China, Hong Kong & Taiwan Challenge (Official, May 2022)

[gunnar]

Goal:
Watch as many films from China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan as you can.

Rules
- Each feature film (over 40 minutes) counts as one entry.
- A total of 80 minutes of short films or miniseries/TV episodes count as one entry.
- Rewatches are allowed.
- English Title (year, Country) is the preferred format or English title/Original Title (year, Country) if you prefer.
- Do not edit your posts to add new watches, just create a new one.
- Try to give an indication of how much you liked/disliked your watchings (reviews, comments, ratings,...)

Challenge runs from May 1st, 2022 - May 31st, 2022 in your local time zone


Bonus Challenge:
Watch as many films as you can from different years. One point for each (different) year. If you plan to participate in this challenge, it would be helpful if you could keep a running tally in your posts so that I don't miss any.


Official Lists:
100 Classic Martial Arts Films
Golden Horse's 100 Greatest Chinese-Language Films
The Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures
LoveHKFilm.com's The Best Hong Kong Films Ever
Asian Cinema: A Field Guide: China (1-76), Hong Kong (356-459), Taiwan (633-675)
UNESCO's Memory of the World: China (129-143)

Caveat: the obviously not Chinese films (such as Rush Hour et al) that appear on these lists are ineligible Films should primarily have been produced by companies in China, Hong Kong, and/or Taiwan

Unofficial lists (submit 'em if you got 'em):
Fori's 5th Generation project
Onderhond's Top 200 Hong Kong/China/Taiwan
Onderhond's China's Post-2000 Hidden Genre Gems
iCM Forum's Favorite Chinese Movies
101 Essential Chinese Movies

Rank	Participant	Total	China	Hong Kong	Taiwan	Bonus
1	flavo5000	133	37	81	15	56
2	Traveller	80	34	33	13	47
3	sol	78	16	60	2	63
4	DudeLanez	60	17	19	24	35
5	gunnar	43	22	20	1	41
6	beavis	35	8	26	1	16
7	Onderhond	19	9	8	2	11
8	klaus78	18	0	18	0	17
8	Lonewolf2003	18	0	18	0	8
10	shugs	14	0	14	0	13
11	jdidaco	12	2	4	6	10
11	ororama	12	0	12	0	8
13	hurluberlu	10	8	0	2	8
13	RBG	10	1	9	0	7
15	AB537	9	2	5	2	8
16	morrison-dylan-fan	8	0	6	2	8
17	Silga	7	0	7	0	7
18	maxwelldeux	6	2	3	1	6
18	Melvelet	6	0	4	2	6
20	zzzorf	5	0	2	3	4
21	blocho	4	1	2	1	4
22	peeptoad	3	1	0	2	3
23	Arkantos	2	1	1	0	2
23	mjf314	2	2	0	0	1
25	Mario Gaborović	1	0	1	0	1
25	VincentPrice	1	0	1	0	1
25	vortexsurfer	1	1	0	0	1
Total		597	164	354	79

[Onderhond]

I'll probably be along for the ride. Not specifically making an effort, but I should be able to log a fair amount of films

[Torgo]

Onderhond: "How is this different from any other month in the year? "

[sol]

It starts! First in. Thanks for hosting, gunnar.

1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) Hong Kong REVISION



Viewed for a second time, this Stephen Chow comedy still feels as fresh as ever. While nowhere near as zany and unpredictable as his latter Kung Fu Hustle, this earlier effort likewise captures the beauty of martial arts by combining actual kung fu moves with breathtaking special effects. The film also gives Chow regular Ng Man-tat a great character to work with, and it is frequently funny as Chow takes sports field showmanship to an entirely new level.

[Mario Gaborović]

01. Am faa (1998) - Hong Kong

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) Hong Kong REVISION

2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong



As one might expect, the stunts are magnificent here with Chan jumping over, under and through various items, including a shopping trolley and car sunroof. What one might not expect is how brutal much of the violence given that this is a comedy. There is an amazingly grisly scene in which the thugs play tee-ball with glass bottles and Chan's life genuinely seems in danger. The climax involving hovercraft insanity also needs to be seen to be believed.

[gunnar]

2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong

As one might expect, the stunts are magnificent here with Chan jumping over, under and through various items, including a shopping trolley and car sunroof. What one might not expect is how brutal much of the violence given that this is a comedy. There is an amazingly grisly scene in which the thugs play tee-ball with glass bottles and Chan's life genuinely seems in danger. The climax involving hovercraft insanity also needs to be seen to be believed.

