CASINO RAIDERS (1989)
A Wong Jing movie about gambling with Andy Lau that was released in 1989… that’s not God of Gamblers? Yes that’s right, the prolific film-maker loves this subject and these actors so much that he did it twice in one year. After all, why make one movie when you can make two for twice the price? However, far from the usual comedic farce that Wong is known for by some this is, in some ways, a more conventional crime thriller. Which is to say that it’s generally a more sombre affair, but at the same time it’s a film with a very odd structure. Perhaps this is simply the influence of have a second director-writer on board. So while the tonal shift is refreshing this is an experience that can often be unwieldy and unfocused.
