YumCha!
»
Editor Picks - Chinese Video
Browse
- ycec Editor's Picks By Category
- esid Editor's Picks - By Editor
- yca Feature Articles
- ycpc Professional Reviews
- Awards & Festivals
- ppid Music Pop Chart
- yceb Entertainment News
- About YumCha!
-
Tears on Fire (2021) (DVD) (Ep. 1-10) (End) (Tote Bag Limited Edition) (Taiwan Version)
Chang-Ying Hsieh (Actor)
| Hu Shi An (Actor)
| Austin Lin (Actor)
| Xia Teng Hong (Actor)
On days of disaster and tragedy, we laud the heroics and sacrifices of firefighters and first responders. But are we providing the needed resources and understanding to support their work and livelihood every day of the year? The ten-episode PTS series Tears on Fire depicts the experiences and challenges of firefighters and EMTs in Taiwan. The drama follows a typical brigade in the Tongan Branch of Dayuan City Fire Department. The team, which includes James Wen, Annie Chen, Liu Kuan Ting and Austin Lin, works around the clock to respond to emergency calls. In Taiwan, EMS (emergency medical service) is provided by the fire department, so firefighters are also trained as EMTs (emergency... [read more]
-
-
Detective Chinatown 3 (2021) (Blu-ray) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Wang Bao Qiang (Actor)
| Tsumabuki Satoshi (Actor)
| Liu Hao Ran (Actor)
| Miura Tomokazu (Actor)
Out of all the films that were originally set for theatrical release in China for Chinese New Year in 2020 and then pushed back due to COVID, only two films delayed their release dates all the way to 2021 Chinese New Year – the cartoon feature Boonie Bears: The Wild Life and Detective Chinatown 3. Most of the other big-name titles, like Leap, Vanguard and Jiang Ziya, opened later in 2020 or, in the case of Lost in Russia, premiered on digital platforms instead. Detective Chinatown 3, however, was held an entire year for the Spring Festival opening, because it's very much a Lunar New Year film. Despite the detective buddy comedy being a surefire blockbuster anytime of the year based on its... [read more]
-
-
The Con-Heartist (2020) (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Baifern Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul (Actor)
| Nadech Kugimiya (Actor)
| Bank Thiti Mahayotaruk (Actor)
| Ter Chantavit Dhanasevi (Actor)
When it comes to glossy commercial films that hit you in the feels and the funny bone, it's hard to go wrong with GDH. The 2020 comedy The Con-Heartist deploys the blockbuster studio's tried-and-true formula of pretty people engaging in cute romance and wacky comedy, but this crowd-pleaser leads with crime caper elements. Romcom favorite Baifern Pimchanok gives one of her most lovable performances as Ina, a humble banker who wears her heart on her sleeve. That's how she ended up getting scammed by ex-boyfriend Petch (a wily, smiley Thiti Mahayotaruk) and saddled with debt. When she encounters suave con artist Tower, played by Channel 3 heartthrob Nadech Kugimiya, she ropes him into helping... [read more]
-
-
Future Cops (1993) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Jacky Cheung (Actor)
| Aaron Kwok (Actor)
| Chingmy Yau (Actor)
| Andy Lau (Actor)
Some people may say that Future Cops is a terrible motion picture. And those people would not be wrong, but that doesn't stop me from wholeheartedly loving this wacky 90s Hong Kong classic. The sci-fi action comedy is directed by – who else? – Hong Kong cinema's king of low-brow comedies Wong Jing, and it aims to entertain by throwing everything but the kitchen sink into its nonsensical fun. One of the biggest draws of Future Cops is that it's packed with stars, and they all dress up in ridiculous cosplay-quality costumes, as the film giddily rips off characters from Street Fighter II. Future Cops enjoys the distinction of having three Heavenly Kings – Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung and Aaron Kwok... [read more]
-
-
A Little Reunion (2019) (DVD) (Ep. 1-49) (End) (China Version)
Huang Lei (Actor)
| Hai Qing (Actor)
| Tao Hong (Actor)
| Sha Yi (Actor)
With the family drama A Love for Dilemma currently trending in China, now seems like a good time to revisit the acclaimed 2019 series that came before it, A Little Reunion. A Love for Dilemma, A Little Reunion and 2016's A Love for Separation are all family stories based on novels by Lu Yingong. All three are worthwhile watches, but A Little Reunion is the highest-rated on Douban for good reason. A Little Reunion is centered around three families during a crucial period: the final year of high school when students prepare for the gaokao, China's all-important national college entrance exam. A Love for Separation's Huang Lei and Hai Qing return as parental figures of free-spirited,... [read more]
