''Chinese Odyssey 2002'' is a 2002 Hong Kong

mo lei tau ''Mo lei tau'' () is a type of slapstick humour associated with Hong Kong popular culture that developed during the late 20th century. It is a phenomenon that has grown largely from its presentation in modern film media. Its humour arises from ...

musical film written and directed by

Jeffrey Lau Jeffrey Lau Chun-Wai (; born 5 February 1955) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, actor and producer. Lau is famous for writing and directing " mo lei tau" comedies. His comedies include '' A Chinese Odyssey'' (with Stephen Chow) and '' ...

and produced by

Wong Kar-wai Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure o ...

. It stars

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai Tony Leung Chiu-wai ( zh , c=梁朝偉, p=Liáng Cháowěi, born 27 June 1962) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. He is one of Asia's most successful and internationally recognized actors. He has won many international acting prizes, including the C ...

Faye Wong Faye Wong ( zh, 王菲; pinyin: ''Wáng Fēi''; born 8 August 1969) is a Chinese singer-songwriter and actress. Early in her career, she briefly used the stage name Shirley Wong (). Born in Beijing, she moved to British Hong Kong at the age o ...

Zhao Wei Zhao Wei (; born 12 March 1976), also known as Vicky Zhao or Vicki Zhao, is a Chinese nationality law, Chinese actress, singer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. Regarded as one of China's Four Dan Actresses, she rose to pan-Asian fame for her rol ...

and

Chang Chen Chang Chen (born 14 October 1976) is a Taiwanese actor. He is best known for his roles in '' A Brighter Summer Day'' (1991), '' Happy Together'' (1997), '' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' (2000), '' Three Times'' (2005), ''Brotherhood of Blad ...

. It is a parody of the 1959

Huangmei opera Huangmei Opera or Huangmei tone ( or , pinyin: or ) is a form of Chinese opera originating from Anqing, Anhui province, as a form of rural folk song and dance. It is also referred to as Anhui Opera. It has been in existence for the last 200 years ...

film ''

The Kingdom and the Beauty ''The Kingdom and the Beauty'' () is a 1959 Hong Kong musical-drama film directed by Li Han-hsiang. The film was set in Imperial China, directed by a Hong Kong based–Mainland Chinese director and produced by the famed Hong Kong Shaw Brothers fi ...

'', with virtually the same characters. It was released during the

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

, following the practice of the Hong Kong movie industry to boost comedy ticket sales during the holiday season.

Plot

The film is set in

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, China. Li Yilong (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is the town bully, known for his boorish manners and reckless attitude which have endeared him to no one, save his sister Feng (Vicki Zhao) who has a curious penchant for

cross-dressing Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express onesel ...

. It is apparent early on that both these siblings are such misfits they have virtually no prospect of marriage. Faye Wong is cast as a runaway princess who is dressed as a man, a disguise which fools both Long and Feng. Long immediately decides that he likes his new-found friend so much that he will entrust his sister's hand in marriage to "him". The princess, of course, cannot marry another woman and tried to fend off Long's suggestions of a match; but also, she is attracted to Long. Emperor Zheng De (Chang Chen) also leaves his palace temporarily to search for his missing sister. He dresses like a commoner and by a twist of fate meets Feng. He is smitten with Feng, and begins to court her, while keeping his imperial identity secret from her. His motives for leaving the palace also included the fact that he is unhappy and lonely at court and wants to escape the smothering influence of the Empress Dowager (Rebecca Pan), his mother, who plays a dictatorial role in the actions of her son. A convoy of imperial guards try to protect him while he is out in town and bring the Emperor back to the palace, but unsuccessfully. The Princess is also assisted by her "fairy godmother" (Athena Chu) in marrying her match. The Empress Dowager hears of her wayward children and storms Long's house, where her children are holed up, only to hear that they wish to marry two commoners with unwholesome and eccentric tendencies. The Emperor is adamant about marrying Feng and the Empress Dowager relents, but Long is unable to pass a "ring test" to prove he is the destined one and the Empress Dowager forbids his marriage to her daughter. All ends well, however. After a separation, Long is enlightened by the "fairy godmother" and passes the "ring test". He is reunited with the Princess, the Empress Dowager accepts him, and happiness reigns.

Cast

– Li Yilong, a ne'er-do-well *

– Princess Wushuang, the emperor's sister *

– Phoenix, Li Yilong's sister *

–

Zhengde Emperor The Zhengde Emperor (26 October 149120 April 1521), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Wuzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houzhao, was the 11th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1505 to 1 ...

