Treasure Hunt (1994)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Best movie ever!

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

This sure is a strange mix, though it works as a pleasant passtime.Although it is not unusual for kung-fu movies to have a romance in the story line, this one does spend an unusual amount of time in romantic interludes where not a lot happens except flowers, stars, snow, and two hearts beating as one. The fights which do occur are brisk and well choreographed but not gory - even the gory, ruthless action is mostly bloodless. And the mandatory kung-fu philosophical dialogues are mixed up with some quite unexpected western arguments.That this odd patchwork flows along successfully is something of an achievement for the director and actors. It will never be a great film, but if you just want to kick back and enjoy a short film with some nice scenery, good looking actors, and are not in the mood for something heavy, this might be it.The actors have done better work elsewhere if you want more serious fare. See Chien-Lien Wu in Eat Drink Man Woman. See Yun-Fat Chow in Hard Boiled or A Better Tomorrow.The DVD is clear and sound is unremarkable. The music is repetitive and simple, but only invades the romantic interludes. I chose the Mandarin sound track which sometimes was odd since parts of the dialog are supposed to be in English or Cantonese (which is what the actors were using) and the translation couldn't make up its mind which to use at times. The English subtitles were occasionally mistimed or ungrammatical but generally clear.

A beautiful and moving fairy tale, set in modern times. Chow Yun-Fat is cast as Chang Ching, a CIA operative sent undercover in Mainland China. Hidden in Shaolin Temple he meets Mei, a young woman with paranormal powers. Mei is the center of the grasping greed of a number of political entities and individual crooks, and it's up to Chang Ching to save this 'national treasure'... a treasure he comes to covet for his own, not for her powers but for her own sweet self.This film is a gentle fantasy but like most fairy tales it has bitterness and violence entwined with the sweetness which makes it all the more poignant. Those who are expecting non-stop bloodletting for its own sake will be disappointed; for those who recognize Chow Yun-Fat at his best - in a touching romance with sprinklings of comedy and action - you will love this film for its warmth and dedication to the ideal that love conquers all.Phillip Kwok has a marvelous role as the sarcastic taxi driver. It's good to see him in a role which allows for both his martial arts and stunt skills as well as gives him a chance to show he is also a fine actor. He was also the stunt director for the film.Ng Sin-Lin (Wu Chien-Lien) as Mei shows again that great onscreen chemistry she has with Chow Yun-Fat; if you remember her from "God Of Gamblers Returns" you will see her take it to even greater effect in this film.One of the most outstanding features of this film is the cinematography of Peter Pau. Beautiful photography and lighting give the screen a warm glow.The use of "Reflections of Passion" by Yanni in this film was inspired; the references to the book on which the television show "The Bund" was based (the show which made Chow Yun-Fat a star in Asia in his youth) give some cute self-referential moments.The subtitles on the Mei Ah DVD are a bit on the uneven side; it starts off with a pretty rough translation but evens out as you go along.A wonderful movie. 10 out of 10.

"Treasure Hunt" is an aimless movie that is a big letdown for any fans of Chow Yun Fat. He plays a teacher who also works part time as an employee of the CIA in Hong Kong. The first action sequence in the picture involves a particularly brutal rescue of a kidnapped Japanese bigshot. A lot of this movie takes place in a temple Chow is staying at. At one point, in accepting the blame for something the priests are punishing a student for, Chow gets lashed on the back about 5 times. This movie has nothing going for it.

What can you say about a sweet love story with Chow Yun-Fat? It has everything. A great Hong Kong film. Love, flying, action, kung-fu, fire, machine guns and romance. If you love HK films this is a must see.