BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS (2009)
Hong Kong films don't come much bigger than this. Directed by Teddy Chan and co-produced by Peter Chan, the highly anticipated blockbuster Bodyguards and AssassinsBodyguards and Assassins revolves around Sun Yat-sen's visit to Hong Kong in 1906, and the brave bodyguards who protect him from an assassination attempt. Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Nicholas Tse, Golden Horse Best Supporting Actor Wang Xueqi, Taiwan actor Wang Bo Chieh (Winds of September), NBA basketball player Mengke Bateer, and pop idol Chris Lee portray eight heroes from different walks of life who rise to the occasion in Hong Kong's finest hour. Hu Jun plays the leader of the Qing assassins, while Eric Tsang, Simon Yam, and Fan Bingbing take supporting roles. Zhang Hanyu, Jacky Cheung, and Michelle Reis also make key cameo appearances. brings together an awe-inspiring all-star cast for a thrilling retelling of a brief but significant moment in modern Chinese history. Inspired by true events,
Hong Kong, 1906. Exiled Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen is returning to the British colony to meet with alliance leaders about upcoming plans to insurrect against the Qing imperial government. As the news spreads, both the Qing court and the revolutionaries spring into action. In China, the Qing send out official Xiao Guo (Hu Jun) to spearhead Sun's assassination; in Hong Kong, activist Xiao Bai (Tony Leung) and businessman Li (Wang Xueqi) gather bodyguards to protect Sun. Though pulled into the conflict for very different reasons, crooked cop Chung Yang (Donnie Yen), rickshaw driver Ah Shi (Nic Tse), beggar Lau (Leon Lai), Shaolin monk Stinky Tofu (Mengke Bateer), revolutionary's daughter Hung (Chris Lee), and Li's son Chung Guang (Wang Bo Chieh) all lay down their lives for a common cause: to protect Sun during the fateful hour he's in Hong Kong.
While the first half of Bodyguards and Assassins sets up the revolutionary cause, the action-packed second half rolls out the brutal confrontation between the bodyguards and the assassins. The rickshaw must keep moving, no matter the cost, as the Tung Wai-choreographed action and chase scenes play out in almost real time through a massive set that stunningly recreates early 1900s Hong Kong Central District.
