Shanghaï Express

This film would sit comfortably next to A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, The Great Train Robbery, every other Jackie Chan/Sammo flick, and then some. It's not as funny as it could be (the dubbed version, that is), but aside from that I have no complaints.

There is no time to develop character traits (aside from a few cliches), but this is a slapstick so that shouldn't really be expected. If you are familiar with the slapstick-martial arts genre, or if you simply love bizarre, zany movies, then I recommend it. If you're looking for a substantial plot with lots of characterization, find something else to curl up on the couch to.

It is exactly what it proclaims to be, a madcap Kung Fu western. But I doubt if you'll ever see a man jump without safety mats from a 4-story building (on fire, I might add) in any other film. Wow.

"The Millionaires Express" from 1986 is a movie that I hadn't even heard about prior to 2021, when I was given the chance to sit down and watch it. And with it being a Hong Kong movie, of course I needed no persuasion to sit down to do so.

I will say that "The Millionaires Express" (aka "Foo gwai lip che") is definitely an archetypical mid-1980s Hong Kong action comedy. So if you have seen movies from the Hong Kong cinema from around that time, then you know what you are in for here. And it should be said that writers Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Keith Wong definitely delivered a good script, and director Sammo Kam-Bo Hung brought it quite nicely to life on the screen.

The storyline told in "The Millionaires Express" is actually one that grasps multiple storylines and interweaving them nicely together for a wholesome movie. There is the story of the thief stealing from Russians, the story of three robbers, the lawmen of the town, some Kung Fu gangs, and of course the foreign soldiers, to mention a few. While it might seem like quite a handful to handle, it is actually done in a very satisfactory manner.

Now, what really impressed me about "The Millionaires Express" was the impressive ensemble of actors and actresses that were in this movie, which included the likes of Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Biao Yuen, Eric Tsang, Richard Ng, Wah Yuen, Kenny Bee and Rosamund Kwan, to mention but the most recognizable of faces and names, if you are familiar with the Hong Kong cinema.

"The Millionaires Express" is a good combination of story, action and interesting characters, and it is nicely spruced up with a good amount of comedy as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and it was definitely a nice surprise of a movie. And it is a movie that I will warmly recommend that you sit down to watch, if you find yourself given the chance.

My rating of the 1986 movie "The Millionaires Express" is a six out of ten stars.

The Millionaires' Express is a Western, a comedy, and a martial arts movie rolled into one, but it mostly just uses the first of those for its setting. I think it's largely a comedy with some brief action scenes/stunts thrown in for good measure throughout, and then it goes for broke with the martial arts stuff in the last 15 minutes. When it's focusing on martial arts, it's at its strongest, because the whole finale is really top-notch stuff. It did also make me wish there'd been at least one more big martial arts-heavy sequence, but at least the quality was good, even if the quantity left me hungry for more.

It may also have a few too many characters, being about various groups of people (mostly shady folks/robbers) who all end up in the same town, with the train alluded to in the title not playing quite as big a role as I expected. It made me sad at first, but then what the movie ended up being - and where it ended up having most of its action - still ended up being satisfying, so it wasn't all a loss.

Like a number of Hong Kong action comedies, I did feel like the comedic stuff was more hit-or-miss, but thankfully there were hits, and not too many misses. It was a fun time - not among the very best martial arts movies of this era, but also far from one of the worst (and there are others where the action's good, but the comedy does nothing but miss).

Perhaps one of the more absurd Hong Kong comedies I've seen, but still an amusing watch. The story is somewhat weak, but is still able to carry the movie's runtime, it doesn't feel overly padded or seem like it's stalling for time, except perhaps for the social commentary in the start that is mainly to introduce the female protagonist cast. Luckily it doesn't stray too much into awkward romance that some of these movies tend to lean on, and the amount of second-hand embarrassment is fairly low, although it does play on quite a few tropes regarding the cheating husband trying to constantly sneak out on his wife in every situation he can think of, but it's fairly humorously played by Richard Ng.

The fight scenes are some of the more intense I've seen, but only really gets to play out in a satisfying fashion towards the end. Funny slapstick and serious punching action blends quite elegantly, and the comedy is well executed.

The type of comedy is reminiscent of Mel Brooks, at times juvenile but not so childish that it turns unfunny, although there are some themes that would simply not fly in movie production today, such as a few jokes about being intellectually disabled. The fight scenes are punchy, although I personally am not a huge fan of the slow motion-shots, of which there's quite a few. If you're able to overlook some shortcomings and are looking for a simple comedy, it's a movie that'll entertain you.

It's pretty common for Hong Kong comedies of a certain era to also contain some of the best martial arts action ever put to film. Can you imagine if an American comedy did that? American movies tend to be too concerned with staying within one genre, afraid to be goofy if they want to be taken seriously. Hong Kong movies don't have that problem, and the theoretically jarring yet actually satisfying balance between silly hijinks and deadly fights is practically the beating heart of its filmmaking industry.

'The Millionaires' Express (1986)' is, first and foremost, a madcap comedy, and it's also, first and foremost, genuinely funny. It may not provoke many belly laughs, but it almost constantly provokes chuckles with its distinct blend of slapstick physical humour and fast-paced verbal wit. Sprinkled in and amongst the laughter are several jaw-dropping stunts that essentially feel like what would happen if 'Looney Tunes' was live action, prat falls off multi-story buildings and casual strolls along the roof of a moving train. It's a wonder nobody died when making this (as far as I'm aware), and the number of injuries that were sustained by the cast and crew seem to pale in comparison to what logic would suggest they ought to have suffered. That's not even taking into account the fight scenes, which infrequently pepper the first two thirds before fully taking over the final act and transforming the feature into a certified action extravaganza. As is often the case with these kinds of movie, the last movement is where things really go off the rails. With some entries in the genre, the likelihood this is going to happen is the only real thing that keeps you watching during the earlier segments; thankfully, that isn't the case with this one. The feature is a lot of fun before its climax knocks your socks off, even if its plot is a bit all over the place until it coalesces for its final confrontation.

In essence, the affair is formatted as a series of loosely connected skits starring a variety of quirky characters (only some of whom become more significant as the narrative proceeds) before it then brings its disparate elements together into a single sprawling set-piece that sees its various players pull together to defend a town from a gang of criminals. While the picture can be a little disorienting at first due to the decisive lack of connective tissue between some of its scenes, it eventually becomes clear what it's doing. Everything falls into place by the time the last movement is about to occur, and the flick becomes much more focused as it prepares to pull you to the edge of your seat with its mighty martial arts. Yuen Biao does some absolutely spectacular acrobatics during his fights, with most of them inspiring genuine gasps of disbelief when they occur. Sammo Hung's notorious hard hits can be clearly seen on screen, Cynthia Rothrock's trademark high kicks make an impression, and Yukari Oshima suavely slices her way through plenty of opponents. There are many other cameos, far too many to name here, and it turns the piece into a veritable who's who of Kung Fu that's delightful to witness.

Ultimately, this is a really solid martial arts movie. Despite one or two dodgy jokes that haven't aged well, the affair is surprisingly funny. While entirely unafraid to amuse with silly antics, it's also really eager to impress with spectacular set-pieces. The action is amazing, making use of its all-star cast and Hung's playful yet confident direction to truly entertain every time it occurs. There's even a fight between two little kids who can throw down better than many adults. Although its story is a little confusing at first and it lacks any real theming, the film remains enjoyable from start to finish. It's really good.