The Millionaires' Express (1986)

It is a performances centric movie

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Hijinks ensue when a colorful cast of characters converge upon a newly-built train, and each has their own motives to use the train to potentially get money for themselves or their respective towns.We've always been Sammo Hung fans, and here he turns in a high-energy, upbeat and lovable movie filled with humor, stunts, action, and overall wackiness. It truly is an "Eastern Western" as Hung crafted an homage to Sergio Leone and his Spaghetti Western ilk. But he interjected his own flavor and style to it all, and the Buster Keaton influence is clearly evident as well. The whole outing is very well-shot and has a professional sheen. Everything from the costumes to the sets were done lovingly, and audiences can't help but respond positively to everything they're seeing.While fans of Hong Kong filmmaking are bound to see familiar faces in the cast, interestingly, this movie is the first team-up of Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton. So there's some trivia for you. While they also starred together in The Magic Crystal (1986) the same year as Millionaire's Express, this is credited as their first outing together. Both of their names in the movie are simply "Bandit". We would have liked more screen time from both of them, but that's how it is in these ensemble pieces. There's not enough time for everyone - though Sammo clearly recognized Rothrock's potential. Even though this is only her third-ever movie, she gets a really cool fight scene with Sammo himself. Their fight together is a movie highlight in an already enjoyable romp.While it may seem that there are certain stretches in the film where Martial Arts isn't the main focus (unless you count two brawling, pint-sized kids who use a technique called "Stealing Peaches") - just you wait until the final brawl. Sammo pulls out all the stops and it's extremely entertaining. Yet another memorable Golden Harvest production, Millionaire's Express is filled with positives and essentially no negatives. If you get a chance to see it, see it.

This is a one-of-a-kind Hong Kong movie filmed in the Western style and directed my martial arts great Sammo Hung, where he brought in an all-star cast including Hung himself, Yuen Biao, Eric Tsang, Richard Ng, Lydia Sum, Kenny Bee, Lam Ching Ying, Wah Yuen, Corey Yuen and Rosamund Kwan. It's a story where Ching Fong-Tin (Sammo Hung) tries to makes amends for his past by attempting to return wealth and prosperity to his hometown. In doing so, he plans to stall an express train full of wealthy passengers in hopes they will lodge at his town and spend money on its amenities. Meanwhile, a group of mountain bandits wants to rob the train, where three samurais in possession of a treasure scroll are on board. It is an action-packed film from start to finish that will give you pure fun and excitement - a film that has just about everything in it: comedy, adventure, martial arts, romance and drama. Each of the characters has his/her own unique charm, development and relevance in the movie that makes him/her stand out in the story. Hung took great care in directing that made every one of the many characters important, inserting humor and drama where appropriate and creating fun and interesting subplots (like the town's renegade security officers attempting to rob the train; Richard Ng's character's silly love affair; the rival between legendary martial artists Master Wong and Master Shek) while not swaying away from the main point of the story. He keeps the plot going at a fast pace and makes every scene captivating, leaving no room for boring fillers.The special and visual effects are realistic and believable and the script is an awesome piece of work - it makes you feel you are along the wild adventure and just having fun with the ride. The music score by Anders Nelsson, Alastair Monteith-Hodge and Chin Yung Shing is very catchy and dynamic, filming location is breath-taking and the acting was spot-on. There are some silly and goofy moments from some of the cast members, but it is not done overboard.With such a large cast and an exciting story, I just wished that the movie was made a little longer to have more time to accommodate the actors and action sequences. But overall, it is one of the best movies I have seen come out of Hong Kong and certainly one that is highly recommended if you are a fan of wild Hong Kong Cinema. If you are not, it is still a great movie to watch for the casual viewers! Grade A

Long before movies like SUKYAKI WESTERN DJANGO or THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD, there was Sammo Hung's SHANGHAI EXPRESS. While both of the aforementioned movies definitely have their fair share of memorable moments, SHANGHAI EXPRESS tops them both (in my own, ever humble opinion) by virtue of its sheer diversity. There are, first and foremost, the unbelievable stunts (some of which would make Jackie Chan himself green with envy, I'd wager): at one point, Yuen Biao does a roundoff off the top of a two story building (falling about THREE stories in the process), jumps up when he lands, then runs out of frame- all in a single take. Another player does a similar jump from the top of a building later in the movie- again, in a single take and, again, jumping up to run out of the shot as did Biao. Sammo himself, sporting a kind of mullet haircut, engages Biao in a spectacular if brief slugfest at a train station. Cynthia Rothrock, in a very small but memorable part, also goes toe to toe with Sammo in a particularly brutal fight scene. My favorite moment, by far, has to be Kurata's fight with Richard Norton: when Norton nails him at one point, Kurata begins a Chaplinesque, leaning-tower-of-Piza stagger around Norton, circling stubbornly and refusing to fall. If you're a Charlie Chaplin fan (and who isn't?), you'll appreciate both the homage and the sheer craziness of the scene. In fact, there are several sequences (in particular a laugh-out-loud train sequence, with one guy roped and tied running alongside the train) that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Hung mines comedy gold with SHANGHAI EXPRESS.

This film would sit comfortably next to A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, The Great Train Robbery, every other Jackie Chan/Sammo flick, and then some. It's not as funny as it could be (the dubbed version, that is), but aside from that I have no complaints.There is no time to develop character traits (aside from a few cliches), but this is a slapstick so that shouldn't really be expected. If you are familiar with the slapstick-martial arts genre, or if you simply love bizarre, zany movies, then I recommend it. If you're looking for a substantial plot with lots of characterization, find something else to curl up on the couch to.It is exactly what it proclaims to be, a madcap Kung Fu western. But I doubt if you'll ever see a man jump without safety mats from a 4-story building (on fire, I might add) in any other film. Wow.