Eureka Entertainment presents FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE! Stephen Chow directs and stars in this comedic send-up of the James Bond franchise.
Presented as part of the Eureka Classics range in its UK debut on Blu-ray, the first print run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase and Collector’s Booklet.
“FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE” is available on Blu-ray – so order your copy now from Eureka Video or Amazon!
Trailer
Cast
Filmmaker, actor and comedy legend, Stephen Chow Sing-chi made his directorial debut with this film and stars as “Ling-ling-chat”, a homophonic pun of ‘007‘ in Cantonese.
Chow began working in television but rose to become one of Hong Kong’s most popular screen stars in films such as “Dragon Fight”, “My Hero”, “Curry & Pepper”, “Fist of Fury 1991” and “Fight Back to School”.
He began to make waves on the international market with the films “King of Comedy” and “Forbidden City Cop”, and the blockbusting worldwide smash hit, “Shaolin Soccer“. He went on to break further Chinese and international box office records with the films “Kung Fu Hustle“, “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons”, “The Mermaid” and “The New King of Comedy”.
Former Miss Hong Kong competitor turned television and movie actress Anita Yuen Wing-Yee stars as “Lee Heung-kam”.
As the female lead in Derek Yee‘s 1993 tear-jerker “C’est la vie, mon chéri”, she won several Best Actress awards. She has forged a solid career in both television and film in dramatic, romantic and comic roles. Aside from her appearance in this movie, martial arts films fans may recognise her as Cheung Wing-sing, Ip Man’s wife in the Anthony Wong led “Ip Man: Final Fight”, and Jackie Chan’s co-star in “Thunderbolt”.
Actor and acclaimed artist, Wong Kam-Kong plays “Commander Chan/ Golden Gun”. Wong has appeared in films such as “Tiger Cage 3”, “Blade of Fury”, “Burning Paradise“, “White Lotus Cult”, “Bodyguard From Beijing” and “God of Gamblers Returns”.
Plot
When China’s most valuable dinosaur fossil is stolen, street food hawker-cum-secret-agent Ling Ling Chat is sent to Hong Kong to investigate. When he arrives in Hong Kong, he meets Lee Heung-kam, who proposes to help him in his endeavour.
Along the way he encounters beautiful women, mysterious strangers, and deadly henchmen.
However, not all is as it seems, and Ling Ling Chat will need to keep his wits, and his gadgets, about him if he is to survive and solve the mystery.
Original Trailer (with English Subtitles)
Action
The movie opens with a disclaimer that this movie has absolutely nothing to do with the James Bond franchise, however…
The action kicks off with an explosive pre credits shootout featuring a cameo from Yu Rongguang as “Double Oh Too” and Wong Kam-Kong as a man with a golden gun.
A very Maurice Binder-style title sequence follows, featuring silhouettes of naked gymnasts dancing on a gun barrel around a spy, whilst the theme song plays. It could have been lifted straight from a Roger Moore era Bond movie!
“Kid, let me show you what a real gun is!”
Like all good spoofs, it respects aspects of the subject matter being spoofed, and this is borne out when a physical stunt is performed, particularly one being played in the name of action, rather than for laughs.
Although this is an out-and-out, Austin Powers-type spoof, there are some quite bloody and violent deaths, albeit culminating in a visual or spoken punchline.
It’s not just Bond films that are spoofed but also some popular Chinese films such as “Chungking Express”, “Days of Being Wild”, “C’est La Vie Mon Cherie”, are all parodied at various points.
“Testing the gun”
Stick around for the end credits that include a few alternate takes and bloopers.
“Heung-kam shoots Ling Ling Chat several times at cocktail party”
Summary
Being Stephen Chow’s first movie as a director, you may expect this to be a lot broader in humour than some of his later, bigger hits.
In truth, the range of humour includes smut, juvenile innuendo, slapstick, and even more sophisticated political and social satire. There are some quite well-observed parodies of course of the spy-movie genre, but also some subtler jokes and cultural statements.
Special Edition Blu-ray Unboxing
Extra features on this version of “From Beijing With Love” include actor Wong Kam Kong talking about his experience working on the film and his career in general.
In an archival interview Lee Lik Chee discusses his career as a director and producer in the Hong Kong film and television industry and how he came to work with Stephen Chow on comedy films.
Frank Djeng presents an audio commentary that handily explains Chow’s crafty use of Cantonese phrases that can sound like some very coarse swearing!
Fans of Asian comedies, the Austin Powers movies, and certainly Stephen Chow’s work, will love this newly-restored classic!
Trivia
- The film was banned from mainland Chinese cinemas and television.
FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE available on Blu ray KUNG FU KINGDOM