Athena Chu Athena Chu (born Chu Yan; 25 October 1971) is a Hong Kong actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Zixia Fairy in '' A Chinese Odyssey'' (1995). Early life and education On 25 October 1971, Chu was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Her f ...

– Amour Amour *

Rebecca Pan Rebecca Pan Di-hua (; also Poon Tik-wah, Pan Wan Ching) is a Hong Kong actress and singer. Early life She was born in Shanghai on 29 December 1931 and moved to Hong Kong in 1949. Career Her singing career began in 1957. One of her songs, which s ...

– the emperor's mother *

Eric Kot Eric Kot Man-fai is a Hong Kong singer and actor. Kot studied in California. He is the second-youngest of three brothers. He formed a comedic music duo with fellow DJ and comedian Jan Lamb called Softhard in the 1980s. He also runs a fashio ...

– the governor / bully * Roy Cheung – Zuo Lengshan *

– Principal Chen, Li Yilong's former teacher *

Ning Jing Ning Jing (; born April 27, 1972) is a Chinese actress and singer. She is best known for playing Mi Lan in ''In the Heat of the Sun'' (1994), Danzhu in ''Red River Valley (1997 film), Red River Valley'' (1997), Angel in ''Lover's Grief over the ...

– Purple Afterglow, Li Yilong's ex-girlfriend *

Jan Lamb Jan Lamb Hoi-fong (; born 28 January 1967) is a Hong Kong DJ, singer and actor. Lamb is the elder brother of Jerry Lamb and younger brother of singer and radio personality Sandy Lamb. He formed a comedic musical duo during the late 1980s with f ...

– commentary (voice) * Chan Lung * Wong Wing-Ming * Zhong Hanhao

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was a success for Faye Wong.Stan Jeffries ''Encyclopedia of world pop music, 1980–2001'' 2003 p225 "In May 2002 Wong won a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling woman singer of Cantonese music, ... Shortly after a new album of orchestrated ballads, Chinese Odyssey, was released and kept Wong at the top of the Asian pop charts. Her career has encompassed more than 20 albums as she continues to record material for future release." Track list: # Intro () :04# Out of the palace () :30# Down to Jiangnan () :59(vocals by

and

) # Vicious mood () :09# The Large World is Smaller than Dust () :31# Xǐxīangféng (喜相逢; "Happy Gathering") :18by

and Tony Leung # Morning Dew () :35# Cherishing the Body () :10# Zuìyīchǎng (醉一場; "A Drunk Song") :24by

and Tony Leung # Happy Gathering Lalalalala () :16(vocals by

and

, " lalala" version of track #6) # Passing Glances () :54# Emotional Departure () :34# The Peach Flower Oath () :36# Wind and Thunder on the Plains () :31# Magical Power of Love () :23# Fate Decided this Life () :20# Drinking Alone () :11# Longing before the Shadows () :31# Tiānxià Wúshuāng Tiānla Dìla () :14by

and Tony Leung # Tiānxià Wúshuāng Nàgèla Xiǎngshuō Lalala () :20by

and

(spoof of track #19) # Here's You; Here's Me () :35# The World is Great () :10# Love will not Die () :31# Like the Previous Dust () :27# No Turning Back () :54# Happy Reunion under the Spring Flowers () :59(vocals by

and

) # Tinha Mouseung Tinla Deila () :15by

and Tony Leung (

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

version of track #19)

Awards

* 39th Annual

Golden Horse Awards The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Taipei Golden Horse Awards () are a film festival and associated awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. The festival and ceremony were founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Repub ...

** Nomination – Best Supporting Actress (

) ** Nomination – Best Art Direction ** Nomination – Best Costume Design * 22nd Annual Hong Kong Film Awards: ** Nomination – Best Actress (

) ** Nomination – Best Art Direction ( Tony Au Ting-Ping) ** Nomination – Best Costume Design (

William Cheung Suk Ping William Chang Suk-ping ( zh, 張叔平; born 12 November 1953) is a Hong Kong production designer, costume designer and film editor. Along with cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Chang is an important collaborator with Hong Kong film director ...

) ** Nomination – Best Original Film Score (

Frankie Chan Franklin Chan Fan-kei (born 1951) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong-born Chinese nationality law, Chinese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, action director, and composer. Chan is best known to Hong Kong action cinema fans as the main a ...

, Roel A. Garcia) * 9th Annual

Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards The Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award () is the annual award given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in Hong Kong since 1994. The award is determined by votes cast in three rounds after a substantial discussion session between the members ...

: ** Winner, Best Picture ** Winner, Best Actress (Faye Wong)

References

External links