Plot: What’s it about?
Teapot (Sammo Hung) and his four friends were just released from jail and they have no intentions of ever going back. In an effort to mind their own business and stay out of trouble the five friends open a cleaning business and keep themselves busy. Sure they still manage to get into some sticky situations and what not, but for the most part these buddies just want to have some fun and keep their noses clean. At the same time a C.I.D. agent, 07 (Jackie Chan) is hot on the trail of some counterfeiters and is quickly making his attempt to close the case when something goes wrong. The printing plates used to create the funny money have been stolen and 07 is determined to make his bust and close the case. In an odd twist of fate the printing plates end up inside the van of Teapot and his friends, which means big trouble for the former criminals. At the same time 07 is searching for the plates, the counterfeiters decide to track them down and kill whomever has possession of them. As if things aren’t bad enough for them, a rival gang has staked claim on the plates also which puts Teapot and his friends in the middle of a full blown gang war! Staying out of trouble has never been this hard…
This film deserves a place in the collection of any Jackie Chan/Sammo Hung fans as it combines terrific martial arts action with sidesplitting comedy. While fans of either should be used to the comedic elements found within many of their films, Winners & Sinners takes that comedy to an almost slapstick level and usually the gags work to perfection. From the ridiculous storyline to the colorful characters, this film is loaded with laughs but also contains some excellent fight scenes. And what would a Jackie Chan movie be without some battles, right? Jackie takes part in some very entertaining fights, but the other guys also make sure to keep us interested and attentive. Now Chan is in this movie and all, but he isn’t the lead so to speak so don’t expect him to be on screen all the time. But you won’t be disappointed when he is gone because the great Sammo Hung and his buddies never fail to entertain, whether fighting or just having fun. This disc from Tai Seng looks and sounds good, but has few extras so it’s hard to recommend an outright purchase. I recommend this as a rental to first time viewers, but I think fans of the movie and stars will want to add this one to their collections.
This film was directed by Sammo Hung, who also knows how to make a splash in front of the camera and does in this movie. While this movie lacks the technical shine of some films, Hung makes sure it all looks solid and the camera is where it needs to be. I am unsure of how involved Hung was in coaching his actors, but the performances and chemistry are terrific at all times. Hung has also directed such films as Mr. Nice Guy, Wheels On Meals, Enter The Fat Dragon, and Close Encounters Of The Spooky Kind. As an actor Sammo (Tv’s Martial Law, Project A) is also wonderful and has a sparkling comedic flair in addition to his impressive action skills. Jackie Chan (Rumble In The Bronx, City Hunter) is as good as ever and shines in his somewhat small role in this film. Chan might not have much screen time, but he delivers when he is present. The supporting cast also includes Richard Ng (My Lucky Stars, Once Upon A Time In China and America), Charlie Ching (Eastern Condors), John Shum (The Lunatics), and Philip Chan (Bloodsport, Hard Boiled).
Video: How does it look?
Winners & Sinners is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. This visual presentation has some flaws, but I believe this to be the finest looking version of this terrific film available. The source print shows some wear signs, but never to a distracting degree and I didn’t see any serious compression errors. The colors seem bright and bold, while never bleeding or blooming and flesh tones look natural also. The contrast is light in places though most scenes show accurate shadow levels and high visible detail. This isn’t a perfect transfer, but fans will be pleased to be sure.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release contains both Cantonese and Mandarin language tracks, both in Dolby Digital 5.1 format and offering a solid audio experience. The surrounds perk up at times when the action heats up, but since this is a comedy also the speakers don’t always pulse. But when needed the surrounds come to life and provide an excellent atmosphere for the film’s action sequences. The music sounds good and shows no hiss or distortion, while dialogue is clean and always at a proper volume. This release contains a wealth of subtitles including English, Japanese, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Bahasa (Indonesia), Bahasa (Malaysia), Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You’ll find the theatrical trailer and talent files for this film as well as some bonus trailers for other Tai Seng releases.
