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Magic Crystal

Original title: Mo fei cui
  • 1986
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
1K
YOUR RATING
Cynthia Rothrock, Andy Lau, and Richard Norton in Magic Crystal (1986)
A mysterious crystal holds good and evil powers.
Play trailer4:36
1 Video
36 Photos
Alien InvasionMartial ArtsQuestSlapstickUrban AdventureActionAdventureComedyFantasySci-Fi

The Russians and the Hong Kong authorities are after a mysterious rock discovered in Athens, Greece, which holds strange powers.The Russians and the Hong Kong authorities are after a mysterious rock discovered in Athens, Greece, which holds strange powers.The Russians and the Hong Kong authorities are after a mysterious rock discovered in Athens, Greece, which holds strange powers.

  • Director
    • Jing Wong
  • Writer
    • Jing Wong
  • Stars
    • Andy Lau
    • Cynthia Rothrock
    • Pak-Cheung Chan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jing Wong
    • Writer
      • Jing Wong
    • Stars
      • Andy Lau
      • Cynthia Rothrock
      • Pak-Cheung Chan
    • 18User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 4:36
    Trailer

    Photos36

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    Top cast41

    Edit
    Andy Lau
    Andy Lau
    • Andy Lo
    Cynthia Rothrock
    Cynthia Rothrock
    • Cindy Morgan
    Pak-Cheung Chan
    Pak-Cheung Chan
    • Lau Ta
    Sharla Cheung
    Sharla Cheung
    • Winnie Shen
    • (as Man Cheung)
    Bin Bin
    Bin Bin
    • Pin-Pin
    Jing Wong
    Jing Wong
    • Pancho
    Mok Siu-Chung
    Mok Siu-Chung
    • Interpol Agent
    • (as Siu Chung Mok)
    Phillip Ko
    Phillip Ko
    • Shen
    Shih Kien
    Shih Kien
    • Sergeant Shi
    • (as Kien Shih)
    Richard Norton
    Richard Norton
    • Karov
    Wai Shum
    Wai Shum
    • Triad Boss
    Fat Chung
    Fat Chung
    • Triad Boss' Thug
    Hsin-Nan Hung
    Hsin-Nan Hung
    • Triad Boss's Thug
    Mo-Lin Yu
    Mo-Lin Yu
    Wan-Si Wong
    Wan-Si Wong
    • Maureen Yu
    Pauline Kwan
    Pauline Kwan
    • Chung Chu Lan
    Wei-Wei Huang
    Wei-Wei Huang
    • Andy's Sister
    • (as Mei-Mei Wong)
    Wing-Hin Ho
    • Steve's Father
    • (as Wing-hin Ho)
    • Director
      • Jing Wong
    • Writer
      • Jing Wong
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews18

    6.21K
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    Featured reviews

    5paul_m_haakonsen

    Watchable, but...

    I sat down to watch the 1986 movie "Mo Fei Cui" (aka "The Magic Crystal") here in 2022 for the first time. I had never heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it.

    The movie's synopsis didn't really make a good point of selling the contents of the movie, but I still opted to watch it, since it was a movie that I hadn't already seen. However, I wasn't harboring any particular expectations to writer and director Jing Wong.

    The storyline started out quite nicely enough and actually seemed like a fair enough movie, but then suddenly there was a sentient crystal introduced, and the movie took on a more family-friendly demeanor. I wasn't expecting that turn of events, and it would have been nice to know that the movie was a family adventure with elements of action and comedy as well. But truth be told, then there was actually a little bit of everything for everyone in the audience by all the genres mixed in here.

    I have to be honest and say that it was Andy Lau that was the main attraction here for me, because I have never been a fan of Cynthia Rothrock. The movie does have a good handful of Hong Kong actors and actresses on the cast list, mostly minorly known performers, but a few familiar faces here and there if you are an avid fan of the Hong Kong cinema. I wasn't really familiar with Richard Norton, but he definitely put on a good performance in "Mo Fei Cui".

    Something that bothered me, when I sat down to watch "Mo Fei Cui", was the fact that all dialogue was dubbed into Cantonese, even the English speaking character's dialogue. That just doesn't sit right with me, especially so since dubbing is just a stupid thing.

    There is a good amount of action throughout the course of the movie, and that definitely helped carry the movie, especially at the times where the storyline took on a bit too far out there comedy approach or go all family-friendly. And Andy Lau sure did surprise me with his action performance in "Mo Fei Cui".

