Eureka Video UK Blu-ray Synopsis: A two-film saga influenced by The Godfather and Once Upon A Time In America, Taylor Wong's Rich and Famous and Tragic Hero tell a decades-spanning tale of brotherhood and betrayal with a heroic bloodshed twist. In Rich and Famous, brothers Yung (Alex Man) and Kwok (Andy Lau) enter a dangerous world of violent criminals in order to pay off a gambling debt. Crossing paths with the charismatic gangster Lee Ah-chai (Chow Yun Fat), the two brothers join his gang and quickly rise through the ranks. Then in the spectacularly action-packed Tragic Hero, the fortunes of all three characters have changed significantly, with one of the brothers now a violent Triad leader seeking revenge. Also starring Danny Lee (who would reunite with Chow Yun Fat two years later for John Woo's The Killer), Rich and Famous and Tragic Hero make their Blu-ray in the UK from new restorations. (104 Mins)

 

Vicol HK Blu-ray Synopsis: Kok, Yung and Wai Chu were living in poverty, Yung was addicted to gambling while Chu was a prostitute. Yung was caught red-handed in making a mischief. He was harshly punished and forced to make compensation. With the idea inspired by their friend; Ying Hung, they decided to rob Chu Lo Tai, the boss of Ying Hung. Their target was the embargoed gold. The attempt of robbery was unsuccessful and they were pursued and Wai Chu was caught by Chu's killers. To let Wai Chu's free, Kok made himself as hostage... (104 Mins)

 

MIA UK DVD Synopsis: Trapped in a tangled web of mob intrigue and murder, JOHN WOO'S class “Killer” team, CHOW YUN FAT(Bulletproof Monk, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and DANNY LEE, join eastern action heartthrob ANDY LAU in an all-star Hong Kong cast for this heroic bloodshed masterpiece. A rabid tale of violence and shattered innocence, cowardice and loyalty, brotherhood and betrayal, “Rich And Famous” combines a classic gangster plot with scenes of truly blistering ballistic devastation. (99 Mins)

​

Made In Hong Kong UK VHS Synopsis: Trapped in a tangled web of mob intrigue and murder, John Woo's classic 'Killer' team Chow Yun Fat and Danny Lee, join eastern action heartthrob Andy Lau in an all-star Hong Kong cast for this heroic bloodshed masterpiece. A rabid tale of violence and shattered innocence, cowardice and loyalty, brotherhood and betrayal, 'Rich And Famous' combines a classic gangster plot with scenes of truly blistering ballistic devastation. (99 Mins)

 

Views: Ever since I bought them on the Made In Hong Kong VHS label back in the late 90s, I've always had a soft-spot for Taylor Wong's gangster epics Rich & Famous and it's sequel, Tragic Hero – also known as Black Vengeance. While this followed up with a decent DVD release a short number of years later, I've always felt that both films were hugely underrated against bigger films of the heroic bloodshed genre such as The Killer, City On Fire, A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled, and others. Of course, this is not the case (in my opinion) with both films proving to fit right in with them all, offering some strong performances, great direction, and a storyline that was somewhat inspired by The Godfather. Thankfully, in the last few years, we have been lucky enough to see both films get multiple Blu-ray releases from different distributors around the world, so one can only hope that they find a new audience with the next generation of fans who have been supporting the boutique labels. The latest of these comes from Eureka Video, complete with a stunning new restoration that really knocks the film up a notch. While it's not without its flaws, Taylor Wong's gangster saga is a tale of brotherhood, love, betrayal, and gang-warfare, told over the span of decades that begins with begins with the childhood of Yung, Kwok, and Wai-Chui. In their late teens, they find themselves in a spot of bother which sees them cross paths with gang boss Ah-Chai who invites them to join him. Over the years the boys quickly climb the ranks in Ah-Chai's gang, while their sister works as his well-respected housekeeper, but as time passes, Yung proves himself to be untrustworthy and a lone-wolf, soon going against his boss and family with the aim of becoming the leading gang boss in the city!

