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God of Gamblers More at IMDbPro »Du shen (original title)

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15 reviews in total

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14 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Awesome - One of the best movies ever made, 3 October 2004

Author: TD from United States

All I can say is WOW! This movie has it all. There is action, comedy, drama, suspense. I have never seen a movie combine all elements as well as this one. I've seen about 10,000 movies in my life and this one rates in the top 5. It is that great! Chow Yun Fat is brilliant and certainly would have deserved an Oscar if this film had a proper US release. His comic genius is present in all aspects of his character. The supporting cast does a fine job, but he is the God of Actors and not just the God of Gamblers. The direction is superb as well. The timing, the camera angles and the music make this movie an absolute pleasure to watch. I just finished watching the DVD and will order the remainder of the series as soon as I'm finished typing here. WATCH THIS FILM!

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Chow Yun Fat's versatility captivates., 20 July 2002

Author: laadolf from Snohomish, WA USA

Under appreciated as an actor in the west, Chow Yun Fat shows his incredible versatility as a performer in this Hong Kong comedy/drama.

Chow stars as Ko Chun a gifted gambler with an almost supernatural gift for gaming, hence his exalted title. Ko Chun is suave and sophisticated, master of his gaming, monetarily successful and confident in his abilities. This makes him enemies among not only opponents, but as it turns out, his allies.

Having narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, Ko Chun unwittingly walks into a trap set by Knife, a young gambler wannabe who hankers after a big score. Knife meant to teach someone else a lesson by sabotaging a trail near his home,instead, Ko Chun is the victim. Finding the head injured gambler, Knife and his family take him in and nurse him back to health, not realizing who has literally tumbled into their lives.

Ko Chun awakens from his trauma with no memory and regressed to a childlike demeanor. He's an appealing manchild with an insatiable hunger for a particular brand of chocolate (one carry-over from his former life), and as Knife and Co. find out, a talent for gambling. Knife and his crew make good use of their new friend's abilities--becoming upwardly mobile thanks to "Chocolate"--the nickname they bestow upon him, knowing no other.

Chow Yun Fat has never been more endearing and charming as the brain injured "Chocolate". Chow makes believable and incredibly touching this dramatic transformation from genius to idiot savant. Viewers may find themselves wishing to protect Chocolate from a world he no longer understands and which is by turns baffling and inhospitable. Knife and his crew come to love and protect their friend, mortgaging all they have to provide him with a surgery that might restore his sensibilities.

Their Chocolate-aided success brings unwanted attention, which leads to pursuit, kidnapping, ransom and gunplay. Further trauma to poor Chocolate follows which leads to a showdown that highlights the God of Gamblers uncanny ability to win, even when opponents cheat and "friends" betray. While Chow Yun Fat's impressive talent and charisma are at the heart and soul of this film, the supporting players are excellent, especially Andy Lau and Joey Wong.

A must see and a must own for any Chow Yun Fat fan! In DVD versions of this film the subtitle problems noted in other reviews can be overcome by using the zoom feature on the remote. By slightly shrinking the image and adjusting it upward on the screen, the English subtitles will be perfectly visible and readable 99% of the time. Note:The DVD version of the film is edited, with several original scenes cut that track the ascendency of Knife and Co., and one pretty major plot point that would clarify the denouement at the film's end. VCD versions which are unedited can be sometimes found, but the subtitle problem reasserts itself--VCDs cannot be adjusted to compensate for the problem. But for anyone who has seen the DVD and has the general plot and dialogue down, the search for the unedited VCD version is worthwhile.

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
gambling, intellect, and guns, is anything missing??, 28 August 2002

Author: ballazrus from United States

No, not much is missing at all. The movie has great actors performing great all around whether it is comedy or action. The action wasn't much emphasized as in rather friendship, but when the action does kick in, it brings you to the same level as John Woo's bullet exchange, and heck, even Dragon (the bodyguard) knows some kick ass moves when he fights.

I did not expect much of this movie at first knowing it wasn't john woo who directed it, but after just the first 5 min i was totally into the movie and had forgotten who directed the movie, because it was equally great, and i couldn't ask for more

get this movie! i can't wait til i get my hands on it's sequels

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A brilliant film!!!, 24 June 2006

Author: Matty_01 from Sydney, Australia

It's rare that you see a movie that's so cheap yet so cool. How do you define 'cool'? What makes a guy 'cool'? If you would like to know the answers to these questions, there's one person you can ask, Chow Yun Fat (Yun-Fat Chow). He basically defines cool in this movie. However, that's not the only kind of character he plays in this film. Try and think of the coolest person you know. Now, try and imagine someone really childish. Now imagine both as one person. Sound like a difficult role for an actor to play? After you see the acting in this film, it won't look difficult at all. If you didn't think much about Chow Yun Fat before this movie, I can almost guarantee you will after seeing it. He is clearly a brilliant actor.

