Perfect Exchange

Last updated

Perfect Exchange
PerfectExchange.jpg
DVD cover
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 至尊三十六計之偷天換日
Simplified Chinese 至尊三十六计之偷天换日
Directed by Wong Jing
Screenplay byWong Jing
Produced by Jimmy Heung
Starring Andy Lau
Tony Leung
Cinematography Andrew Lau
Tony Miu
Edited byPoon Hung
Music byPhilip Chan
Sherman Chow
Production
company
Distributed byGala Film Distribution
Release date
  • 30 September 1993 (1993-09-30)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryHong Kong
Language Cantonese
Box officeHK$27,912,327 [1]

Perfect Exchange, also known as The Sting II, is a 1993 Hong Kong action comedy film written and directed by Wong Jing and starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung. The film was rated Category III by the Hong Kong motion picture rating system.

Contents

Plot

Mandy Chin (Andy Lau) plays poker with prison inspector Chung Cho-hung (Tony Leung), rich tycoon Lau Yiu-cho (Wan Chi Keung) and Singaporean gambler Chan Wah-lek (Natalis Chan) in Lau's casino and cheats with the help of his girlfriend, Lily (Christy Chung), and partner in crime, Gold Finger Chi (Liu Kai-chi) as the card dealers and wins over HK$6 million. Afterwards, Mandy and Chi were attacked by Lau's henchmen and engages in a car chase where Mandy evades them by crashing their cars leading to a big explosion. Mandy and Chi arrive at a disco bar where Chung was attempting to seduce Lily. After humiliating Chung, Mandy and Chi fight off some of Chung's subordinates and evades the rest in a footchase before cornering Chung in an elevator and beating him up.

Mandy and Chi return home and find Lau and his mistress, Mona (Anita Lee) holding Lily hostage while his top henchman, Pau (Wang Lung-wei) breaks Chi's leg. Lau, enraged that Mandy conned HK$4 million from him, blackmails Mandy to enter prison and interrogate his former subordinate, Robinson Shun (Kwan Hoi-san), who stole a total of HK$300 million treasury bond from him and promises to pay Mandy HK$10 million as a reward if he manages to have Robinson tell him the whereabouts of the bond within a month. Mandy and Lily sets up an act where she reports him for sexual harassment to get him arrested. However, due to lack of evidence, the judge does not adopt the case and Mandy resorts to throwing his shoe at the judge to get a one-month prison sentence for contempt of court and assaulting the judge.

Chung looked forward to torture Mandy in prison, but the latter bribes inmates Kei (Lee Siu-kei), Big Eye Kwong (Tommy Wong) and Crazy Bill (William Ho) for protection. Dinosaur (Chan Chi-fai), a henchman sent by Lau earlier to interrogate Robinson, attempts to assault the latter in the shower room but Mandy stops him and Dinosaur later breaks Robinson's leg. In the prison hospital, Robinson reveals to Mandy that Lau is actually his son-in-law who used to work for him and later cheated his assets and killed his daughter when she takes the HK$300 million treasury bond from Lau. Robinson attacks Lau with a cleaver out of anger and was arrested and imprisoned. Mandy has a change of heart after hearing this and Dinosaur warns him if he does not complete his job within two days, Chi will be in danger. Robinson overhears this but he believes Mandy to be a good person and asks him to take down and promises to give him the treasury bond if succeeds.

Knowing the treasury bond are hidden in Lau's villa, Mandy bribes Chung with HK$30 million to help him by wooing Mona. Mandy sneaks out of prison by hiding in the car of a Catholic social worker, Turkey Chu (Kingdom Yuen) and attempts to find the treasury bond at Lau's villa while Chung have sex with Mona in the bedroom of Lau's deceased wife. However, Mandy finds Chi's dead body while Lau also catches Chung and causes Chung to be arrested and imprisoned for home intrusion and indecent exposure. Chung and Mandy (who snuck back into prison) are assigned to the same cell with Dinosaur, who fights them with his henchmen until Robinson, Kwong, Kei and Bill were moved to the same cell.

