Cat Vs. Rat is a 1982

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Limited () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, operating from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

film directed by

Lau Kar Leung Lau Kar-leung (; born 28 July 1934 – 25 June 2013) was a Hong Kong martial artist, filmmaker, fight choreographer and actor. He is best known for the films he made in the 1970s and 1980s for the Shaw Brothers Studio, notably those starrin ...

, starring

Alexander Fu Alexander Fu Sheng (; born Cheung Fu-sheng 張富聲; 20 October 1954 – 7 July 1983), also known as Fu Sing, was a Hong Kong martial arts actor. One of Hong Kong's most talented performers, Fu rose to prominence in the 1970s starring in a s ...

Adam Cheng Adam Cheng Siu-chau (born 24 February 1947; formerly known as Cheng Chong-sai and Wong Ho-chung) is a Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Limited, TVB actor and Cantopop singer. Career Cheng started his career in the 1970s, where he gained a reput ...

Kara Hui Kara Wai Ying-hung BBS (; born 3 February 1960) is a Hong Kong actress best known internationally for her roles in wuxia films produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio in the 1970s and 1980s. Wai has since portrayed a wide range of roles on screen ...

, and Hsiao Ho. The plot is loosely based on the 19th century

wuxia ( , literally "martial arts and chivalry") is a genre of Chinese literature, Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity ha ...

classic novel ''

The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants ''The Tale of Loyal Heroes and Righteous Gallants'' (忠烈俠義傳), also known by its 1883 reprint title ''The Three Heroes and Five Gallants'' (三俠五義), is an 1879 Chinese novel based on storyteller Shi Yukun's oral performances. The ...

''.

Plot

Baak Juktong and Zin Ciu were martial arts students of the same ''

sifu ''Shifu'' is a Chinese cultural term. Although its pronunciation always sounds the same, there are two ways of writing it using Chinese characters, and they bear two different meanings. The first variation, Shīfù 師傅 ('Expert Instructor') ...

'', Si Daatfu. They quarreled and fought incessantly over who had the most powerful ''

kungfu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

''. Baak saved the emperor, traveling in the region in plain clothes, but did not believe his identity when the emperor offered him officialdom. Later, Zin also saved the emperor, who appointed him imperial sword-bearing guard with the title "Royal Cat". Jealous and infuriated, especially because his nickname was "Brocade-Coated Rat" (rats were known as cat food), Baak and his four sworn brothers — Zoeng Ping the "River-Overturning Rat", Ceoi Hing the "Mountain-Boring Rat", Hon Zoeng the "Earth-Piercing Rat" and Lou Fong the "Sky-Penetrating Rat" — plotted to steal the imperial jade seal from the emperor to embarrass Zin.

Cast

: ''Note: The characters' names are in Cantonese (

Jyutping The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme, also known as Jyutping, is a romanisation system for Cantonese developed in 1993 by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK). The name ''Jyutping'' (itself the Jyutping ro ...

) romanisation. Mandarin (

Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

) romanisation is included in parentheses when helpful.'' *

as Zin Juklaan * Hsiao Ho as Zoeng Ping (

Jiang Ping Jiang Ping (; 28 December 1930 – 19 December 2023) was a Chinese legal scholar. He was the President of China University of Political Science and Law, and a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Biography Jian ...

) *

Alexander Fu Sheng Alexander Fu Sheng (; born Cheung Fu-sheng 張富聲; 20 October 1954 – 7 July 1983), also known as Fu Sing, was a Hong Kong martial arts actor. One of Hong Kong's most talented performers, Fu rose to prominence in the 1970s starring in a s ...

as Baak Juktong (

Bai Yutang Bai Yutang, nicknamed "Sleek Rat" or "Brocade-Coated Rat" (), is a fictional Song dynasty knight-errant from the 19th-century Chinese novel ''The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants''. Handsome, brave, clever and charismatic, Bai Yutang is the young ...

) *

as Zin Ciu (

Zhan Zhao Zhan Zhao (展昭) is a fictional character in the Chinese wuxia classic ''The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants''. Nicknamed the "Southern Hero", he is a righteous knight-errant with incredible martial arts skills, often helping Prefect Bao Zhen ...

) *

Lau Kar-wing Lau Kar-wing (born 1944) is a martial artist, Hong Kong film director, action choreographer and actor. Background Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China, Lau Kar-wing was the fourth child of Lau Cham (), a martial arts mas ...

as Si Daatfu *

Lydia Shum Lydia Shum Din-ha or Lydia Sum Tin Ha (; 21 July 1945 – 19 February 2008) was a Hong Kong-Canadian comedian, Master of Ceremonies, MC, actress and singer. Known for her portly figure, signature dark-rimmed glasses and bouffant hairstyle, she w ...

as Baak's mother *

Gordon Liu Gordon Liu Chia-hui (born Sin Kam-hei, 22 August 1955) is a retired Hong Kong actor, martial artist, and filmmaker, best known for his roles in martial arts films. He was one of the biggest male stars of Shaw Brothers Studio's martial arts cinema ...

the emperor ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The' ...

*Lam Fai-wong as Can Gim * Johnny Wang Lung-wei as Ceoi Hing (

Xu Qing Xu Qing (; born January 22, 1969), also known as Summer Xu, is a Chinese actress. Early life Xu was born at the 301 Hospital in Beijing. Her mother, of Tujia ethnicity, was the dance leader in the Central Military Commission Political W ...

) *Ching Chu as Hon Zoeng (

Han Zhang Han Zhang is a fictional Song dynasty Chinese knight-errant, knight-errant from the 19th-century Chinese novels ''The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants'' and ''The Five Younger Gallants''. Nicknamed "Earth Rat" or "Earth-Piercing Rat" () for his e ...

) *David Cheung Chin-pang as Lou Fong ( Lu Fang)

References

External links

*
Cat Vs. Rat at hkcinemagic.com
*
CAT VS. RAT at rottentomatoes.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cat Vs. Rat 1982 films 1980s Cantonese-language films Kung fu films Hong Kong martial arts films Shaw Brothers Studio films Films based on The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants 1980s Hong Kong films