God of Gamblers
Encyclopedia
God of Gamblers is a 1989 Hong Kong action comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...

 film written and directed by Wong Jing
Wong Jing
Wong Jing is a Hong Kong film director, producer, actor, presenter, and screenwriter. A prolific filmmaker possessed of strong instincts for crowd-pleasing and publicity, he is often cited as the most consistently successful filmmaker , in commercial terms, in the Hong Kong cinema of the last...

, and featuring an ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...

.

Synopsis

Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...

 plays Ko Chun, an extremely talented and well known gambler. On the eve of a big confrontation with a famous Singaporean gambler, Ko walks into a trap set by Knife, an avid but a so-so gambler (Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...

), meant for an Indian servant. Struck on the head, Ko suffers from amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...

 and regresses to a child-like state. Knife, not knowing who Ko is, takes him in and gives him a name, Chocolate, since Ko now has an over-obsessive love for a specific chocolate (French/Belgium Feodora brand),. As soon as he recognizes Ko's talents begins to exploit his abilities. This invites further trouble and trauma for Ko leading up to a big finale. Ko's bodyguard Dragon arrives after tracking him down to protect him from thugs who tried to kill him. After a fierce gun-battle in which Ko killed all his enemies, he became horrified and ran out into the street where he was struck by a vehicle. Moments later at the hospital, Knife came to visit him only to learn Ko has no memory of him and was thrown out by security to his dismay. Meanwhile, Ko Chun's cousin, Ko Yee helps the Singaporean gambler by giving him glasses that can see dots on cards (which tells him if it is a King, Queen, Jack, or Ace). During the big showdown, Ko Chun loses 2 rounds and during the last round, fools the Singaporean gambler thus winning all of the money. Then, the Singaporean gambler is sent to jail because he accidentally shot Ko Yee. In the end, Ko Chun remembers Knife and takes him to Las Vegas to gamble.

Cast

  • Chow Yun-fat
    Chow Yun-Fat
    Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...

     as (高进/赌神) Ko Chun (The God of Gamblers) / Chocolate
  • Andy Lau
    Andy Lau
    Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...

     as (陈刀仔) Michael Chan/Knife/Dagger
  • Charles Heung
    Charles Heung
    Charles Heung Wah-Keung is a Hong Kong actor-turned-film producer and presenter. As founder of Win's Entertainment in the 1980s and China Star Entertainment Group in the 1990s, he has helped established the careers of various cinematic icons in Hong Kong that include Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat,...

     as (龙五) Lung Wu/Dragon (once served in special force under Nguyen Van Thieu
    Nguyen Van Thieu
    Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was president of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1975. He was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , became head of a military junta, and then president after winning a fraudulent election...

    )
  • Joey Wong
    Joey Wong
    Joey Wong is a Hong Kong based Taiwanese-born actress.-Biography:Wong was born on January 31, 1967 and raised in Taipei and also received a secondary school education there. She was enrolled in the drama course of Kuo Kwan Arts School...

     as (珍) Jane/Jen
  • Sharla Cheung
    Sharla Cheung
    Sharla Cheung Man , also known as Cheung Man is an actress working in the Hong Kong film industry....

     as Janet
  • Ng Man-tat as (花口成) Brother Shing
  • Jimmy Lung Fong
    Lung Fong
    Jimmy Lung Fong was a former Hong Kong actor, film director, and action choreographer. Lung was best known to moviegoers for his frequent portrayal of villains in various Hong Kong films, most notably in films made by Wong Jing. Lung retired from the film industry, and died from lung cancer in...

     as (高义) Ko Yee
  • Michiko Nishiwaki
    Michiko Nishiwaki
    is a Japanese actress and stunt woman, martial artist, fight choreographer, and former female bodybuilder and powerlifter. She played stunt double for Lucy Liu in the film Charlie's Angels....

     as Ko Chun's female Yakuza
    Yakuza
    , also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...

     opponent
  • Wong Jing
    Wong Jing
    Wong Jing is a Hong Kong film director, producer, actor, presenter, and screenwriter. A prolific filmmaker possessed of strong instincts for crowd-pleasing and publicity, he is often cited as the most consistently successful filmmaker , in commercial terms, in the Hong Kong cinema of the last...

     (cameo)
  • Shing Fui-On
    Shing Fui-On
    Shing Fui On was a Hong Kong actor, best known for his supporting roles in Hong Kong cinema. He had only one leading role in his entire career.-Biography:...

  • Michael Chow
  • Bau Hon-Lam
  • Dennis Chan
  • Chan Lap-Ban
  • Law Ching-Ho
  • Yasuyoshi Shikamura
  • Ronald Wong
  • Sen Wong
  • Yang Tse-Lin
  • Yu Shangguang

Sequels, spin-offs and parodies

The success of the film spawned many parodies and spin-offs such as All for the Winner
All for the Winner
All for the Winner is a 1990 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen.This is the movie that launched Stephen Chow to stardom...

 starring Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...

. Several more comedy-driven sequels also starring Stephen Chow were released, as well as a sequel where Chow Yun-Fat reprises his role as Ko Chun.

