cityonfire.com | Shanghai Affairs

	Shanghai Affairs "...the axe stunt alone was worth 15 bucks!" - Bentley Siu-Lung Shanghai Affairs (1998) Director: Donnie Yen Ji-Dan Producer: Simon Tu Action Director: Donnie Yen Ji-Dan Cast: Donnie Yen, Athena Chu, Yu Rong Guang, Chan Chin Pang Running Time: 92 min. Plot: Donnie Yen plays Tang Shan, a doctor who learned great skills in medicine and operating while in the western territories in Europe. Tang comes to a poor part of Shanghai along with his assistant in order to help all of the many sick which cannot afford decent health care. However, the Axe Gang, led by Yu Rong-Guang wants to tear down the village to build a large casino. However, Tang and his assistant try to keep the village protected. During this period, however, Guang's sister, Ah Shen meets Tang and the two start to grow closer when he has to perform an operation to help her talk again. However, even though cured, Guang is even more furious as he is completely against western medicine and only believes in the "Fox God". But Ah Shen wants peace between the two, but will this ever come true... Reviews BENTLEY SIU-LUNG'S REVIEW: Well, I wanted to get this film as I noticed the chinese symbols on the box proclaimed this as the new version of "The Big Boss" (XIN Tang Shan Da Xiong). However, there are very few similarities between the two movies. It is hard to believe that this could only be Donnie Yen's second directorial work as his techniques in the art of film-making are superb. The movie itself was rather slow in getting into fights after the opening battle, however, it wasn't "boring slow", but "dramatic slow" which I can handle much better! Donnie Yen's acting is outstanding and his emotions can rival Bruce Lee's in "Fist of Fury". Anyway, back to his directing. He uses up close "tight" shots in the vital fight scenes and sometimes uses diagonal angles in the tradition of Tsui Hark which I admire being an amateur film-maker. The final battle between Yen and Guang is outstanding, even if it is a tad short. However, Donnie Yen's super chain-axe twirling trick he uses in the end (that's all I can say...)was worth the 15 bucks I paid alone!!! This trick was probably an homage to Bruce's knife kicking trick in the Big Boss, as it has the same type of outcome...(hint, hint) Anyway, it's definitely worth a look... BENTLEY SIU-LUNG'S RATING: 8/10 (As I said, the axe stunt alone was worth 15 bucks!)

Shanghai Affairs

"...the axe stunt alone was worth 15 bucks!"

- Bentley Siu-Lung

Shanghai Affairs (1998)

Director: Donnie Yen Ji-Dan

Producer: Simon Tu

Action Director: Donnie Yen Ji-Dan

Cast: Donnie Yen, Athena Chu, Yu Rong Guang, Chan Chin Pang

Running Time: 92 min.

Plot: Donnie Yen plays Tang Shan, a doctor who learned great skills in medicine and operating while in the western territories in Europe. Tang comes to a poor part of Shanghai along with his assistant in order to help all of the many sick which cannot afford decent health care. However, the Axe Gang, led by Yu Rong-Guang wants to tear down the village to build a large casino. However, Tang and his assistant try to keep the village protected. During this period, however, Guang's sister, Ah Shen meets Tang and the two start to grow closer when he has to perform an operation to help her talk again. However, even though cured, Guang is even more furious as he is completely against western medicine and only believes in the "Fox God". But Ah Shen wants peace between the two, but will this ever come true...

Reviews

BENTLEY SIU-LUNG'S REVIEW: Well, I wanted to get this film as I noticed the chinese symbols on the box proclaimed this as the new version of "The Big Boss" (XIN Tang Shan Da Xiong). However, there are very few similarities between the two movies. It is hard to believe that this could only be Donnie Yen's second directorial work as his techniques in the art of film-making are superb. The movie itself was rather slow in getting into fights after the opening battle, however, it wasn't "boring slow", but "dramatic slow" which I can handle much better! Donnie Yen's acting is outstanding and his emotions can rival Bruce Lee's in "Fist of Fury". Anyway, back to his directing. He uses up close "tight" shots in the vital fight scenes and sometimes uses diagonal angles in the tradition of Tsui Hark which I admire being an amateur film-maker. The final battle between Yen and Guang is outstanding, even if it is a tad short. However, Donnie Yen's super chain-axe twirling trick he uses in the end (that's all I can say...)was worth the 15 bucks I paid alone!!! This trick was probably an homage to Bruce's knife kicking trick in the Big Boss, as it has the same type of outcome...(hint, hint) Anyway, it's definitely worth a look...

BENTLEY SIU-LUNG'S RATING: 8/10 (As I said, the axe stunt alone was worth 15 bucks!)