-
-
Get The Hell Out (2020) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Tuo Zong Hua (Actor)
| Lin He Xuan (Actor)
| Bruce Hung (Actor)
| Wang Zhong Huang (Actor)
The zombie genre gets a zany, blood-spurting entry in the Taiwan horror action comedy Get the Hell Out. If you've ever thought politicians are just blood-sucking creatures who prey on the people, then Wang I Fan's debut feature is here to validate your suspicions with unsubtle satire and lots of blood. Bruce Hung plays Wang You Wei, who is on security detail at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, for his alternative military service. He has a crush on short-tempered legislator Hsiung Ying Ying (Megan Lai), who became a politician to block the construction of a foreign chemical plant in her hometown. Rumors are that the chemicals are linked to a new rabies virus. After Hsiung is... [read more]
-
-
We Are Champions (2019) (DVD) (Taiwan Version)
Li Lin Fei (Actor)
| Fandy Fan (Actor)
| Berant Chu (Actor)
| Liu Yu Ren (Actor)
High school basketball is a pretty big deal in Taiwan. While the island's professional leagues have struggled in recent years to maintain attendance and a sustainable business model, the High School Basketball League (HBL) has ballooned in popularity over the past decade. Bolstered by government support, big-name brand sponsorship and broadcast deals, the HBL commands a considerable following and boasts way higher attendance than the beleaguered SBL. HBL's Division 1 tournament is Taiwan's answer to March Madness, with final games held in packed stadiums. It's the HBL championship tournament that provides the crucial backdrop for Chang Jung Chi's 2019 youth film We Are Champions. The... [read more]
-
-
Joy of Life Season One (2019) (H-DVD) (Ep. 1-46) (End) (China Version)
Li Qin (Actor)
| Chen Dao Ming (Actor)
| Zhang Ruo Yun (Actor)
| Yolanda Yuan (Actor)
One of the dramas I'm most looking forward to in 2021 is the second season of Joy of Life. The first season that aired in 2019 was a big hit in China and made our year-end picks, thanks to its unique mix of wuxia, suspense, fantasy and pure wit. Based on Mao Ni's novel Qing Yu Nian, the period series stars Zhang Ruoyun as silver-tongued swordsman Fan Xian, who lives in ancient times but has modern-day knowledge. His mysterious origin links back to his even more mysterious mother, who came from an unknown place and left behind a great legacy of innovation and larger-than-life legends. Summoned to the capital by his father and the Emperor (Chen Daoming), Fan Xian searches for his origins and... [read more]
-
-
Tournament 7 (2019) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Sam Leong (Actor, Director, Writer)
| Liang Ke Ke (Actor)
| He Ying Wei (Actor)
| Jim Bing Hei (Actor)
At least we still have Tournament filmsDo you want to see a movie that opens with a biblical quote, followed by a scene of a mutated cabbage bloodily attacking someone? Tournament 7 is for you! Independent Hong Kong filmmaker Sam Leong's Tournament series has been one of my cinematic guilty pleasures of the last few years. In this day and age of Hong Kong cinema, there's just something wonderful about a self-produced, low-budget film series regularly churning out new installments, and also putting them on DVD. The low-rent action films run the gamut of genres from one installment to another – underground boxing, triad drama, family melodrama, revenge drama, social drama and now sci-fi gore, all with varying degrees of Christian... [read more]
November 28, 2020 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
-
-
The Making of an Ordinary Woman (2019) (DVD) (Ep. 1-10) (End) (Taiwan Version)
Lan Wei Hua (Actor)
| Wayne Song (Actor)
| Chen Jia Kui (Actor)
| Wu Yi Han (Actor)
Following her Golden Horse Best Actress win for Dear Ex, Hsieh Ying Hsuan gives an even better performance in the 2019 CTS mini-series The Making of an Ordinary Woman. The ordinary woman in question is 39-year-old Chen Jia Ling, who's lived in the big city of Taipei for two decades but has yet to become a true city girl. She's not doing that bad, but she's also not doing that great. Marriage, success and just the grace and poise of being an adult woman – all these continue to elude her as she tolerates a stagnant job and relationship, and regularly gets herself into unlucky, embarrassing situations. Based on writings by Jiang E, The Making of an Ordinary Woman's heroine and crossroads are... [read more]
