Da Shang Hai

The idea of the GOD OF GAMBLERS team of star Chow yun-fat and director Wong Jing back in business, with a decent budget and a promising subject is richly appealing. Throw in the great Sammo Hung and I'm there clutching my sixteen dollars.

It takes a while to realise that what we are getting is just a shadow of the Hong Kong films pre-take over. The murky colour scheme and lack of shadow detail of main land processing is the first clue.

There's elaborate staging and lots of action, some of it quite vigorous and it's always nice to see Chow's character blowing away the support cast - including a shoot 'em up Catholic priest. However the plot winds down into feeble scissors and paste of better films - CASABLANCA, THE GREAT MAGICIAN, BONNIE & CLYDE - where you can see the derivations well before they arrive - like the protracted build-up with the opera spear tossing in the climax.

Sammo is wasted even with the presence he brings to his Triad boss role.