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 (as Black Vengeance): Kok and Yung were raised up together and like brothers. They are assistants of Chai, a native of Chiu Chow, a leading man in the underworld. However a misconception broke out which overshadowed the relation amongst the three of them. It made Chai and Yung divergence, Kok went to Malacca and Yung went after Chu Lo Dai, the business partner of Chai. On attempt ofkilling Yung as he was no longer under control, Chu was failed and killed by Yung. On the other hand, Chai faced a seriesof betrayal by his friends and almost... (97 Mins)

 

MIA UK DVD Synopsis: JOHN WOO meets 'The Godfather' in Taylor Wong's ballistic sequel to the hugely successful 'Rich And Famous' which reunited CHOW YUN FAT (Bulletproof Monk, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon), ANDY LAU and ALEX MAN in another perfectly crafted, bullet-riddled saga of three men struggling against all odds to free themselves from the living hell of a violent criminal past. Intense drama and outrageous action are expertly united in this genre classic. (88 Mins)

 

Made In Hong Kong UK VHS Synopsis: JOHN WOO meets 'The Godfather' in Taylor Wong's ballistic sequel to the hugely successful 'Rich And Famous' which reunited CHOW YUN FAT (Bulletproof Monk, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon), ANDY LAU and ALEX MAN in another perfectly crafted, bullet-riddled saga of three men struggling against all odds to free themselves from the living hell of a violent criminal past. Intense drama and outrageous action are expertly united in this genre classic. (88 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 Tragic Hero and its prequel, Rich & Famous. While this followed up with a decent DVD release from MIA 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 (1989), City On Fire (1987), A Better Tomorrow (1986), Hard Boiled (1992), 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 (1972). 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 sequel continues the tale of brotherhood, love, betrayal, and gang-warfare, spread over many years which follows the lives of Yung, Kwok, and Wai-Chui. Having long been members of Ah Chai's gang, their lives start to divide as Yung proves himself to be their biggest problem yet with the aim of becoming the leading gang boss in the city. Filled with venom, he spares no-one in his mission to bring down Ah Chai and those close to him!

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Also known as Black Vengeance in some places, both Tragic Hero and Rich & Famous still stand as some 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 (1981) – 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 (1982), which was made under the Shaw Brothers banner. Taylor would direct two more for the studio, such as Behind The Yellow Line (1984) and Pursuit Of A Killer (1985), 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 (1988), Stars & Roses (1989), Kung Fu Vs Acrobatic (1990), No Risk No Gain (1990), and The Three Swordsmen (1994), as well as producing Don't Fool Me (1991) for director Herman Yau. Wong directed Chow Yun Fat in Spiritual Love (1987) 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 (1984), 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 (1987), The Truth (1988), 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 (986), The Crazy Companies (1988), Handsome Siblings (1992), Dragon Chronicles (1994), From Beijing With Love (1994), as well as Chow Yun Fat's underrated, God Of Gamblers Return (1994), and have went on to deliver some of the finest films to date featuring Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau, Chow Sing Chi, and others.

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Between them, they've managed to pull together a fantastic cast for these gangland classics with superstars Chow Yun Fat and Andy Lau headlining the piece – with the wonderful Alex Man playing an equally important role through to the very end. Interestingly enough, Chow had made his acting debut in the aforementioned television show, Reincarnated (1979), 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 (1983), Postman Strikes Back (1982), Hong Kong 1941 (1984), 100 Ways To Murder Your Wife (1986), The Seventh Curse (1986), and John Woo's incredible hit-film, A Better Tomorrow (1986), which would crown Yun Fat as the king of the heroic bloodshed genre. 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 (1988), The Killer (1989), God Of Gamblers (1989), Once A Thief (1991), Hard Boiled (1992), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), 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 here. These also included the Shaw Brothers film On The Wrong Track (1983) and Chang Cheh's Shanghai 13 (1984), Sammo Hung's Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) and Lucky Stars Go Places (1986), and Wong Jing's brilliantly entertaining Magic Crystal (1986). 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 charming co-star. Of course, the pair would join forces again just 2 years later for the incredible God Of Gamblers (1989), and almost 20 years later for the spin-off/remake, From Vegas To Macau 2 & 3 (2015), 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 Man. This wonderful actor started his career around a similar time as Chow Yun Fat, making his debut in the wuxia television show Dragon Strikes (1979) which was also produced by Johnny Mak. Films such as The Secret (1979), The Daring Age (1981), and Avengers From Hell (1981) would follow before Man bagged his first Taylor Wong project with a role in Buddha's Palm (1982). Over the years leading to Rich & Famous, the actor would star in films such as Bastard Swordsman 1 & 2 (1983), Prince Charming (1984), Misfire (1984), Brotherhood1986), Journey Of The Doomed (1985), and Hong Kong 1941 (1984) 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 (1988), China White (1989), Gangland Odyssey (1988), Crocodile Hunter (1989), Casino Tycoon 1 & 2 (1992), and The Conmen In Vegas (1999); and is one of the highlights of these great Taylor Wong films...