On the night of Lau and Mona's engagement party, a riot erupts after Robinson tackles Dinosaur in the cafeteria. After Mandy and Chung defeat Pau, who was also sent into prison by Lau, the two sneak out from prison with Robinson amidst the chaos. Once out, Robinson reveals to Chung that the treasury bond is hidden in the pillow on the bed of the bedroom of Lau's wife (which Chung lay on earlier), Chung then knocks out Mandy and Robinson to get it for himself. Chung arrives at the party in Lau's villa but Lau discovers him and holds him at gunpoint. Mandy also arrives in time with a gun and shoots Lau after knocking Chung. With the help of Lily, Mandy lures Lau into killing Mona and Lau was arrested as a result, and Robinson pulls out hidden bonds from a lizard cage. Mandy, Chung and Robinson then sneak back into prison while dressed as paramedics in an ambulance. Mandy was acquitted of his sexual harassment charge, he gives Chung the HK$30 million check he promised earlier, which will only become available in 1997, the bonds are deposited in a Switzerland bank to generate interest while Mandy will travel around the world with Lily during four years.

Cast

Reception

Critical

Perfect Exchange received relatively positive scores of 6.1/10 stars from the Internet Movie Database [2] and 6.8/10 stars from Douban. [3] Kenneth Brorsson of So Good Reviews gave the film a positive review and writes "It helps that a performer like Tony Leung is very game and while Andy Lau is the cool presence in addition to a character rarely being in danger, he's the lesser part of the double act. It just doesn't seem like a fit to have Lau this time around in such a jarring Wong Jing film that mixes the crazy, the silly, Lau going into prison on a rape charge and various, jarring pieces of violence scattered throughout. But it's bearable and actually funny in parts so therefore great success coming from Wong Jing." [4]

Box office

The film grossed HK$27,912,327 at the Hong Kong box office during its theatrical run from 30 September to 20 October 1993 in Hong Kong. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Love on the Rocks</i> (film) 2004 Hong Kong film

Love on the Rocks is a 2004 Hong Kong romantic comedy film directed by Dante Lam and Chan Hing-ka. The film stars Louis Koo and Gigi Leung, with special appearances by Charlene Choi and Donnie Yen.

<i>Where the Legend Begins</i> Hong Kong TV series or program

Where the Legend Begins is a 2002 Hong Kong television series produced by TVB. The series is based on the life story of Zhen Fu, a noble lady who lived during the Three Kingdoms period. It contains embellishments from folktales about Yan's romance with Cao Pi and Cao Zhi. The series was first aired in Hong Kong on TVB Jade from 24 June to 26 July in 2002.

<i>The Legend of the Condor Heroes</i> (1994 TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

The Legend of the Condor Heroes is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. The series was first broadcast on TVB Jade in 1994.

<i>The Emissary</i> (TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

The Emissary (獵鷹) is a 1982 Hong Kong crime drama television series produced by TVB and starring Andy Lau in his first television leading role, shooting him to instant fame. Since then, Lau's acting career began to take on a broad road. The series' theme song, titled Being at a High Game (胸懷大志), was composed and arranged by Joseph Koo, with lyrics written by Wong Jim, and was sung by Willie Fung.

<i>ICAC Investigators 2009</i> Hong Kong TV series or program

ICAC Investigators 2009 is the 2009 installment of the ICAC Investigator series, produced by Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and TVB. It is broadcast on TVB Jade channel. Each criminal case is based on actual cases investigated by the ICAC.

<i>State of Divinity</i> (1996 TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

State of Divinity is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. It was first broadcast on TVB in Hong Kong in 1996.

<i>The Conquerors Story</i> Hong Kong television series

The Conqueror's Story is a Hong Kong television series based on the events in the Chu–Han Contention, an interregnum between the fall of the Qin dynasty and the founding of the Han dynasty in Chinese history. It was first broadcast in 2004 in Hong Kong on TVB Jade.