-
-
Men On The Dragon (2018) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Francis Ng (Actor)
| Nancy Wu (Actor)
| Kenny Wong (Actor)
| Liu Jun Jiang (Actor)
With this year's dragon boat races cancelled due to the pandemic, it's time to revisit the 2018 film Men on the Dragon instead for the Dragon Boat Festival. A critical and commercial hit in Hong Kong, Sunny Chan's comedy-drama follows four ordinary men facing midlife crises who invigorate their lives through dragon boat racing. Francis Ng is at his natural best as the affable, unmotivated Lung who works for a broadband service provider. He and his co-workers Suk Yi (theater actor Poon Chan Leung) and William (Weeds on Fire's Tony Wu) fulfill your general expectations of those tech-support guys who show up late to set up your internet. Lung holds an obvious torch for his neighbor Coral (TVB... [read more]
-
-
You Are The One (2020) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Patrick Kong (Director, Producer, Writer)
| Carlos Chan (Actor)
| Gladys Li (Actor)
| Bob Lam (Actor)
This is the one Patrick Kong film I like.I never thought the day would come when I would recommend a Patrick Kong film. But hey, the end of the world doesn't feel so far off this year. Released during Chinese New Year, You Are the One was actually the last film I watched in cinema before entering social-distancing mode, so it now holds a special place in my heart. Writer-director Patrick Kong has made a name for himself over the past decade by cornering the Hong Kong market for local urban romances. Many of his films are quite forgettable though, unless they happen to star Stephy Tang and Alex Fong (and that well has dried up). Given Patrick Kong's past work and the film's cringe-worthy Chinese title, I went into You Are the One... [read more]
April 17, 2020 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
-
-
Bodies At Rest (2019) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Richie Jen (Actor)
| Nick Cheung (Actor)
| Yang Zi (Actor)
| Feng Jia Yi (Actor)
Sometimes you want complex stories and characters in your films. But when it comes to action movies, sometimes you just want the simplest story with the most bodily damage. And that's exactly what you get in Renny Harlin's high-concept action thriller Bodies at Rest. After moving his career to China, Harlin directed Jackie Chan's Skiptrace (2016) and the period fantasy Legend of the Ancient Sword (2018), both of which are about as not good as his 2000s Hollywood output would predict. Bodies at Rest, however, is right up the director's Die Hard 2 lane. The ever busy Nick Cheung plays forensic pathologist Dr. Chan, who is settling in for a Christmas Eve at the lab with intern Lynn (Yang Zi).... [read more]
-
-
The World Between Us (2019) (Blu-ray) (Ep. 1-10) (End) (English Subtitled) (Taiwan Version)
Pets Tseng (Actor)
| Alyssa Chia (Actor)
| Chen Yu (Actor)
| James Wen (Actor)
The distance between humanity and tragedyTaiwan television reaches a new high with The World Between Us, which is absolutely one of the best series to come out of Asia this year. Set in the aftermath of a random mass shooting, the ensemble drama explores the impact, coverage and consequences of the senseless tragedy in a manner that is both deeply personal and widely relevant. Over ten episodes, Lu Shih Yuan's script weaves different characters and conflicts together, posing many difficult and thought-provoking questions along the way about justice, ethics, compassion, grief, mental health and the media. The World Between Us begins a few years after a mass shooting incident, the details of which are gradually revealed over the... [read more]
September 26, 2019 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
-
-
A Family Tour (2018) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Pete Teo (Actor)
| Nai An (Actor)
| Tan Xin Yue (Actor)
| Gong Zhe (Actor)
Dispatch from a Chinese filmmaker in exileIn 2012, indie Chinese director Ying Liang completed the film When Night Falls based on the controversial 2008 case of Yang Jia, who stormed a Shanghai police station and killed six police officers. The case drew great attention not only for the shocking violence, but also for how the authorities handled the case. Yang Jia, who was previously mistreated by the police and tried behind closed doors, drew sympathy from pockets of the Chinese internet that aired their discontent with China's opaque justice system. Ying Liang brought When Night Falls, which recounts the case from the perspective of Yang's mother, to overseas film festivals without official permission and refused to yield to... [read more]