There's really no point to have a really good actor if you can't even have a good story. Luckily though, God of Gamblers succeeds in this aspect as well. I don't really want to say anything, as the plot is kind of weird at parts, but if you just follow along with it, you should pleasantly enjoy it. The characters are all performed fairly well, and are enjoyable to watch. There is also a great sense of humour to this film, which may seem weird at times, but always funny.

The directing is well done and the music is absolutely awesome, and fits the film perfectly. This movie also has what could be considered as one of the greatest endings of all time. This movie is brilliantly executed and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys watching movies.

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3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Makes me want to become god of gamblers, 14 April 2005

Author: nicholas Chin from United States

This movie once again demonstrates Hong Kong cinema at its best. At the helm of the movie, Chow Yun Fat demonstrates magnificent acting skills as he is able to act in all types of characters, from being a man trapped in a child-like state, to ultimately being the "God of Gamblers". Andy Lau also gives a very note-worthy performance, as Chow Yun Fats sidekick (even though this is a much younger Andy Lau). The movie itself was pretty good, although I would have preferred if the movie was entirely serious instead of putting comic relief in the middle. Regardless buy this movie, it is a must for people who enjoy Hong Kong cinema!!

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3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
A nice drama, comedy and actionfilm, 5 June 2000

Author: action-6 from Froland, Norway

God of Gamblers is a bit of a hybrid of different genres. There`s intense drama, lively comedy and ultraviolent action. Chow Yun-Fat is God of Gamblers. Because of an accident, his mental state is reduced to the level of a child, but he has not lost his gamblegift(nor his hunger for chocolate). The people responsible for the accident(they didn`t mean to by the way) soon discover the unusual gift of their "patient", and begin to take advantage of it. Chow Yun-Fat gets a chance to prove his great acting abilities, without so much use of a gun(he also uses a gun, but rather rarely).

God of Gamblers has intense drama and a rather nice soundtrack(if a little bizarre at times). The comedy part is also all right, but a Western audience might find quite a few of the jokes a little TOO chinese for their liking. Overall though, God Of Gamblers is a quite tasty hongkong-movie that every fan should see. 8,5/10

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Gentle comedy and hard-hitting action seamlessly melded, 1 August 1999

Author: Leigh Melton from USA

If you like action movies, this film is for you. If you like gentle comedy, this film is also for you. If you've only seen Chow Yun-Fat playing suave, "hard boiled" killers this film is *definitely* one you should see. Breathtaking action sequences pepper a sweet plot about the triumph of innocence over arrogance and the power of love and friendship.

Plus you get to see Chow Yun-Fat walking around with Mickey Mouse balloons.

5 stars out of 5. One of my favorite HK comedies.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Might be a good movie..., 1 September 1999
Author: cwhjr from Seattle, WA

...but the subtitles on the DVD I rented were totally unreadable. They are burned directly into the film (unlike properly formatted DVD subtitles), and sit much too low on the screen, resulting in the English being cropped off. The VHS version might be better. Be warned!

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3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Great Movie, 5 March 2002
Author: Pornstar_Zen from UK

This is an amazing all round film containing just the right amounts of comedy, drama and gunplay.

Although the Uk edition of VHS suffers terrible subtitling it is still a must see.

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Original gambling movie unlike any other!, 1 May 2011

Author: faceyourmelt from United States

Unlike most gambling movies, God Of Gamblers does not address the addiction of gambling. It does not revel the dirty underside to casinos either. Most of all there are no plies of money floating down on a couple having sex. No, God Of Gamblers is something entirely different. With a fantastic mix of comedy, martial arts and high stakes poker God Of Gamblers set itself apart from all other gambling movie in a way only Hong Kong can do.

Ko Chun seems to have an almost supernatural ability to gamble. After nearly missing an assassination attempt Ko Chun falls victim to a prank set by a neighborhood hoodlum. After hitting his head, Ko forgets his past life and is left with a child's personality and an affection for chocolate. The hoodlum, Knife, brings Ko in and when he discovers the mans gift for gambling he uses Ko Chun to become rich. Only until Ko's past returns and the two worlds collide.

Chow Yun Fat plays Ko Chun and carries the film on his shoulders. With his excellent delivery as both the expert gambler and the innocent child we are captivated, watching his story unfold. Although the subtitles are horribly translated, the camera work is great and the fighting is better than expected.

Most action movies to come out of America or Hong Kong seem to have one problem in common. They focus on the action and forget the characters. This is why God Of Gamblers stands out from other martial arts movies. We take the time to get to know everyone in the story. The movie is just as much a comedy as it is an action movie. We aren't overloaded with long-winded action scenes. The action is short, to the point and interesting.

The film on the whole works well. Jing Wong has directed around 140 films and although I have only seen God Of Gamblers, I'm sure this is at the top of his list. One of the most interesting bits of trivia about the film is it spawned four sequels and six spin off films. It must have been HUGE over seas. And for good reason! Although the film is two hours long it moves fast and is highly entertaining. A must see for Chow Yun Fat fans or action nerds the world over!

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