Hong Kong Godfather (1985)

Crappy film

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

A crazed, last-gasp attempt at blockbuster entertainment from the reliable folk at the Shaw Brothers studio, this sees them abandoning the period kung fu film in order to deliver a riotous, blood-drenched contemporary gangster flick heavily indebted to both THE GODFATHER (invariably) and Yakuza flicks.The tale is a simplistic one, bolstered by elaborate and large-scale action. Shih Kien (the villain Han in ENTER THE DRAGON) is the ageing boss of a crime syndicate who faces trouble from one of his supposedly loyal underlings. A betrayal plot is set in motion, and two loyal and upstanding fighters are caught up in it. One of the men is popular kung fu star Beardy, proving his mettle in contemporary fare, and the other is Norman Chu, possessing the most '80s hairstyle ever.HONG KONG GODFATHER has a rather slow first half that takes time to set up the characters and put the plot in motion. However, the talk is interspersed with bloody gang fight scenes in which sharp weapons are invariably brought into play. The battles get more and more brutal as the running time progresses, with a shocking act of violence against a kid being one of the more unforgettable images. It all builds up to one of the most insane endings I've seen in a Hong Kong film ever: a climax which leaves the set looking like an abattoir, so extreme it is. It's great stuff, and a fine, late stage effort from the studio.

An emotionally charged gangster flick surrounding a traitor within one Triad mob and a couple of overzealous members who seek revenge for the betrayal. The story is simple and doesn't offer much intrigue, and the performances by the righteous Triad members (Ka-Yan Leung & Norman Chu) are mediocre as well. The one redeemable aspect of this fast-food revenge flick is the insane machete fights that get progressively more intense. The problem with the mass machete riots is that the movie makes clear guns are available to mob members however nobody ever uses a gun. Usually scenarios are set up in martial arts films where the use of guns during fight sequences are unattainable, prohibited, dishonorable, etc. In Hong Kong Godfather no attempt is made to reason why none of the mobsters on-screen don't just use a handgun to get what they want. An irritating flaw, especially in this era of widespread gun use with Triad films, but regardless the machete fights are very enjoyable and have their impressive moments. Despite the bloody fights I'd still give it a pass, as the ending's not as satisfying as most other fun Shaw Brothers ventures. -5/10

Hong Kong Godfather is indeed a great movie . As far as quality , Shaw Bros. studios was one of the most consistent ones around . The SB logo was the deciding factor in purchasing this DVD. I am not disappointed . This gritty action drama is somewhat of a hybrid of a heroic bloodshed film crossed with the classic kung fu movie . What is interesting is this predates A Better Tomorrow by a year. Both films are similar , except in this there are knife and kung fu fighting instead of gun battles. Of which are extremely brutal and bloody. The melodrama and quality of acting keeps things moving and interesting in between the action scenes . This is much better than many of the A Better Tomorrow clones that came after this . If you are a fan of heroic bloodshed , or brutal martial arts films you should watch this . You will not be disappointed. Also similar is Code Of Honor which is very good( but less bloody )as well.

Watched this for the first time last night. I finally got my hand on it after several years of research... My expectations were pretty high, knowing that this was directed by Wang Lung Wei and starred Leung Kar Yan and Tsui Sui Keung. The story is pretty standard with the ever present "traitor" whom you can identify after only a few minutes... But I was not prepared for what was upon me: the finale! It's 10 minutes of precise yet chaotic fight choreography that is very brutal yet entertaining. So skip the first two thirds of the movie and you'll be in for a treat! My rating...........................................................8/10 (Would have been a 6 without that awesome ending)