FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE
(Hong Kong 1994)
Original Title: Gwok Chaan Ling Ling Chat
Directed by Stephen Chow Sing Chi, Lee Lik Chi Produced by Charles Heung, Jimmy Heung Action by Poon Kin Kwan Starring: Stephen Chow Sing Chi, Anita Yuen, Law Kar Ying, Pauline Chan, Joe Cheng, Wong Kam Kong, Lee Lik Chi, Yu Rong Guang, Wong Yat Fei, Yip Chun Reviewing: Eureka Video UK Blu-ray Release Genres: Comedy / Action / Parody
Rating - 4.5 / 5
Eureka Video UK Blu-ray Synopsis: Hong Kong's King of Comedy Stephen Chow(Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle) directs and stars in this hilarious spoof of the James Bond franchise. Martini swilling butcher (and disgraced former spy) Ling Ling Chat is dispatched to recover a stolen dinosaur skull from a golden-gun wielding supervillain. Equipped with the latest gadgets,our hero dons his tuxedo and swaggers into a world of danger, beautiful women and metal-mouthed assassins. Sound familiar? One of Stephen Chow's funniest films, Eureka Classics is proud to present From Beijing With Love on Blu-ray in its UK debut. (83 Mins)
Nova Media Korean Blu-ray Synopsis: NA (83 Mins)
Views: Written and directed by both Stephen Chow Sing Chi and Lee Lik Chi, with the former also starring as the leading man and the latter cameoing in a comedic role as blind prisoner who has been arrested for peeking at confidential documents (think about it), From Beijing With Love proudly delivers itself as a very direct spoof of the James Bond films – predating Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery by a few years and, in many ways, is a much more superior parody. The film tells the tale of Chinese secret-agent 007 who is sent to Hong Kong to recover the skull of a T-rex; China's only dinosaur fossil that has been stolen by the man with the golden gun. Partnered with Hong Kong agent Lee, who has been ordered to delay his investigation and, ultimately, finish him off – 007 takes on a host of wild and whacky villains while dodging bullets, blades, and baddies, backed by his trusty butchers blade and collection of insane gadgets!
Known in Cantonese as Gwok Chaan Ling Ling Chat – which literally means 'The Locally Produced 007', From Beijing With Love went on to gross $37.5 million in Hong Kong with Chow Sing Chi gaining a nomination for Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1995. Although he had been active in the television and film and industry from the early 80s, the hilarious Stephen Chow Sing Chi really shot to superstardom around 1990 when films such as Curry & Pepper, Look Out Officer, All For The Winner, and God Of Gamblers 2 allowed him to really put his comedic talents to use. Of course, between then and From Beijing With Love, the Hong Kong film-maker practically delivered hit after hit, lighting up the box office with films such as Tricky Brains, Fight Back To School, Royal Tramp, Flirting Scholar, Love On Delivery, A Chinese Odyssey 1 & 2 and many more, proving to be a genuine comic genius and working with directors such as Vincent Kok, Jeff Lau, Gordon Chan, Danny Lee, and the prolific Wong Jing. Of course, the whole world now knows who Stephen Chow is after the successful Hollywood release of Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, both of which I highly recommend. So why, at the height of his global recognition, did Chow soon step away from leading roles? Soon after starring in and directing his fun family comedy CJ7, and aside from a brief role in China's Beginning Of The Great Revival, Hong Kong's king of comedy soon faded from sight with at least 5 years passing before he announced his next project. Some say it was due to the lack of success and embarrassment of Dragonball Evolution; his first major Hollywood film as a producer that was torn to shreds by fans and critics for its complete inability to represent anything Akira Toriyama's epic manga/anime stood for. So, after becoming a member of the CCP as well as a major shareholder of the Bingo Group LTD production company in China, Chow returned in 2013 as the director of Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons – a hilarious re-imagining of the Monkey King story. But a decade has since passed and we still haven't seen Chow star in another feature, although he has been keeping us happy with his directorial efforts The Mermaid and The New King Of Comedy, as well as producing his Monkey King sequel Journey To The West: Demon Chapter (this time directed by Tsui Hark), and we may never see him star again – but that's why restored versions of his earlier works, such as From Beijing With Love, are vitally important to fans of his work.
