One of Hong Kong's B-movie kings. Wong's films tend to be slightly cruder, harsher and/or weirder than their contemporaries, which makes them pretty entertaining when you can look past their shortcomings and often unpolished finish.
Movies
Kung Fu vs. Acrobatic
Taylor Wong by way of Jing Wong. Kung Fu vs. Acrobatic is a parody update of Buddha's Palm in true Jing Wong style. Don't expect classy film making or high brow comedy, but when you're in the mood for some goofy, nonsensical Hong Kong silliness then this film has you covered. The effects are absolutely dire and performances are well over the top, but Andy Lau, Pak-Cheung Chan and Joey Wang have good chemistry and the comedy is delightfully daft. The pacing is insane and the film is completely unpredictable, which makes for 100 minutes of solid entertainment. A pleasant surprise.Read all
A pretty mediocre Yau/Wong collaboration. This sounded fun on paper, the reality turned out a little different. The action scenes are decent enough, though they are far from industry bests. The problem lies with the drama and romance, which are pretty ineffective and get in the way of the entertainment. It's neither Yau nor Wong's forte. Prince has been trained to become a contract killer from a very young age. His dad is his teacher, with the help of his son he wants to get rid or his arch enemy once and for all. But Prince falls in love with a girl and when he finds out his dad isn't really the man he claimed to be, he has to make some tough decisions about his future. Jacky Cheung isn't too bad and Yau/Wong do nail the action scenes, though people expecting their usual grit might be a bit disappointed. This felt more like a little experiment for the two directors to cover more commercial ground. The result isn't terrible, but unless you love these types of films, it's hard to actively recommend. Read all
Deadly Dream Woman
Jing Wong and Taylor Wong are an odd combination, so it's no surprise this film turned out to be a pretty odd mess. Jing was no doubt responsible for the lighter segments, while Taylor probably occupied himself with the grittier bits. Do they necessarily belong in the same film? Nah, but who cares, right? The cast is pretty solid for a film like this, the action sequences are decent and the pacing is traditionally slick. The film makes no sense whatsoever though (the superhero outfit of the main character is a true puzzler for example) and the direction is pretty messy and rushed. It's decent entertainment in other words, as long as you keep your expectations in check.Read all
Taylor Wong made a name for himself making grittier action flicks, but in true Hong Kong fashion he also branched out to other genres. Fantasy Romance is one of the most apt film titles ever, as it is in fact a fantasy/romance flick, with some comedy to boot. It's clearly not Wong's strong point, but it's entertaining enough. With Tony Leung and Joey Wang there's some solid acting talent present, but since this is a comedy they're not really able to show it. The comedy isn't great and the plot is pretty basic too, but the fantasy elements are executed quite well and the pacing is solid. Just a bit of mindless entertainment, certainly not Wong's best, but not bad for someone who usually does action films.Read all
Triads: The Inside Story
This was a pretty basic but decent Hong Kong crime flick. Filmed back to back with its sequel, the film is basically a setup for the more explosive (and better) second part. Still, with actors like Yun-Fat Chow and Andy Lau running around and Taylor Wong behind the camera, I expected a bit more. I had already seen the sequel (not knowing it was a sequel, for some reason the English title is Tragic Hero), but that rarely matters with films like these. The plot and stories are pretty much always the same anyway. Crime bosses fighting for survival, young kids rising through the ranks, a bit of betrayal and some hefty shootouts. Performances are solid, though Lau steals the show. The action is decent but there isn't too much of it. And Taylor Wong plays nice, keeping his tendency to go over-the-top under wraps. The film's a bit long maybe, especially as it doesn't offer much in the way of originality, overall though it was pretty solid filler.Read all
Pretty flimsy and cheesy comedy, not quite the film you'd expect from Taylor Wong. But the film is surprisingly upbeat and frivolous, making it a very each watch. It's also quite short and doesn't dwell too long on its drama. Definitely not the best film Wong has made, but it's somewhat decent filler, which is more than I expected.
Casino Raiders spin-off, though marketed as a sequel. Hong Kong franchises can get confusing. Expect more Jing Wong gambling fun, only with a sharper action edge, kudos to the direction of Taylor Wong. The mix doesn't really work that well though and mediocre performances drag the film further down.
One of Taylor Wong's earlier films. Not the most famous Hong Kong director around, probably because he directed some Cat III work that kept him out of the eye of the mainstream. But like Herman Yau, Wong's films offered a nice alternative to the clean, prim entertainment that dominated the Hong Kong market. The performances are pretty basic, the cinematography is crude, and the plot is extremely predictable. It's a pretty generic Hong Kong crime flick in many ways, except that Wong doesn't shy away from blood and nudity. These grittier moments stand out, but they can't really save the film.Read all
A bland courtroom thriller. Hong Kong has a film industry with strengths and weaknesses and serious drama isn't one of its strengths, certainly not when handled by one of its second-tier genre directors. Taylor Wong's The Truth is for completists and extreme fans of courtroom dramas only. At almost two hours the running time is excessive too. The court scenes are sluggish and uneventful, performances lack weight and the cinematography is comatose. It's a complete misfire, a surprisingly dim film from one of Hong Kong's more energetic and daring B-film directors. A big disappointment.Read all