​

A massive hit on it's initial release, Rich & Famous (and it's sequel) still stands as one of Taylor Wong's most recognised works. Making his directorial debut in 1979 alongside the likes of Tsui Siu Ming, Raymond Lee, and David Lai, in the Johnny Mak produced television show, Reincarnated, Wong's first feature came in the shape of the awesome Return Of The Deadly Blade – a brilliantly made kung-fu adventure starring Norman Tsui, David Chiang, Yeung Pan Pan, Yasuaki Kurata, and many other great names. The film was written by Manfred Wong, who also scripted this gangster epic and his follow-up feature, the fun Buddha's Palm, which was made under the Shaw Brothers banner. Taylor would direct two more for the studio, such as Behind The Yellow Line and Pursuit Of A Killer, before making a splash with Rich & Famous/Tragic Hero in 1987. From there, he made many more with Andy Lau through to the mid 90s such as The Truth, Stars & Roses, Kung Fu Vs Acrobatic, No Risk No Gain, and The Three Swordsmen, as well as producing Don't Fool Me for director Herman Yau. Wong directed Chow Yun Fat in Spiritual Love, which was made the same year as this and also starred Pauline Wong, and again in Triads:The Inside Story in 1989. While he was never revered the same way John Woo or Ringo Lam were for their work, I firmly believe that Taylor Wong Tai Loi has proven himself time-and-time-again as one of Hong Kong cinema's great film-makers. Director of the equally entertaining crime-thriller Long Arm Of The Law, Johnny Mak, produces for Taylor Wong; a job he first did since his aforementioned television debut and again on Wong's titles like Spiritual Love, The Truth, and the sequel to this. The film falls under the banner of Win's Film Company, an earlier branch of the Heung brothers' successful production company now known as Win's Entertainment. Around this period, Win's also produced classic Hong Kong hits like Magic Crystal, The Crazy Companies, Handsome Siblings, Dragon Chronicles, From Beijing With Love, and Chow Yun Fat's underrated God Of Gamblers Return, and have went on to deliver some of the finest films to date featuring Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau, Chow Sing Chi, and others.

​

Between them, they manage to pull together a fantastic cast for this gangland classic with superstars Chow Yun Fat and Andy Lau headlining the piece – although the wonderful Alex Man plays an equally important role. Interestingly enough, Chow had made his acting debut in the aforementioned television show, Reincarnation, that saw some episodes directed by Taylor Wong himself. Although it had been a good decade before they joined forces again for this, Chow had been working his magic on over 30 other titles including The Bund 1 & 2, Postman Fights Back, Hong Kong 1941, 100 Ways To Murder Your Wife, The Seventh Curse, and John Woo's incredible hit-film, A Better Tomorrow, which would crown Yun Fat as the king of the heroic bloodshed genre in 1986. Of course, just a year later, Rich & Famous/Tragic Hero would come into play, but they were only 2 of 11 films Chow would be starring in that year. Aside from these two flicks, Chow would also star in the highly entertaining Spiritual Love for Wong as well as Ringo Lam's City On Fire and Prison On Fire, the fun Scared Stiff, Flaming Brothers, Brotherhood, and A Better Tomorrow 2 – which was even wilder than the first. With Chow's star continuously rising, Taylor pulled a top move in getting the star on-board – I mean, he is the coolest actor in the world – with the popular actor proving to be the perfect choice for gang-boss Ah Chai, before going on to fast become one of Hong Kong's biggest names with films such as City War, The Killer, God Of Gamblers, Once A Thief, Hard Boiled, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and so much more; eventually jumping between Hollywood and home with hit after hit continuing to come out to this day. While Chow had a good decade already behind him, Andy Lau had only been acting for about 4 years since his debut in 1982's Once Upon A Rainbow and Boat People, and would only have around 10 films behind him before being cast in Rich & Famous. These also included the Shaw Brothers film On The Wrong Track and Chang Cheh's Shanghai 13, Sammo Hung's Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars and Lucky Stars Go Places, and Wong Jing's brilliantly entertaining Magic Crystal. Of course, even after 170 films today, Andy Lau Tak Wah (who looks like he's never aged a day) has held his place as one of Hong Kong cinemas most beloved stars and soon went onto become one of the hardest working actors in the business throughout the 80s and 90s; much like his co-star. Of course, the pair would join forces again just 2 years later for the incredible God Of Gamblers, and almost 20 years later for the spin-off/remake, From Vegas To Macau 2 & 3, but I really love the relationship they have together here in both movies. Andy plays Kwok, the youngest of Papa Yung's children (although adopted) who grows up to stick to the path of righteousness and protect his family, even when he knows they are in the wrong. His biggest pain is his brother, Yung, played with menacing glee by the great Alex Mann. This wonderful actor started his career around a similar time as Chow Yun Fat, making his debut in the wuxia television show Dragon Strikes which was also produced by Johnny Mak. Films such as The Secret, The Daring Age, and Avengers From Hell would follow before Man bagged his first Taylor Wong project with a role in Buddha's Palm. Over the years leading to Rich & Famous, the actor would star in films such as Bastard Swordsman 1 & 2, Prince Charming, Misfire, Brotherhood, Journey Of The Doomed, and Hong Kong 1941 alongside Chow Yun Fat. His role here as Yung, in both Rich & Famous and Tragic Hero, is one of my favourites from him with Alex proving to be a villain you love to hate, and a nasty piece of work who shows no hesitation in taking down those closest to him. While still going strong today, Alex has starred alongside Andy Lau a number of times over the years including As Tears Go By, China White, Gangland Odyssey, Crocodile Hunter, Casino Tycoon 1 & 2, and The Conmen In Vegas; and is one of the highlights of these great Taylor Wong films...