I enjoyed Rumble in the Bronx when it came out. Chan broke his ankle on the hovercraft stunt. I think that he's had quite a few injuries over the years.

[VincentPrice]

1. The Twin Swords-1965: 7/10 Hong Kong

[ororama]

1. Tau ban no hoi/Boat People (1982, Hong Kong) * 109 min.

I've wanted to see this since it played at the New York Film Festival, and I wasn't disappointed. Great performances by Season Ma, Mengshi Qi, Cora Miao and George Lam (strange to see him in a non-comic role), a promising beginning for Andy Lau and an outstanding job by director Ann Hui.

*First time viewing

Years covered

1982

[sol]

2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong

As one might expect, the stunts are magnificent here with Chan jumping over, under and through various items, including a shopping trolley and car sunroof. What one might not expect is how brutal much of the violence given that this is a comedy. There is an amazingly grisly scene in which the thugs play tee-ball with glass bottles and Chan's life genuinely seems in danger. The climax involving hovercraft insanity also needs to be seen to be believed.

I enjoyed Rumble in the Bronx when it came out. Chan broke his ankle on the hovercraft stunt. I think that he's had quite a few injuries over the years.

I'm surprised it took me so long to finally see Rumble. I guess with "Bronx" in the title, I had always mistakenly thought that this one of Chan's American outings, which I generally don't like. Rumble though is a HK film through and through and one that features some of Chan's best stunts. And yes, I think I read that regarding the hovercraft. Some crazy nutso stuff going on with the hovercraft too and Chan literally throwing a baby building sandcastles out of the way to avoid the kid being crushed. What an awesomely insane film.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) Hong Kong REVISION
2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong

3. Detective Chinatown (2015) China



The main characters' uneasy bonding here is easy to predict, but this is was fairly watchable with energetic performances all round. The young protagonist also has some Sherlock Holmes-like skills of deduction, and it is a shame that this element is not to put to use more often. This is a primarily a comedy though and the gags have more hits than misses, including a downright crazy make-a-distraction scene that involves Keystonish cops bumbling about.

A much more tolerable film than I suspected. I will be doing the second and third film tomorrow. Wish me luck?

[vortexsurfer]

1. Rang zi dan fei/Let the Bullets Fly (Wen Jiang, 2010) China - 7/10

[hurluberlu]

1. Tau ban no hoi/Boat People (1982) * 109 min.

I've wanted to see this since it played at the New York Film Festival, and I wasn't disappointed. Great performances by Season Ma, Mengshi Qi, Cora Miao and George Lam (strange to see him in a non-comic role), a promising beginning for Andy Lau and an outstanding job by director Ann Hui.

*First time viewing

Still time to vote it for DtC !

[Traveller]

01. Xiaoshan Going Home (1995) - 4/10 (China)
02. There's a Strong Wind in Beijing (2000) - 4/10 (China)
03. The Story of a Discharged Prisoner (1967) - 7/10 (Hong Kong)
04. The Bride Who Returned from Hell (1965) - 4/10 (Taiwan)

[Onderhond]

01. 3.5* - Man in Love [Dang Nan Ren Lian Ai Shi] by Chen-Hao Yin (2021/Taiwan)

I never watched the original, but seeing how I generally prefer Taiwanese over South-Korean cinema, I wasn't too bothered by that. I knew very little about Man in Love going in, and came out pleasantly surprised by this sweet, and stylish mix of crime and romance. It's probably nothing you haven't seen before, but the execution was on point. A Cheng is a debt collector with his heart in the right place. While collecting money for his boss, he meets Hao Ting, a young girl who tries to take care of her father. She is knee-deep in debt, so A Cheng comes up with a plan that will relieve of her monetary worries, hoping his plan might also bring them closer together. The cinematography is predictably stylish, the score is pleasant, the plot familiar but effective. Roy Chiu is solid, but it's Hsu who really shines. The ending is a little long in the tooth and the film fails to truly rise above itself, but if you're looking for some prime crime filler, you really can't go wrong with Man in Love.

[ororama]

1. Tau ban no hoi/Boat People (1982) * 109 min.

I've wanted to see this since it played at the New York Film Festival, and I wasn't disappointed. Great performances by Season Ma, Mengshi Qi, Cora Miao and George Lam (strange to see him in a non-comic role), a promising beginning for Andy Lau and an outstanding job by director Ann Hui.