Also gaining a nomination the same year, this time for Best Supporting Actor, was Law Kar Ying, another regular face of Chow's film projects with From Beijing With Love being their first which saw the star play an insane version of the James Bond gadget inventor, Q. A prolific actor in his own right, with over 160 credits to his name, Law has appeared alongside some of Hong Kong's biggest stars including Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, Leslie Cheung, and Tony Leung, racking up almost 170 film credits over the last 3 decades. Oddly enough, his role here as Tat Man Si was only his fourth or fifth role since making his feature debut alongside Jackie Chan in Crime Story, just the year before. Here, the pair are joined by the wonderful Anita Yuen who does an amazing job as Chow's partner/assassinator, Agent Lee. Yuen had only been in the film business for about 2 years, making her big screen debut in Days Of Being Dumb alongside Jacky Cheung, Tony Leung, and Eric Tsang. A wild mix of films would follow such as Handome Siblings, Last Hero In China, Prince Of Portland Street, Cést La Vie Mon Cheri (of which she pays homage to in a scene here), Crystal Fortune Run, and A Taste Of Killing & Romance, and it was clear that the young actress was making an impact as From Beijing With Love would be only one of 13 titles she would star in that year. The characteristic Wong Kam Kong stars as Chow's double-crossing commander and the main villain of the piece, Golden-Gun. Although he didn't star in many films over his 15 year career – when you look at the output from most Hong Kong actors of the time – Wong became a recognisable face to many and often gave great performances no matter how big the role. Prior to this, Wong starred in martial arts movies such as Sammo Hung's Blade Of Fury and Cheng Siu Keung's forgotten Sam The Iron Bridge Trilogy, as well as Ringo Lam's hugely underrated Burning Paradise where he played the sadistic prison warden. But it's also worth pointing out his roles in modern action films such as The Tigers, Gunmen, Wonder Seven, Tiger Cage 3, Bodyguard From Beijing, and Alfred Cheung's Manhattan Midnight, which would also be his last. The lovely Pauline Chan stars in one of her less Cat.3 based roles as an assassin for Golden-Gun, complete with a machine gun bra and barrels that represent some lengthy nipples, with Joe Cheng joining her as Metal Mouth – a clear spoof of the James Bond villain known as Jaws. This would only be Joe's second time starring alongside Chow, with his first (and debut role) being in the hilarious Love On Delivery as the judo master for fights Chow for a girl. Clearly a favourite of the star and director, Cheng would go onto star with Chow in Sixty Million Dollar Man, The Lucky Guy, and King Of Comedy. And I mustn't forget about the wonderful Yu Rong Guang who makes a cameo appearance as the true, kick ass secret agent known as 002...
Up to this point, Chow had often spoofed scenes from Hollywood blockbusters and western pop culture, as well as Bruce Lee's films Fist Of Fury and Enter The Dragon – with the star often citing the Little Dragon as his ultimate hero – but From Beijing With Love would be the first full parody of a popular film or series that would get his full attention. Interestingly though, he would also pay homage to the hits of Wong Kar Wai and Tony Leung Chiu Wai in particular spooking his coffee drinking scene from Chungking Express by swapping it for a dry Martini, and another from Days Of Being Wild that sees Chow admiring himself in the mirror while combing his hair after the camera pans across his room – even going as far as to use the same music as heard in Wong's movie. And then there's his co-director, Lee Lik Chi. Much like Stephen Chow, co-writer and director Lee was no stranger to the mo lai tau comedy genre of Hong Kong cinema. The pair first joined forces in 1991 on the hilarious Magnificent Scoundrels with Lee going on to appear alongside and direct Chow in titles such as Flirting Scholar, Love On Delivery, God Of Cookery, The Lucky Guy, King Of Comedy, and of course, From Beijing With Love – most of which have proven to be some of Chow Sing Chi's bigger hits. While much of the audience in the west still find it quite difficult to pick up on his style of nonsensical humour, I have personally relished in his work for the last few decades, often laughing the loudest in the room and usually at the small, intricate details that easily pass the general audience.
As one would expect, due to the nature of its portrayal of the Chinese government and communist party, From Beijing With Love was never released in China – and while it was not uncommon for Hong Kong movies of this time to make fun of the political corruption and widely criticised bureaucracy of its neighbours leading up the 1997 handover, it's clear we may never see this kind of comedy come out of Hong Kong cinema ever again. Coming in at an undemanding 83 minutes, the film sits as one of Chow's shortest, yet still offers the complete package with plenty of laughs, brutal violence, and over the top insanity that helped make From Beijing With Love a hit and a successful directorial debut for its leading man!
Overall: Hilarious and wonderfully conceived, From Beijing With Love is one of Chow Sing Chi's finest moments and never fails to make me laugh!
Eureka Video Blu-ray Extras: 2K Restoration, Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng, Interview with Wong Kam Kong, Archival Interview with Lee Lik Chi, In Conversation with Wong Kam Kong, Trailer
Nova Media Blu-ray Extras: Trailer
Get your copy HERE
Watch my unboxing video for this Eureka Video Blu-ray Release HERE