​

The trio are joined by a collection of Hong Kong greats including the prolific Ko Chun Hsiung; an actor who racked up a crazy 250+ film credits to his name before his death in 2015. Making his debut in 1963, this Taiwanese star went onto become a hugely recognisable talent that starred in over 120 titles within his first decade of acting, eventually appearing in Hong Kong films such as A Queen's Ransom with Jimmy Wang Yu, My Wacky Wacky World, Queen Bee 1 & 2, Code Of Honour with Chow Yun Fat, Burning Ambition with Frankie Chan, The Dragon Family and Island Of Fire alongside Andy Lau and Jackie Chan, and played Tiger Lo in Miracles with the latter. With such a strong on-screen presence, Ko was the perfect choice to play Chow Yun Fat's biggest rival, Boss Chu, and does a fantastic job as the menacing triad who sparks a darkness in Alex Man's character of Yung while trying to put Ah Chai down for good. The lovely Pauline Wong, recognised mainly for her role as the ghostly maiden in the superb Mr. Vampire, plays the sister of Kwok and Yung – again, making a great job in the role. Like most actresses of her generation, Wong spent a string decade in the film business and delivered some wonderful performances in films such as Night Caller, The Funny Vampire, Spooky Family, Split Of The Spirit, Her Vengeance, The Peacock King, The Beheaded 1000, and Blue Jean Monster alongside the late Shing Fui On – another one of the Rich & Famous cast members. Over the years, Wong starred alongside many of her co-stars a number of times such as The Missed Date, The Greatest Lover and Taylor Wong's Spiritual Love with Chow Yun Fat, The Story Of Dr. Sun Yat Sen and Long Arm Of The Law 2 with Alex Man, No Compromise with Danny Lee, Lucky Stars Go Places, China White, Romancing Star 2, and Last Eunuch In China with Andy Lau, and films like Profiles Of Pleasure, Four Loves, and Love Of The Swindler with the wonderful Carina Lau – here, playing the unfortunate wife of Chow's Ah Chai. This was pretty much Carina's second main role to date since making her debut in the Jackie Chan produced Naughty Boys alongside Kara Hui, not forgetting her appearance as one of the members of The Losers band in his legendary Armour Of God. After both Taylor Wong films, Lau would join Jackie once again for another memorable role in his fantastic Project A 2 before becoming one of the most highly regarded actresses in the industry with further roles in films such as City Warriors, She Shoots Straight, Days Of Being Wild, Centre Stage, Lord Of East China Sea 1 & 2, Ashes Of Time, Eagle Shooting Heroes, Deadful Melody, Forbidden City Cop, 2046, and a number of Andy Lau/Chow Yun Fat movies including Saviour Of The Soul, Infernal Affairs 2 & 3, From Vegas To Macau 2 & 3, Let The Bullets Fly, and Detective Dee & The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame (as well as it's sequels) to name but a few.

