart and soul of this film, the supporting players are excellent, especially Andy Lau and Joey Wong.

A must see and a must own for any Chow Yun Fat fan! In DVD versions of this film the subtitle problems noted in other reviews can be overcome by using the zoom feature on the remote. By slightly shrinking the image and adjusting it upward on the screen, the English subtitles will be perfectly visible and readable 99% of the time.

NOTE: The DVD version of the film is edited, with several original scenes cut that track the ascendency of Knife and Co., and one pretty major plot point that would clarify the denouement at the film's end. VCD versions which are unedited can be sometimes found, but the subtitle problem reasserts itself--VCDs cannot be adjusted to compensate for the problem. But for anyone who has seen the DVD and has the general plot and dialogue down, the search for the unedited VCD version is worthwhile for the cut footage involving Chocolate and Ko Chun.