Zhi zun wu shang

I have recently review this film again. And it is still the best "gambling" film after all these years. Although Wong Jing was infamous with his not-too-good movies and dirty jokes. This one is a totally show off that proves he is one of the most talent writer/director in 80s Hong Kong.

Casino Raiders was released prior to "God of Gamblers" (also written and directed by Wong Jing), where the later has a better treater income. Personally speaking, the success of GOG is somehow related to the lead actor Chow Yun Fat, who was the hottest star at that time, and the story was filled with funny moments and local jokes which results a more releasing viewing experience, and more suitable to HK audience in 80s. In comparison, Casino Raiders features a more serious atmosphere, almost no local jokes at all, plus a better structured screenplay and twists. It is more suitable to call it a "gambling drama" (GOG is a cult movie instead).

Wong Jing is well known to HK audience that he likes all kind of gambling games: horse racing, casino games, cards, dice etc. I believe that is the reason why he could come up a script with so many gambling twists (and tricks).

Anyway, Casino Raiders is my most beloved movie of its kind. And it is recommended to anyone who is looking for a dramatic ride. One of the best (probably the only) from Wong Jing.

CASINO RAIDERS is a Wong Jing comedy starring Andy Lau and Alan Tam as a pair of gamblers and swindlers who head off to America to help a casino owner tackle some mafia players who've been scamming the system. This obscure production came on out on the fly after the success of GOD OF GAMBLERS, but it's an oddball production which shows all the signs of having been rushed. For a Wong Jing film it's not particularly funny, while the heavy-handed drama doesn't make it much of a fun watch. The actors are dependable but the film lacks energy and excitement and only really gets good at the big game climax. Until that point, it's strictly average.

Casino Raiders is overshadowed by the similar HK franchise "God of Gamblers", although the story here really holds its own with strong performances by Andy Lau & Alan Tam along with solid writing by Jing Wong. Two of the best gamblers out of Hong Kong (Lau & Tam) are hired to work as analysts for a struggling US casino which is losing massive amounts of money to a Japanese group of poker sharks. Our duo of protagonists uncover the secret to the success of the Japanese sharks, and shatter their racket to earn any further winnings in the US. Bitter from their exposure, the Japanese sharks (which also happen to be Yakuza) vow to take revenge on Lau & Tam in which a series of incidents all boil down to one huge defining game of high-stakes Poker. The ride to the finish takes a few detours, however with some patience and character attachment to our duo, the time passes by fairly quickly and ends on a satisfying conclusion. I do believe the film could have been edited cleaner though, as there are a few scenes which just feel like filler and really weigh the rest of the movie down. Besides this one fault, Casino Raiders is an original story with no culturally specific elements like in God of Gamblers, to which Western audiences may enjoy better even with the absence of Chow Yun Fat. The tension is genuine because the stakes are set very high without being cheesy or predictable. If your looking for an out of the ordinary gambling-revenge tale, Casino Raiders is an excellent choice. -7/10

With a movie starring 2 top HK movie stars: Alan Tam and Andy Lau, you know that you are in a real treat.

The movie is simple, 2 best friends, both are gamblers. One decides to leave and join the good side, but old enemies won't let go of the past. Eventually, he has to face his enemy once again, in a final showdown at the casino table.

Good performance from both leading actors, who share pretty much equal screen time. The female leads also complement the movie very nicely, though their characters lack the depth.

Though movie tries to be logical, but there are logical holes, such as Lon's boss willing to make such a big bet on Lon's recommendation alone - that is pretty unbelievable. But one must suppress logic in watching a movie like this.

A 6/10 on my book

Even in HongKong, the city of copycats, Jing Wong is infamous for his shameless way of movie making. While other HK directors are imitating Hollywood movies, he copied other HK directors' movies. 'Casino Raiders' is one of them. If you watch it carefully, you will find that this is so similar to John Woo's 'A Better Tomorrow'. (Like Chow Yun Fat in 'ABT', Andy Lau got lost his everythig for his best buddy!)

Fortunately, this one is a good movie. The running time is a little bit too long. But the title song and performance is good and the twist in the last scene is splendid!. If you really want to Jing Wong's movie (or gambling movie), 'Casino Radiers' and 'God of Gamblers' is a safe bet.

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