​

The fantastic Danny Lee, whose a superstar in his own right, cameos throughout Rich & Famous and it's sequel as a cool-headed cop that aims to put Ah Chai in jail, although in the most respective manner and actor/pop-star Alan Tam stars as the stuttering friend to Kwok and Yung, who tries his hardest to win a position in the gang but, ultimately, just doesn't have what it takes until he is pushed to the limit in the brutal finale. Praised actor Peter Yang Kwan, who had been acting for over 30 years before this came about, stars as the loving father to Andy, Alex, and Pauline's characters and delivers another strong performance that carries through to Tragic Hero. And the ever-popular Fan Mei Sheng, father to the gorgeous and underrated Fan Siu Wong, appears as a likeable Thai gang-boss who meets his maker at the hands of a twisted Alex Man. Fan was pretty much nearing the end of his career around this stage, with roles in the infamous Story Of Ricky and Master Of Zen proving to be his last – both of which would see him star alongside his son, respectively. Ah Chai's gang is fleshed out with a great supporting cast including the menacing John Lam Chung, who starred with Chow just a year before in Dream Lovers before joining him again in A Better Tomorrow 2 and The Killer, as well as starring alongside Andy Lau a number of times in films like The First Time Is The Last Time, A Moment Of Romance, Dragon In Jail, and others. The always entertaining Shing Fui On, who passed in 2007 with a whopping 230 (plus) credits to his name, stars as one of Ah Chai's toughest men and had shared the screen with his co-star many times over the years. From A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2 to Prison On Fire, Tiger On The Beat to Diary Of A Big Man, and The Killer to God Of Gamblers among many, many more, his role here in both films prove to be as brilliant as always. And then there's Alex Ng; an odd choice of a man to cast, but a great one nonetheless. Here, Alex plays Chuan; chauffeur to Ah Chai and one of his most trusted aids. While he might be handy for a lift when needed, Chuan also proves to be a fearless brother when it comes to getting in on the action. Better known as Switch Blade in Johnny Mak's Long Arm Of The Law, Ng also starred alongside Chow Yun Fat in films such as 100 Ways To Murder Your Wife, City On Fire, Flaming Brothers, Spiritual Love, The Greatest Lover, and Triads: The Inside Story, among many other great Hong Kong titles.

​

I found it interesting that the late Bruce Leung Siu Lung – martial-arts legend from films such as The Dragon Lives Again, Broken Oath, Kung Fu Hustle, and Gallants – was given the job as action-choreographer considering that there was no 'martial-arts' per-se, but a mixture of realistic scuffles and gun-fights. From Andy and Alex's introductory fight to the brutal wedding shoot-out, that pre-dates Cynthia Khan's Queen's High by about 4 years, there's enough decent moments of action going on to break up the melodrama which does the job. Part-time actor and cinematographer, Johnny Koo Kwok Wah, captures both chapters of Taylor Wong's saga and does a beautiful job with the visual style. Having got behind the camera in the late 70s, Koo captured films such as Avengers From Hell, The Club, New Mr. Vampire, Aces Go Places 2, Long Arm Of The Law 1 & 2, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars, The Iceman Cometh, and many more including Jet Li's Once Upon A Time In China & America for director Sammo Hung. Even with all the talent involved, I've no doubt that some may find Rich & Famous slow and mostly due to its lengthy running time, but the film is a genuinely well made and entertaining piece of Hong Kong cinema which offers the perfect blend of emotional drama, lavish visuals, and gritty action, as well as some terrific performances – trading the modern action elements seen in films like Full Contact, Hard Boiled, and The Killer, for a more character driven piece that firmly slots into the heroic bloodshed genre with ease!

​

Overall: Packed with a top cast, slick direction, and some realistic action sequences, Rich & Famous still stands strong today as one of Hong Kong's better gangster films from the late 80s!

​

Eureka Video Blu-ray Extras: Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng, Documentary with Dubbing Voice Actors Simon Broad & Russell Wait, Interviews with Manfred Wong & Michael Mak, Trailers

​

Vicol Blu-ray Extras: Trailer

​

Nova Media Blu-ray Extras: Trailer

​

MIA DVD Extras: Biographies, Filmographies, Stills Gallery, Trailer

​

Watch my unboxing video of this Eureka Video release HERE​