June 26, 2019 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
-
-
Fall In Love At First Kiss (2019) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Jelly Lin (Actor)
| Darren Wang (Actor)
| Chen Bo Rong (Actor)
| Yankee Yang (Actor)
There are some stories that are clearly shallow, juvenile and cliched, and yet they keep getting told and we keep watching them. Even as I griped about there being yet another Itazura na Kiss adaptation when Fall in Love at First Kiss was announced, I knew I was going to watch it – because of course I am. After Hana Yori Dango, Itazura na Kiss has to be the most popular shojo manga for adaptation, and it's especially beloved in Taiwan because of the classic idol drama It Started With a Kiss. Just three years ago, there was a new Taiwan TV adaptation of Itazura na Kiss. Now we get a movie. Iconic source material aside, Fall in Love at First Kiss does have another big selling point: the... [read more]
-
-
Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story (2018) (DVD) (Taiwan Version)
Frank W. Chen (Director)
I was living in Taiwan in 2005 when Wang Chien Ming made his Major League debut as a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees. The Taiwan-born ace was all over the local news and sports channels, and a frequent conversation topic among my middle school students. The pride and fervor surrounding the third ever Taiwan baseball player to make it to the MLB was huge at the time. His talent, humility and sick sinker made even a lifelong Red Sox fan like me want to root for him (only him, not the Yankees). After consecutive 19-win seasons in pinstripes in 2006 and 2007, it all came crashing down in 2008. Wang suffered a foot injury while rounding the bases in an interleague game. All athletes... [read more]
-
-
Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy (2018) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Max Zhang Jin (Actor)
| Michelle Yeoh (Actor)
| Tony Jaa (Actor)
| Chrissie Chau (Actor)
No Ip Man, no problem – at least when it comes to the spin-off film Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy. In 2015's Ip Man 3, Max Zhang left a strong impression as Wing Chun practitioner Cheung Tin Chi, who persistently challenged Ip Man for the title of Hong Kong's top martial artist. While not an antagonist, the character was an adversary to Ip Man for much of the film and provided various scene-stealing moments for Zhang. Three years later, the actor stepped back into the shoes of Cheung Tin Chi to headline his own film set after the events of Ip Man 3. Having closed his martial arts school and set aside the chip on his shoulder since we last saw him, Cheung Tin Chi is now content with running a... [read more]
-
-
Project Gutenberg (2018) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Chow Yun Fat (Actor)
| Aaron Kwok (Actor)
| Liu Kai Chi (Actor)
| Zhang Jing Chu (Actor)
Felix Chong's Project Gutenberg just garnered a ridiculous 17 nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards so there are many nice things that could be said about the film's twisty plot, slick pacing and tight direction. I'd like to focus on the single most important factor that makes the crime thriller a must-watch for Hong Kong film fans (or at least me): Chow Yun Fat. Chow Yun Fat is in peak Chow Yun Fat form in the role of a criminal mastermind behind a counterfeiting operation. His commanding and charismatic performance in the film channels the classic effortless charm that captured a generation of Asian cinema fans and also the dangerous, unreadable duplicity of later roles in films like... [read more]
-
-
House of The Rising Sons (2018) (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Tan Yu (Actor)
| Jonathan Wong (Actor)
| Carlos Chan (Actor)
| Deng Jia Le (Actor)
It's hard to muster up much expectation for a biopic about an aged cookie-cutter Hong Kong pop band directed by one of the band members, but House of the Rising Sons turns out to be an appealingly amiable and nostalgic film whose overall niceness actually feels right. Formed by Alan Tam, Kenny Bee, Anthony Chan, Bennett Pang and Danny Yip, The Wynners were arguably Hong Kong's first idol band. The band exploded into popularity in the 70s with feel-good English and Cantonese pop numbers that appealed to a younger generation. By the early 80s, Alan Tam and Kenny Bee had shifted focus to solo careers. However, The Wynners never disbanded. The band has remained intermittently active over the... [read more]
-
Bookmark & Share