*First time viewing

Still time to vote it for DtC !

I did. 6/6. I was thinking of watching it last month but realized that I could wait, although had forgotten that it was nominated until after I watched it this morning. I just wanted to start this challenge with something that I expected to be really good.

[Onderhond]

02. 3.0* - The Twelve Gold Medallions [Shi Er Jin Pai] by Kang Cheng (1970/Hong Kong)

Hadn't seen too many Kang Sheng films (this is only my second), like most Shaw Bros directors he has a pretty expansive oeuvre. When one of his films landed on Prime here I didn't want to miss the opportunity, and so I took a little diversion from Cheh Chang & Yuen Chor's oeuvre, and I'm glad I did. The plot is pretty typical. Yangtang is a kung fu master who holds supernatural powers. One of his best students has fallen for Yangtang's daughter, but when Yangtang sides with some bad men the two get in a heated battle. Yangtang gets the help of twelve warriors, each carrying a gold medallion. The action is a bit more dynamic and the exterior scenes offer a welcome change of scenery. Other than that, this was a pretty stereotypical Shaw Bros film. With most of their work being very similar, these small directorial influences do make a difference, at least I now know there will be plenty more to explore once I'm finished with Chang/Chor.

Turning Red

01. 3.5* - Man in Love [Dang Nan Ren Lian Ai Shi] by Chen-Hao Yin (2021/Taiwan)

[gunnar]

01. 3.5* - Man in Love [Dang Nan Ren Lian Ai Shi] by Chen-Hao Yin
02. 3.0* - The Twelve Gold Medallions [Shi Er Jin Pai] by Kang Cheng

If you could name the year and where the film comes from in the top line, I'd appreciate it. It will make it a lot easier to tally. Maybe something like:

01. 3.5* - Man in Love [Dang Nan Ren Lian Ai Shi] by Chen-Hao Yin (2021,Taiwan)

though you wouldn't need to make it a different color.

[Onderhond]

If you could name the year and where the film comes from in the top line

Done

[Silga]

1. Dragon Lord (Jackie Chan, 1982) 6/10 Hong Kong

Jackie showed some great directing of action scenes and humor was on point most of the time. The pacing in sports scenes could have been handled better, but it is nonetheless a fun ride. Looking forward to more Jackie Chan movies during this challenge.

[gunnar]

1. Dragon Lord (Jackie Chan, 1982) 6/10

If you could include where the film is from in your top line (e.g. Hong Kong), I'd appreciate it. It will make it easier to tally.

I have a few Jackie Chan films lined up to watch this month. I might have to add Dragon Lord to the mix.

[Silga]

1. Dragon Lord (Jackie Chan, 1982) 6/10

If you could include where the film is from in your top line (e.g. Hong Kong), I'd appreciate it. It will make it easier to tally.

I have a few Jackie Chan films lined up to watch this month. I might have to add Dragon Lord to the mix.

Done! Thanks for reminder and for hosting. I will also try to watch as many films from different years as possible for bonus challenge.

[DudeLanez]

1. The Arch (1968, Shu Shuen Tong) 6,5/10 - Hong Kong
2. Vive L'Amour (1994, Ming-liang Tsai) 7/10 - Taiwan


Vive L'Amour (1994)

Taiwan: 1 / Hong Kong: 1 / China: 0 / Bonus Challenge: 2

1. The Arch (1968, Shu Shuen Tong) 6,5/10 - Hong Kong
2. Vive L'Amour (1994, Ming-liang Tsai) 7/10 - Taiwan

Bonus Challenge: 2
1968, 1994

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) Hong Kong REVISION
2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong
3. Detective Chinatown (2015) China

4. Detective Chinatown 2 (2018) China



The crime-solving duo travel to the United States to solve an even higher profile crime in this big budget sequel. As with its predecessor, the film does not really do anything amazing in the action or mystery departments. As a comedy though, there are more hits than misses with a Trump lookalike who wants to "build a wall on the west coast" of America coming off as a real highlight. There is also a bazooka-wielding baddie and some not-so-intimidating bikies.

Two down, one more to go. What a perfect month to work on the Box Office list.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) Hong Kong REVISION
2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong
3. Detective Chinatown (2015) China
4. Detective Chinatown 2 (2018) China

5. Detective Chinatown 3 (2021) China



This has the most intriguing mystery of all three films with a locked room case that brings Agatha Christie to mind. Delivering mysteries is not, however, what this franchise does best and the explanation is far too lengthy and longwinded (with courtroom theatrics to boot) to really resonate. Goofy comedy is, however, what the series excels at and while the humour is uneven, there are more hits than misses again with a near-silent morgue mix-up working best.

