Winner Takes All

It didn't take long before Jing Wong came into his own. His first film might've been relatively serious and well-constructed, a lot of that was thrown overboard in Winner Takes All, and replaced by the cheer silliness that would come to define Wong's brand. The result is a full-blown comedy with some martial arts thrown in for good measure.

The beginning is still somewhat straight-faced, but when Pak-Cheung Chan appears and enters a rather hilarious Mah-jong game to the death, there's no doubt that you shouldn't take this film too seriously. It's the kind of over-the-top stupidity that would help to launch Stephen Chow's career a decade later.

The acting isn't all that great and some of the effects are pretty cheap, but they're never gratuitous. The soundtrack is pretty cheesy too, but is used to good comedic effect. If you don't like Hong Kong comedy, it's probably best to avoid this film, but Jing Wong fans (or those who can tolerate his films) will have a blast with this one.