God of Gamblers series:
  • God of Gamblers (1989)
  • God of Gamblers II
    God of Gamblers II
    God of Gamblers II is a 1990 Hong Kong comedy film written and directed by Wong Jing. It stars Andy Lau as Little Knife, Stephen Chow as the Saint of Gamblers, and Ng Man-Tat as Blackie Tat. This movie is a sequel to both God of Gamblers, which included Lau's character, and to All for the Winner,...

     (1991) - This film continues where the original God of Gamblers storyline left off. This time, Andy Lau
    Andy Lau
    Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...

    's character teams up with Stephen Chow
    Stephen Chow
    Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...

    's character from All for the Winner
    All for the Winner
    All for the Winner is a 1990 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen.This is the movie that launched Stephen Chow to stardom...

    . Chow Yun-Fat did not return for this film, but his God of Gambler character did show up for a brief cameo appearance using archive footage.
  • God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai
    God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai
    God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai is a 1991 Hong Kong comedy film, a sequel to the film God of Gamblers II. The film is directed by Wong Jing, and stars Stephen Chow and Ng Man Tat. The film does not feature the Knight of Gamblers, or the God of Gamblers...

  • God of Gamblers Returns
    God of Gamblers Returns
    God of Gamblers Returns , also known as God of Gamblers' Return and The Return of the God of Gamblers , is a 1994 Hong Kong action-drama-comedy film written and directed by Wong Jing. It starred Chow Yun-fat, Wu Chien-Lien, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Chingmy Yau, Cheung Man, and Charles Heung...

     (1994) - Also released under the name God of Gamblers 2 (but not God of Gamblers II) this is the 'true' sequel to the original God of Gamblers film, with Chow Yun-Fat back to reprise his role as the God of Gamblers.
  • God of Gamblers 3: The Early Stage
    God of Gamblers 3: The Early Stage
    God of Gamblers 3: The Early Stage is a 1997 Hong Kong action-comedy film written, produced and directed by Wong Jing and starring Leon Lai, Anita Yuen, Jordan Chan, Gigi Leung and Francis Ng...

     (1996) - A successful prequel of the original God of Gamblers, starring Leon Lai
    Leon Lai
    Leon Lai is a Hong Kong-based actor and Cantopop singer. The media refer to Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings . He uses the stage name "Li Ming" or "Lai Ming" which literally means "dawn."-Biography:...

     as Ko Chun. It may be assumed that this is a reboot to the God of Gamblers series because of the inconsistencies with the previously established story of God of Gamblers e.g. Ko Chun and his bodyguard, meet for the very first time in the first film and therefore should not know each other in this prequel.


Spin-offs:
  • All for the Winner
    All for the Winner
    All for the Winner is a 1990 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen.This is the movie that launched Stephen Chow to stardom...

     (1990) - Stephen Chow is the Saint of Gamblers in this popular God of Gamblers parody.
  • Fist of Fury 1991
    Fist of Fury 1991
    Fist of Fury 1991 is a 1991 Hong Kong film directed by Choh Chung-Sing, and starring Stephen Chow in the lead role. Aside from a few parodied scenes, the film bears no other similarities to the Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury except in title only...

     (1991) - Stephen Chow's Saint of Gamblers character does a brief cameo appearance at the start of this film.
  • The Top Bet
    The Top Bet
    The Top Bet is a 1991 film directed by Jeffrey Lau. It is a spin-off of the All for the Winner series, with only Ng Man Tat and Anita Mui act as Blackie Tat and Sing's sister and Stephen Chow in a cameo appearance as Sing.-Cast:* Anita Mui - Mei / Sing's sister* Carol Cheng - The Queen of...

     (1991) - This is a spin-off of All for the Winner
    All for the Winner
    All for the Winner is a 1990 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen.This is the movie that launched Stephen Chow to stardom...

    , with only several characters from the original reprising their role. Stephen Chow did, however, make a cameo appearance in this spin-off. The film stars Anita Mui
    Anita Mui
    Anita Mui Yim-fong was a popular Hong Kong singer and actress. During her prime years she made major contributions to the cantopop music scene, while receiving numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout most of her career, and was generally regarded as a cantopop diva...

     and Carol Cheng
    Carol Cheng
    Carol Cheng , commonly referred to as Do Do, is an actress and host from Hong Kong.-Biography:Cheng began her career in the 1970s working on a number of Television Broadcasts Limited series. She also hosted the Hong Kong version of the game show The Weakest Link from 2001-2002...

    .
  • Fight Back to School 3 (1993) - Stephen Chow's character visits Mr. Hung, the 'King of Gamblers' from All for the Winner
    All for the Winner
    All for the Winner is a 1990 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen.This is the movie that launched Stephen Chow to stardom...

     to gain some gambling tips.
  • Saint of Gamblers (1996) - A spin-off of the All for the Winner
    All for the Winner
    All for the Winner is a 1990 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen.This is the movie that launched Stephen Chow to stardom...

     series, with only Ng Man-Tat reprising his role.
  • My Wife is a Gambling Maestro
    My Wife is a Gambling Maestro
    My Wife is a Gambling Maestro as a master gambler and a romantic comedy storyline.-Cast:* Nick Cheung* Natalie Meng Yao* Cheung Tat Ming* Ben Cheung Ka Lun* Danny Chan Kwok Kwan* Wong Jing* Samuel Pang King Chi* Winnie Leung Man Yee...

    (2008) - A ripoff of the first film, but with a completely different cast and a romantic comedy plotline
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