Bonus Challenge: Years Covered (5)

1995
2001
2015 2018
2021

[flavo5000]

1. Di renjie: Tong tian di guo a.k.a. Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame (Tsui Hark, 2010) China/Hong Kong


2. Guangdong shi hu xing yi wu xi a.k.a. Ten Tigers from Kuangtung (Chang Cheh, 1980) Hong Kong


3. Huang jia shi jie a.k.a. Yes, Madam! (Corey Yuen, 1985) Hong Kong

The Kill List

1. Di renjie: Tong tian di guo a.k.a. Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame (Tsui Hark, 2010) China/Hong Kong
2. Guangdong shi hu xing yi wu xi a.k.a. Ten Tigers from Kuangtung (Chang Cheh, 1980) Hong Kong
3. Huang jia shi jie a.k.a. Yes, Madam! (Corey Yuen, 1985) Hong Kong

Years watched

1980, 1985


2010

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) Hong Kong REVISION
2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong
3. Detective Chinatown (2015) China
4. Detective Chinatown 2 (2018) China
5. Detective Chinatown 3 (2021) China

6. Chicken and Duck Talk (1988) Hong Kong



Michael Hui is excellent as a thrifty duck restaurant owner here, who progresses from not caring about the cleanliness of his cafe to caring deeply about it as seeks to win back his cliental. There are a lot of eccentric touches too, from impromptu aerobics to hide rats during a health inspection to an insane part where he dons a makeshift duck mascot costume in desperation, inadvertently scaring off kids when he runs up to them offering discount food!

FWIW, the above scene one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. They are crying "eat me!" in unison while wearing ridiculous outfits.

Bonus Challenge: Years Covered (5)

1988
1995
2001
2015 2018
2021

[Traveller]

05. The Romance of Book and Sword (1987) - 6/10 (China)
06. The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (2006) - 7/10 (Hong Kong)
07. Lonely Hearts Club (1995) - 4/10 (China)

[Onderhond]

03. 3.0* - Set Up [Xiong Nan Gua Nu] by Siu-Hung Chung, Jing Wong (2005/Hong Kong)

Jing Wong helped launch the careers of many famous Hong Kong directors, others never really found their way from underneath his wings. Siu-Hung Chung is such a long-time collaborator (though to be fair, Chung was already quite busy before teaming up with Wong). Set Up is a pretty decent film, with both directors clearly making an effort. Moon is a writer of horror novels. The day before her wedding she goes in for eye surgery, that night she stays with her sister. The house where they sleep over isn't empty though. There are three criminals who are also hiding inside the house. With Moon's eyes still recovering, staying out of their grasp won't be easy. The performances aren't too great, and the plot is pretty basic, but Wong and Chung do their best to give the film a little extra visual flair to compensate. And that works pretty well. The short runtime and decent pacing definitely help too. Not the greatest thriller, but pretty good filler nonetheless.

Turning Red

01. 3.5* - Man in Love [Dang Nan Ren Lian Ai Shi] by Chen-Hao Yin (2021/Taiwan)
02. 3.0* - The Twelve Gold Medallions [Shi Er Jin Pai] by Kang Cheng (1970/Hong Kong)

[DudeLanez]

3. The Boys from Fengkuei (1983, Hsiao-hsien Hou) 7/10 - Taiwan
4. Autumn Moon (1992, Clara Law) 6,5/10 - Hong Kong


Autumn Moon (1992)

Taiwan: 2 / Hong Kong: 2 / China: 0

1. The Arch (1968, Shu Shuen Tong) 6,5/10 - Hong Kong
2. Vive L'Amour (1994, Ming-liang Tsai) 7/10 - Taiwan
3. The Boys from Fengkuei (1983, Hsiao-hsien Hou) 7/10 - Taiwan
4. Autumn Moon (1992, Clara Law) 6,5/10 - Hong Kong

Bonus Challenge: 4

1968
1983
1992, 1994

[gunnar]

1 - Twin Dragons (1992, Hong Kong) - 7/10 - Jackie Chan plays twins who were separated at birth. One ends up as a concert pianist in New York City with his parents while the other is a raised in Hong Kong and becomes a martial artist. When the pianist travels to Hong Kong for a concert, their paths cross and they are mistaken for each other. Comedy and fights ensue. This wasn't the best Jackie Chan film, but it had decent action sequences and was fun.

