Winner Takes All (1982) - Early Wong Jing Madness with Chen Kuan Tai & Chan Wai Man

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

As the title suggests... is this movie any good?

I know it's an early Wong Jing action comedy, but what is the action to comedy ratio?

The trailer looks pretty cool, CKT, Chan Wai Man, Patrick Tse Yin, Ninjas, robot stuff. But the IVL trailers are so deceptively cut together, that it is impossible to get a good read on film, based only on that!

Any info would be much appreciated!

[dragonherb]

I watched the first 20-30 minutes last year. Most of it were nonsense comedy were (just an example) two silly rivals (Wang Yu being one of 'em) tries to boast about who's got the biggest this and that and scenes like that and nothing special in picture until the gambling killer robot scene came in. Guess the movie might pick up from there, I had to stop watching afterwards so I dunno.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Ok, thanks for the info! Doesn't sound too promising!

Others are welcome to chime in with their opinion though!

[peringaten]

I love this one. There is some stupid, & I mean stupid comedy. And I mean really stupid. So stupid it's funny I thought, Wong Yue prancing about in sparkly suit & top hat & oversized glasses or something, trying to claim himself 'mr flamboyant' or the like, I don't know, can't remember properly, it retarded me somewhat just watching it, but still...

Bypass that however... Chan Wei Man in flying jet pack fights & an awesome Chen Kuan Tai finale with one of the best surprise reveals EVER in kung fu cinema, great choreo & filming leave this film as brilliant in my books. Brilliantly retarded. Better than the trailer. Frick, the yo yo fight, ninjas & all sorts; I love it. I'd be sad if I'd missed out, knowing all the better for it now.

[Guest Markgway]

No. You'd be better off with Challenge of the Gamesters.

[odioustrident]

Have not seen Challenge of the Gamesters, but Winner Takes All seems unique as a modern day Shaw film that is really just that crazy. The action is an update on 70's thriller type stuff plus wirework and that anything-can-happen factor. I love this movie.

[KUNG FU BOB]

But the IVL trailers are so deceptively cut together, that it is impossible to get a good read on film, based only on that!

I bought this when one of my favorite Chinatown shops was going out of business. I didn't know what it was, but I wanted to give my support to "Ma", the sweetest old lady ever, that ran the shop. But I got the same "uh oh" feeling from the trailer as you.

I love this one. There is some stupid, & I mean stupid comedy. And I mean really stupid. So stupid it's funny I thought, Wong Yue prancing about in sparkly suit & top hat & oversized glasses or something, trying to claim himself 'mr flamboyant' or the like, I don't know, can't remember properly, it retarded me somewhat just watching it, but still...

Bypass that however... Chan Wei Man in flying jet pack fights & an awesome Chen Kuan Tai finale with one of the best surprise reveals EVER in kung fu cinema, great choreo & filming leave this film as brilliant in my books. Brilliantly retarded. Better than the trailer. Frick, the yo yo fight, ninjas & all sorts; I love it. I'd be sad if I'd missed out, knowing all the better for it now.

This sounds like fun. Peringaten you have convinced me!

Have not seen Challenge of the Gamesters, but Winner Takes All seems unique as a modern day Shaw film that is really just that crazy. The action is an update on 70's thriller type stuff plus wirework and that anything-can-happen factor. I love this movie.

Yes, this sounds like a wacky good time.

[jiujitsu77]

good god that trailer gave me an orgasm!!

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Ok, now im more confused than ever....

No, seriously.... thanks for info guys. Albeit quite divided:)

I think im gonna go ahead and buy it!

[shawbro]

No. You'd be better off with Challenge of the Gamesters.

I liked Challenge of the Gamesters. That would be a good one for the members here that dont have it and are looking to buy something worth owning before the celestials go oop.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Ok.... I see what you mean now, dragonherb!

Had they shown stuff like this in the trailer, I wouldn't even have to think about it...

im just gonna pass...

[One Armed Boxer]

I got through watching this one last night....the allure of watching Chen Kuan Tai and Chan Wai Man in a slice of early Wong Jing craziness finally becoming too much to resist.

I'll echo peringaten's thoughts from an earlier post in this thread and say the movie is a whole lot of fun, all be it in an incredibly stupid kind of way. A lot of the gags work, and an equal amount of them don't. Wong Jing casts himself as the manager of a private detective agency, and some of his scenes are particularly cringe worthy. But this is one of those movies were for every few minutes that make you want to say "That's enough, I'm turning this crap off", suddenly an action scene or perfectly executed sight gag will come along that keeps you watching.

There's not many movies which contain fight scenes pitting a yo-yo versus a pair of nunchucks, that have a Wong Fei Hung homage played out against the backdrop of a wall graffitied with 'Smoke causes cancer so take LSD', and have Chen Kuan Tai single handedly wielding a couch as a weapon in an all slow-motion 2-vs-1 finale. Throw in Chan Wai Man dressed in an outfit which is half ninja half superhero, Lo Lieh drinking from a wine glass the same size as his head, and a secret lair which is accessed by pressing the nipple on the painting of a naked woman, and for what it's worth, 'Winner Takes All' is essentially all that you'd expect from a Wong Jing flick, and maybe a little more.

PS Fellow forum member masterofoneinchpunch also wrote a review for this movie which can be found here - http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21420

[masterofoneinchpunch]

... There's not many movies which contain fight scenes pitting a yo-yo versus a pair of nunchucks, that have a Wong Fei Hung homage played out against the backdrop of a wall graffitied with 'Smoke causes cancer so take LSD', and have Chen Kuan Tai single handedly wielding a couch as a weapon in an all slow-motion 2-vs-1 finale. Throw in Chan Wai Man dressed in an outfit which is half ninja half superhero, Lo Lieh drinking from a wine glass the same size as his head, and a secret lair which is accessed by pressing the nipple on the painting of a naked woman, and for what it's worth, 'Winner Takes All' is essentially all that you'd expect from a Wong Jing flick, and maybe a little more.

PS Fellow forum member masterofoneinchpunch also wrote a review for this movie which can be found here - http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21420

Thank you sir for the shoutout. Definitely a fun film. I was surprised (though maybe I should not have been) by how many references there are to other films (and books) as well as how early in his career and how much it felt like a Wong Jing film.

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Laughing hard reading the commentary here, so glad I picked this up. 

 

I love stupid funny. This sounds even sillier than Legend of the Owl parts of which still leave me in tears several viewings in. Full commentary once I get it, but I am very much looking forward to seeing it now. 

[Secret Executioner]

Wow, that movie sounds nuts. So much OTT shit seems to be happening in there.

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Hmmm...  I liked Chen Kuan Tai's riff on a 1960s OTT Bondesque villain and Lo Lieh was hilarious.  It is a shame that Chen Kuan Tai and Chan Wai Man weren't in a much better movie together.  I can see why some folks just said no way, as Wong Jing's attempts at humor were really cringe worthy and Wang Yue wasn't helped by that. 

 

If you've got patience and an open mind you might enjoy it. Me, I'll stick with Mercenaries from Hong Kong. 

[masterofoneinchpunch]

...

PS Fellow forum member masterofoneinchpunch also wrote a review for this movie which can be found here - http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21420

Noticed that link does not work anymore.  Here is the new one: http://www.shaolinchamber36.com/kungfufandom/index.php?/topic/18021-winner-takes-all-1982-wong-jing-hong-kong/

[Cognoscente]

I thought it was funnier and more creative than the modern movie that Sammo directed at the time: Carry On, Pickpocket.