Du Shen 2
1994 / 126m - Hong Kong
Action, Comedy, Drama
3.0*/5.0*
God of Gamblers' Return poster

Watches

August 02, 2010

3.0*/5.0*

After doing some more comedic spin-offs with Stephen Chow, Jing Wong digs up Chow Yun-Fat for a true sequel to the first God of Gamblers film. It's almost impossible to keep track of the specifics of this series, but ultimately that's not really what's important here. With Jing Wong, it's all about maximizing entertainment.

After someone brutally murders the God of Gambler's pregnant wife, he has to go into hiding for a while. While he needs to keep his identity a secret, he vows to find out who is behind the assassination. Once he finds the culprit, he devises a plan to get back at him. This of course involves a bit of gambling.

If the setup sounds rather violent, it's because God of Gamblers' Return is part heroic bloodshed. It also contains Wong's signature comedy and a gambling-focused finale, which makes for a strange mix. A two-hour runtime is a bit much, but the performances are decent, the genre mix is fun and it never really drags. Not quite as good as the first film, but a pretty decent sequel.