In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 25 wins & 47 nominations total
- Crocodile Gang Boss
- (as Feng Xiao Gang)
- Donut
- (as Zhi Hua Dong)
- Brother Sum
- (as Danny Chan)
- Bone (Sing's Sidekick)
- (as Lam Tze Chung)
- Beggar
- (as Cheng Yan Yuen)
- Inspector Chan
- (as Zhang Yi Bai)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBruce Lee Tribute: When the Landlady is seated between the Boss and his assistant, she faces the boss, and mimics the gestures Bruce Lee used while also facing a crime boss in Return of the Dragon. She wags her finger at him, then closes both fists, then just the right (while knuckles cracking can be heard), she jerks her head up, and the boss nods he understands, then she thumbs her nose, exactly like Bruce Lee.
- GoofsWhen Coolie takes on the Axe Gang alone, before the tailor joins in, an Axe Gang member takes a perfect unblocked swing at Coolie's back, realizes that Coolie can't block it, and runs away.
- Quotes
Barber: Why don't you train us to be top fighters... and we'll avenge them!
Landlady: Becoming a top fighter takes time, unless you're a natural-born kung-fu genius, and they're 1 in a million.
Barber: [Does martial arts routine] It's obvious I'm the one.
Landlady: [immediately punches him in the face] Don't think so.
- Alternate versionsThe version released in Spain took a few artistic licenses when it was dubbed. Giving each character a different accent from each region of Spain or from other parts of the world.
- Sing has a Madrid accent and also the street slang.
- His partner has Catalan accent.
- The landlord and his wife have an Andalusian accent.
- The Ax Gang Vice General has an Argentine accent.
- The Crocodile Gang Boss has a Mexican accent.
- Donut has the accent of a Chinese person trying to speak in Spanish.
- The Two Harpist have a French accent.
- The Beast has an Italian accent.
- And some neighbors of "Pig Sty Alley" have a Galician accent.
- SoundtracksZhi Yao Wei Ni Huo Yi Tian
Composed by Liu Jie Chang
Lyrics by Lin Huang Kun
Performed by Huang Sheng Yi
Arranged by Ying-Wah Wong (as Raymond Wong)
It took me a while to figure out who the hero was. First I thought it was the barber guy who got himself constantly smacked about by the landlady. I suppose it's because he looked so dim, he therefore had to be a kung fu master in disguise. I've read some of the other posts, and everyone seems to think the knife scene was the funniest. I didn't expect to come to this movie for a laugh, but the knife scene almost killed me. Luckily it was just me and my friend in the movie theatre, so I could let it all out.
If you go to the movies to free your imagination, then this is the movie for you. Stay away from people who say it's far-fetched and unrealistic. If they want realism, they should go to the laundromat.
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Tuyệt Đỉnh Kung Fu
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $17,108,591
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $269,225
- Apr 10, 2005
- Gross worldwide
- $104,882,445
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
- 2.35 : 1