The OP is updated. Please let me know if you see any errors.

[peeptoad]

1. Rebels of the Neon God (1992, Taiwan) Qing shao nian nuo zha 8

[sol]

Update looks fine and thanks for correcting my incorrectly listed bonus tally. Fixed now.

Spoiler

1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) Hong Kong REVISION
2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong
3. Detective Chinatown (2015) China
4. Detective Chinatown 2 (2018) China
5. Detective Chinatown 3 (2021) China
6. Chicken and Duck Talk (1988) Hong Kong

7. Enter the Fat Dragon (2020) Hong Kong



Donnie Yen dons a fat suit as this comedy about a demoted cop making good. After a slow start, it becomes an entertaining film once it warms up. Despite some zaniness involving intrusive highway TV reporters, it is not until the final hour that Yen really springs into action. Once Yen gets going though, he seldom lets up, and whether it be scaling light poles or kicking a gun into his own hand, he is a delight to watch. The Yakuza climax is pretty epic too.

Bonus Challenge: Years Covered (7)

1988
1995
2001
2010 2015 2018
2021

[flavo5000]

4. Shijie a.k.a. The World (Zhangke Jia, 2004) China


5. Fu rong zhen a.k.a. Hibiscus Town (Jin Xie, 1987) China


6. Reset (Chang, 2017) China


7. Jian hua yan yu jiang nan a.k.a. To Kill with Intrigue (Wei Lo, 1977) Hong Kong


8. Zhao shi gu er a.k.a. Sacrifice (Kaige Chen, 2010) China

The Kill List

1. Di renjie: Tong tian di guo a.k.a. Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame (Tsui Hark, 2010) China/Hong Kong
2. Guangdong shi hu xing yi wu xi a.k.a. Ten Tigers from Kuangtung (Chang Cheh, 1980) Hong Kong
3. Huang jia shi jie a.k.a. Yes, Madam! (Corey Yuen, 1985) Hong Kong
4. Shijie a.k.a. The World (Zhangke Jia, 2004) China
5. Fu rong zhen a.k.a. Hibiscus Town (Jin Xie, 1987) China
6. Reset (Chang, 2017) China
7. Jian hua yan yu jiang nan a.k.a. To Kill with Intrigue (Wei Lo, 1977) Hong Kong
8. Zhao shi gu er a.k.a. Sacrifice (Kaige Chen, 2010) China

Years watched

1977
1980, 1985, 1987

2004
2010 (2), 2017

[/quote]

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) Hong Kong REVISION
2. Rumble in the Bronx (1995) Hong Kong
3. Detective Chinatown (2015) China
4. Detective Chinatown 2 (2018) China
5. Detective Chinatown 3 (2021) China
6. Chicken and Duck Talk (1988) Hong Kong
7. Enter the Fat Dragon (2020) Hong Kong

8. The Chinese Feast (1995) Hong Kong



This gets off to a deliciously oddball start with the main couple wrestling a human-sized fish early on and then such madness as the duo hanging off the edge of building and accidentally tearing their clothes off in the process. As the film progresses though, it seems to forget to be zany as all attention is directed to a cooking competition that takes up the bulk of the film's final half-hour, while boasting some interesting dishes but less madcap energy.

Bonus Challenge: Years Covered (7)

1988
1995
2001
2010 2015 2018
2021

[Traveller]

08. The Drugstore (1980) - 5/10 (China)
09. The Days (1993) - 6/10 (China)
10. The Great Buddha + (2017) - 7/10 (Taiwan)

[hurluberlu]

1. Eat Drink Man Woman / Yin shi nan nu (Ang Lee, 1994) [Taiwan] 7

[mjf314]

I usually participate in Chinese challenges, but I already watched 3 C-dramas this year (104 episodes), so I really need a break from C-dramas.

I might participate later in the month if my mood changes.

[sol]

I usually participate in Chinese challenges, but I already watched 3 C-dramas this year (104 episodes), so I really need a break from C-dramas.

I might participate later in the month if my mood changes.

Sure, take a break from watching some C-dramas and watch some kung fu comedies instead!

[sol]

10. The Great Buddha + (2017) - 7/10 (Taiwan)

I thought the "+" was a typo there so I looked up the film and the premise sounds interesting... though maybe not as a comedy, which it is billed as.