Chinese Odyssey 2002
| Chinese Odyssey | |
|---|---|
DVD cover of Chinese Odyssey 2002
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| Traditional | 天下無雙 |
| Simplified | 天下无双 |
| Mandarin | Tiānxià Wúshuāng |
| Cantonese | Tin1 Haa6 Mou4 Soeng1 |
| Literally | Matchless Under Heaven |
| Directed by | Jeffrey Lau |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Jeffrey Lau |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Frankie Chan |
| Cinematography | Peter Ngor |
| Edited by | Wong Wing-Ming |
| Distributed by | Shanghai Film Group Corporation |
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Release date
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| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Chinese Odyssey 2002 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
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| Soundtrack album by Frankie Chan & Roel A. Garcia (composers) | |
| Released | 1 February 2002 |
| Genre | Huangmei opera, comedy music |
| Length | 64:31 |
| Label | EMI |
Chinese Odyssey is a 2002 Hong Kong mo lei tau film written and directed by Jeffrey Lau and produced by Wong Kar-wai. It stars Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Faye Wong, Zhao Wei and Chang Chen. It is a parody of the 1959 Huangmei opera film The Kingdom and the Beauty, with virtually the same characters. It was released during the Chinese New Year, following the practice of the Hong Kong movie industry to boost comedy ticket sales during the holiday season.
The film is set in Ming Dynasty, China. Li Yilong (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is the town bully, known for his boorish manners and reckless attitude which have endeared him to no one, save his sister Feng (Vicki Zhao) who has a curious penchant for cross-dressing. It is apparent early on that both these siblings are such misfits they have virtually no prospect of marriage.
Faye Wong is cast as a runaway princess who is dressed as a man, a disguise which fools both Long and Feng. Long immediately decides that he likes his new-found friend so much that he will entrust his sister's hand in marriage to "him". The princess, of course, cannot marry another woman and tried to fend off Long's suggestions of a match; but also, she is attracted to Long.
Emperor Zheng De (Chang Chen) also leaves his palace temporarily to search for his missing sister. He dresses like a commoner and by a twist of fate meets Feng. He is smitten with Feng, and begins to court her, while keeping his imperial identity secret from her. His motives for leaving the palace also included the fact that he is unhappy and lonely at court and wants to escape the smothering influence of the Empress Dowager (Rebecca Pan), his mother, who plays a dictatorial role in the actions of her son. A convoy of imperial guards try to protect him while he is out in town and bring the Emperor back to the palace, but unsuccessfully.
The Princess is also assisted by her "fairy godmother" (Athena Chu) in marrying her match. The Empress Dowager hears of her wayward children and storms Long's house, where her children are holed up, only to hear that they wish to marry two commoners with unwholesome and eccentric tendencies. The Emperor is adamant about marrying Feng and the Empress Dowager relents, but Long is unable to pass a "ring test" to prove he is the destined one and the Empress Dowager forbids his marriage to her daughter.
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