    My rating of "Mo Fei Cui" lands on a five out of ten stars. The movie suffered from having a storyline that went from being a proper action adventure to a family-friendly action adventure.
    7unbrokenmetal

    Ice cream or Siberia

    Here we go again on an action adventure with breath-taking speed. An alien artifact is discovered in Greece, taken to Hong Kong, and everybody tries to get hands on it, while a little boy discovers the crystal contains an alien talking to him. Sometimes it happily provides super powers, sometimes it doesn't even talk, must be one of those WEIRD aliens, although... after it was locked into that crystal for 2000 years, it needs no excuse. Andy Lau, Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton as Russian agent Karloff (as my dubbed version calls him) deliver some spectacular fights. Even if everything is a bit incoherent and can't decide if it wants to be a kid's movie or a violent action flick, it's speedy and enjoyable, apparently even with a reasonable budget for good quality since a lot of footage was shot on location in Greece. My favorite line is Richard Norton telling the little boy: "If you co-operate, you get some ice cream. If not, you go to Siberia." Going back to school after holidays never sounded so good.
    7gridoon

    Exhilarating at times; a must-see for martial arts fans

    "Magic Crystal" takes an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to movie-making: there is action, comedy, spy stuff (the villains are KGB), exotic adventure ala Indiana Jones (it was partly shot in Greece, and there are underground lairs full of traps), and science fiction (a little boy befriends an alien creature - does that remind you of anything?). The mixture of all these different genres isn't 100% smooth, but at times it is exhilarating, particularly during the fight scenes, which are furious and ferocious. Cynthia Rothrock (possible highlight: her Eagle Claw kung fu), Richard Norton (ph: the way he handles his double sharp weapons at the end ), Andy Lau (ph: using an umbrella as a weapon!), and the actress who plays his sister (ph: her astonishing body-bending abilities) are all superb in action, and there are some big laughs as well (a man wakes up to find his hands and feet having exchanged places!). IMO, any martial arts/80's Hong Kong film fan should seek this one out. (***)
    9Gravendal

    Man, what a trip

    Gotta say, this is one of the best Kung fu movies I've seen. I at first looked into it and like, ok comedy in it..going to be lame! But man was I wrong and did have a look at it!

    Spoiler free summary, Hong Kong special cop goes to Greece with his family, comes back with the kgb after him. Why? Well, watch the movie and find out! It's mixed with some sci fi stuff and the story itself ain't that bad, to be a kung fu movie that is! It's a solid story with interesting characters and very good kung fu fights and stunts. Really well made done.

    Richard Norton is awesome as the bad guy, Cynthia Rothrock are cool as well, and with Andy Lau they do great scenes together.

    Some scenes made me burst out in laugher, that I didn't expect.

    This movie has a great charm to it, it has that childish Innocent take on it like a Spielberg movie, but a lot of kung fu and Action.

    It's a good flick, I am surprised! 9/10.
    6Aaron1375

    This thing is nonsensical and amazing at the same time.

    This movie is total chaos, the type of film where characters disappear after they seem they are going to be important. Other characters suddenly start kicking butt when you think they are simply someone's mother and a comedy relief character! Strange plots going on, magical rocks, KGB agents and Cynthia Rothrock, yes please!

    The story is just a bit too chaotic for this movie to get a higher score. It has some dude who does what the police cannot as he captures a guy I believe I saw in another movie like this. After this we see a kid get bullied, the dude, kid and his partner go to Greece and somehow end up getting a stone that talks to the kid. Watch out as fights break out randomly while characters come and go leading up to a showdown back in Greece!

    The characters are likeable and that helps with the bizarre and at times incoherent plot. The fighting is quick and people look like they are being legitimately killed as they leap off balconies like it is no big deal! I think Cynthia is dubbed because when I watch her films here she sounds more squeaky and cute, here like in another film I saw from China, she sounds more posh.

    So the film is not good in a traditional sense, but is in a crazy way. It is fast and fun, but the plot is so bad you have to deduct some points. However, this film is not boring in any way so I have to give it higher marks. So if you want to be a bit puzzled but see some really cool and fast fights, then give this one a shot!

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    Related interests

    Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in Men in Black (1997)
    Alien Invasion
    Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (1973)
    Martial Arts
    Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    Quest
    Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
    Slapstick
    Shameik Moore in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
    Urban Adventure
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Cynthia Rothrock accidentally injured Richard Norton during the filming a fight scene involving weapons, resulting in a small scar on his forehead.
    • Goofs
      Whenever there are crowds of people in the Greece scenes you can see that several of them look towards the camera and crew. (Like many Hong Kong movies of this era, these scenes were shot without permits, so it is likely that those people were not hired extras, but were genuine tourists and visitors who just happened to be there at the time of filming.)
    • Quotes

      Thug: [One of the three thugs catches Pancho trying to sneak up on them to hit them with a club] Who are you?

      Pancho: [Hiding the club] I'm... I'm new here.

      Thug: Good guy or bad guy?

      Pancho: Uhhh... good guy?

      Thug: [In unison] WE'RE BAD GUYS!

      [proceeds to chase Pancho]

    • Connections
      Featured in Cinema of Vengeance (1994)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 17, 1986 (Hong Kong)
    • Country of origin
      • Hong Kong
    • Language
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • The Magic Crystal
    • Filming locations
      • Athens, Greece(location)
    • Production companies
      • Long Shong Pictures
      • Movie Impact Limited
      • Win's Movie Productions Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 35m(95 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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