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The trio are joined (once again) 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 (1976) with Jimmy Wang Yu, My Wacky Wacky World (1975), Queen Bee 1 & 2 (1981), Code Of Honour (1987) with Chow Yun Fat, Burning Ambition (1989) with Frankie Chan, The Dragon Family (1988), played Tiger Lo in Miracles (1989) alongside Jackie Chan and again in Island Of Fire (1990) which also starred Andy Lau. 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 triad who now allies Ah Chai to bring a stop to Yung's madness. The lovely Pauline Wong, recognised mainly for her role as the ghostly maiden in the superb Mr. Vampire (1985), plays the sister of Kwok and Yung – again, making a great job of her 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 (1985), The Funny Vampire (1986), Split Of The Spirit (1987), Her Vengeance (1988), The Peacock King (1989), The Beheaded 1000 (1993), and Blue Jean Monster (1991) 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 (1986), The Greatest Lover (1988) and Taylor Wong's Spiritual Love (1987) with Chow Yun Fat, The Story Of Dr. Sun Yat Sen (1986) and Long Arm Of The Law 2 (1987) with Alex Man, No Compromise (1988) with Danny Lee, Lucky Stars Go Places (1986)  and Last Eunuch In China (1987) with Andy Lau, and films like Profiles Of Pleasure (1988), Four Loves (1989), and Love Of The Swindler (1993) 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 (1986) alongside Kara Hui, not forgetting her appearance as one of the members of The Losers band in his legendary Armour Of God (1986). After both Taylor Wong films, Lau would join Jackie once again for another memorable role in his fantastic Project A 2 (1987) before becoming one of the most highly regarded actresses in the industry with further roles in films such as City Warriors (1988), She Shoots Straight (1990), Days Of Being Wild (1990), Centre Stage (1992), Lord Of East China Sea 1 & 2 (1993), Ashes Of Time (1994), Deadful Melody (1994), Forbidden City Cop (1996), 2046 (2004), and a number of Andy Lau/Chow Yun Fat movies including Saviour Of The Soul (1991), Infernal Affairs 2 & 3 (2003), From Vegas To Macau 2 & 3 (2015), Let The Bullets Fly (2010), and Detective Dee & The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame (2010) as well as it's sequels to name but a few.

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It's also worth noting that the fantastic Danny Lee, whose a superstar in his own right, continues his cameo-role from Rich & Famous as a cool-headed cop that aims to put Ah Chai in jail, although in the most respective manner. Praised actor Peter Yang Kwan, who had been acting for over 30 years before this came about, returns to star as the loving father to Andy, Alex, and Pauline's characters and delivers another strong performance that shines towards the end of Tragic Hero. The always entertaining Shing Fui On, who passed in 2007 with a whopping 230 (plus) credits to his name, continues his role as one of Ah Chai's toughest men and goes down in a blaze of glory in one of my favourite scenes from the film. Shing had shared the screen with his co-star many times over the years from A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2 (1986) to Prison On Fire (1987), Tiger On The Beat (1988) to Diary Of A Big Man (1988), and The Killer (1989) to God Of Gamblers (1989) among many more, and his role here in both films prove to be as brilliant as always. Also returning is 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 (1984), Ng also starred alongside Chow Yun Fat in films such as 100 Ways To Murder Your Wife (1986), City On Fire (1987), Flaming Brothers (1987), Spiritual Love (1987), The Greatest Lover (1988), and Triads: The Inside Story (1989), among many other great Hong Kong titles.

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And finally, there's Bruce Leung Siu Lung – martial-arts legend from films such as The Dragon Lives Again (1977), Broken Oath (1977), Kung Fu Hustle (2004), and Gallants (2010) – returns as the action-choreographer, upping the ante with even more action than before, delivering a wild mixture of realistic punch-ups and gun-fights. From relentless shoot-outs and explosions strewn throughout, to the explosive and brutal showdown of the grand finale, fans of Hong Kong action-cinema with love what's on offer here. Part-time actor and cinematographer, Johnny Koo Kwok Wah, once again captures this chapters of Taylor Wong's saga and does another beautiful job with the visual style. Having got behind the camera in the late 70s, Koo captured films such as Avengers From Hell (1981), The Club (1981), New Mr. Vampire (1986), Aces Go Places 2 (1983), Long Arm Of The Law 1 & 2 (1984/87), Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985), The Iceman Cometh (1989), and many more including Jet Li's Once Upon A Time In China & America (1997) for director Sammo Hung. With so much talent involved and less melodrama than its prequel, Tragic Hero proves to be another genuinely well made and entertaining piece of Hong Kong cinema which almost nails the perfect blend of emotional drama and gritty action, wrapped up in plenty of lavish visuals and terrific performances that bring this classic saga to an intense close!

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Overall: Crammed with even more action and backed with strong performances from all involved, Tragic Hero still stands strong today as one of Hong Kong's best gangster films from the late 80s!

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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

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Vicol Blu-ray Extras: Trailer

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Nova Media Blu-ray Extras: Trailer

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

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Watch my unboxing video for this Eureka Video release HERE

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