| In a typical Wong Jing move, this movie is not only a sequel to God of Gamblers, but it also features characters from All for the Winner and Saint of Gamblers (aka All For the Winner 2). Chow plays the "Saint of Gamblers" and Lau is the "Knight of Gamblers," two possible successors to the God of Gamblers' throne. Both of them have magical powers that can change cards, but they can only be used for good purposes. After trying to scam each other, they eventually join forces to take on a group of Japanese gamblers to save the GoG's reputation.
This movie is pretty confusing, even by Wong Jing's usual scatterbrained standards. Not only are there characters from two movies, but some actors play similar roles to what they played in those movies, but with different names (Charles Hueng again plays a bodyguard, Cheung Man is the girlfriend, etc.). As per Chow's "moy len tau" style, the movie is also rife with parodies and in-jokes. So basically what I'm saying is that you will have to have some decent knowledge of HK films to get the most enjoyment out of this movie. Knowledgeable viewers and big Stephen Chow fans are more likely to enjoy this movie than your average HK film fan, who may become lost early and often as Chow fast-talks his way through the movie. Though I'm sure most everyone who likes HK comedy will appreciate his talent, especially when he's interacting with his long-suffering sidekick "Uncle" Ng Man-Tat.
Overall, this movie doesn't have the charm of the first one (Chow Yun-Fat is sorely missed), but it's a good way to kill 90 minutes. |
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