Da Shang Hai
2012 / 107m - Hong Kong
Action, Crime
3.5*/5.0*
The Last Tycoon poster

Watches

March 21, 2013

3.5*/5.0*

Not a very typical Jing Wong film. It's not as hasty and rushed as most of his other work, Wong really takes his time to tell this rather epic crime story. It still shows that he's an entertainer first and foremost, as he struggles a little with the tone and weight of such a film, but overall the result is quite pleasing.

The Last Tycoon benefits from a great cast, with Chow Yun-Fat getting better with the years, also notable parts for Francis Ng (as the delightfully evil bad guy) and Sammo Hung. Visually there are a handful of standout scenes, namely the bombing of Shanghai and the 360 spin in the opera manage to leave quite an impression.

It can't quite compete with the best films in the genre, but Wong shows that he can handle himself when he gets a budget and good cast to work with. Throughout the years my respect for Jing Wong has grown. Even though he's made few masterpieces, he has a heart for cinema and it shows in almost all of his films.