Movie Review: From Vegas to Macau III (PG13)
The poster for From Vegas To Macau III boasts a stellar line-up that includes Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung and Nick Cheung.
And it's clearly a ploy to lure moviegoers to catch the third instalment of the original 2014 hit.
Here, mysterious tycoon J.C. (Jacky) attempts to kill gambler Ken (Chow), but Ken is smart enough to see through all the tricks his nemesis has up his sleeves.
The new additions of Lau and Jacky, as well as a cameo by K-pop star Psy, up the star factor but does nothing to save the nonsensical, thin plot.
Part III is an obviously shameless attempt by director Wong Jing to milk his cash cow. With all its imbecilic gags, the sequel is a huge disappointment and will leave viewers feeling shortchanged.
Verdict: 1/5
Movie Review: The Monkey King 2 (PG13)
The Chinese literary classic Journey To The West never gets old.
It has been adapted countless times for both the big and small screens, but there is just something about its bevy of colourful characters that always excites audiences.
Ageless Hong Kong superstar Aaron Kwok is the enticer in the titular role and he is fantastic as the mischievous monkey spirit Sun Wukong, nailing all of Sun's twitchy mannerisms.
Sun, his master Tang Sanzang (Feng Shaofeng) and loyal sidekicks Zhu Bajie (Xiao Shenyang) and Sha Wujing (Him Law) encounter the evil White Bone Spirit (Gong Li), who schemes to kill Tang for his meat.
With impressive visual effects, this fantasy action flick is a fun-filled ride from start to end.
Verdict: 4/5
Movie Review: The Mermaid (PG)
We can always count on Stephen Chow, the king of Hong Kong slapstick, to bring on the laughs.
The Mermaid, his latest directorial effort, is a fantasy action comedy that seamlessly blends visual effects with his trademark brand of goofball antics and wacky jokes.
Tycoon Hin's (Deng Chao) real estate project involves the heavy usage of sonar technology, which threatens the livelihood of mermaids and mermen living under the sea. Spunky mermaid Shan (Lin Yun) is dispatched to stop Hin, but as fate would have it, they fall for each other.
I love the fact that amid its hilarity, the movie delivers an eco-friendly message about saving oceans.
Taiwanese pop star Show Luo is a scene-stealer, with his meaty supporting role as the dreadlocked Octopus.
Verdict: 4/5
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