<i>Crimson Sabre</i> Hong Kong TV series or program

Crimson Sabre is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood. The series was first broadcast on TVB in Hong Kong in 2000.

<i>The Return of the Condor Heroes</i> (1983 TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

The Return of the Condor Heroes is a Hong Kong wuxia television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title, produced by TVB. It was first broadcast on TVB Jade from 31 October 1983 to 6 January 1984 in Hong Kong. A total of 50 episodes were produced. The serial was re-aired in 1988, 1990, 1997, 2013, and 2018 on TVB Jade.

<i>The Duke of Mount Deer</i> (1998 TV series) Hong Kong television series

The Duke of Mount Deer is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Deer and the Cauldron. It was first aired on TVB in Hong Kong in 1998.

<i>Three Kingdoms RPG</i> Hong Kong TV series or program

Three Kingdoms RPG is a 2012 Hong Kong television series produced by TVB, with Lau Kar-ho serving as the drama's executive producer. It stars Kenneth Ma as Szema Shun, a young Hong Kong game addict, who accidentally travels back in time to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.

<i>Rain in the Heart</i> Television Drama show

Rain in the Heart is a 1990 Hong Kong television serial drama produced by TVB and starring Roger Kwok, Dominic Lam, Kathy Chow and Gallen Lo.

<i>The Adventurers</i> (1995 film) 1995 film

The Adventurers is a 1995 Hong Kong action film directed by Ringo Lam and starring Andy Lau, Rosamund Kwan and Jacklyn Wu. It was Ringo Lam's last Hong Kong film before going to Hollywood in 1996. The Adventurers film was filmed on location in Hong Kong, United States and Philippines, which shows Lam's ambition of going to the international routine.

<i>City Kids 1989</i> 1989 Hong Kong film

City Kids 1989 is a 1989 Hong Kong action film directed by Poon Man-kit and starring Andy Lau and Max Mok. The film shares the same Chinese title and a similar plot to the 1969 film, The Orphan, which stars Bruce Lee.

<i>Dragon in Jail</i> 1990 Hong Kong film

Dragon in Jail is a 1990 Hong Kong action film directed by Kent Cheng and starring Andy Lau, Kenny Ho and Gigi Lai.

<i>ICAC Investigators 2014</i> Hong Kong TV series or program

ICAC Investigators 2014 is the 2014 edition of the ICAC Investigator series, produced by Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and broadcast on TVB. Each criminal case is based on actual cases investigated by the ICAC.

<i>Man from Guangdong</i> 1991 Hong Kong martial arts television series

Man from Guangdong is a 1991 Hong Kong martial arts television series produced by TVB and tells the story of Leung Kan, portrayed by Aaron Kwok, the fictitious son of famed martial artist Leung Foon, whom was a favored disciple of folk hero Wong Fei-hung, portrayed by Shih Kien. Shih, who portrayed Wong in the series, was known for portraying antagonists in a series of Wong Fei-hung-related films during the 1940s to 1970s, while the series also features Sai Gwa-Pau reprising his role as "Buckteeth So" from the aforementioned series of films.

<i>P Storm</i> 2019 Hong Kong film

P Storm is a 2019 Hong Kong action thriller film directed by David Lam, and starring Louis Koo, Kevin Cheng, Raymond Lam, Gordon Lam and Chrissie Chau. The fourth installment in a pentalogy, preceded by Z Storm (2014), S Storm (2016) and L Storm (2018), Koo reprises his role as ICAC principal investigator William Luk, who goes undercover in prison to investigate a case of corrupt prison officers receiving bribes. The film was released on 4 April 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 Perfect Exchange at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
  2. ↑ Perfect Exchange at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  3. ↑ "将计就计 至尊卅六計之偷天換日 (1993)".
  4. ↑ "P - So Good Reviews".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.