Perhaps what makes The Founding of a Republic such an attention grabber and commercial triumph is the huge ensemble cast that has come together under the great patriotic cause this movie represents. Over a hundred big-name Chinese showbiz personalities get starring roles in the event film, including many international superstars that reportedly make cameo appearances for free. Occupying the main roles are Tang Guoqiang (playing Mao Zedong), Zhang Guoli (Chiang Kai Shek), Xu Qing (Soong Ching Ling), Vivian Wu (Soong Mei Ling), Aloys Chen (Chiang Ching Kuo), Liu Jin (Zhou Enlai), Wang Wufu (Zhu De), and Wang Xueqi (Li Tsung Jen). In supporting parts there are Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Vicki Zhao, Huang Xiaoming, Liu Ye, Guo Xiaodong, Tong Dawei, Ge You, Hu Jun, Zhang Hanyu, Chen Hao, Ning Jing, Eva Huang, Chen Daoming, and Jiang Wen. Add to the mix popular Hong Kong movie stars like Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Leon Lai, Donnie Yen, Tony Leung Ka Fai, and the stargazing still doesn't end there - even A-list directors Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang are onboard taking rare turns in front of the camera!

Eastern Kowloon is a festering hotbed of crime and vice watched over by a coalition of five triad bosses who nominally get along. When boss Jimmy (Calvin Poon) gets gunned down in the streets, however, the wheels of war begin to spin. Away in Taiwan, Jimmy's wife Cheung Wah (Ada Choi) passes temporary leadership to their trusted bodyguard Po (Shawn Yue) over disgruntled #2 man Blackie (Chapman To). Po has to find the gunman and keep things under control until Cheung Wah returns to Hong Kong the next day. But in the meantime, Blackie, the other four leaders, and the police are all making moves of their own.

Playboy Jack Lam (Wong Cho Lam) may be short and shallow, but he's got money and lots of it, which is enough to keep the girls coming. He even manages to dodge the financial tsunami thanks to a fortuitous error. Jack's hot gold-digger girlfriend (Chrissie Chau), however, thinks he's gone bankrupt and dumps him immediately, sending him a nasty wake-up call. Encouraged by the advice (and cute looks) of Angel (Angelababy), Jack decides to go out and look for love again, encountering an emotionally unstable dancer (Race Wong), a naive massage girl (JJ Jia), and a scarred triad girl (Kate Tsui).