Perfect Exchange

Perfect Exchange
DVD cover
Traditional 至尊三十六計之偷天換日
Simplified 至尊三十六计之偷天换日
Mandarin Zhì Zūn Sān Shí Liù Jì Zhī Tōu Tiān Huàn Rì
Cantonese Zi3 Zyun1 Saam1 Sap6 Leok6 Gai3 Zi1 Tau1 Tin1 Wun6 Jat6
Directed by Wong Jing
Produced by Jimmy Heung
Screenplay by Wong Jing
Starring Andy Lau
Tony Leung
Music by Philip Chan
Sherman Chow
Cinematography Andrew Lau
Tony Miu
Edited by Poon Hung
Production
company
Distributed by Gala Film Distribution
Release date
 30 September 1993 (1993-09-30)
Running time
 105 minutes
Country Hong Kong
Language Cantonese
Box office HK$17,912,327[1]

Perfect Exchange, also known as The Sting II, is a 1993 Hong Kong action comedy film written and directed by Wong Jing and starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung. The film was rated Category III by the Hong Kong motion picture rating system.

Plot

Mandy Chin (Andy Lau), Chung Cho-hung (Tony Leung), Lau Yiu-cho (Wan Chi Keung) and Chan Chung-ming (Natalis Chan) were gambling together. Mandy uses his girlfriend, Lily (Christy Chung), and partner, Gold Finger Chi (Liu Kai-chi), who are the card dealers, to help him cheat and won over HK$6 million. On the other hand, Lau lost up to HK$4 million. Afterwards, Mandy, Lau and Chan met Chung, who brought a number of his subordinates with him, at a bar. There, Lau felt he was cheated and a big fight occurred where Chung was injured. Lau found out that the three of them cheated him and he blackmails Mandy to help him go to prison and interrogate his former subordinate, Robinson Shun (Kwan Hoi-san), who stole a total of HK$300 million treasury bond from him. If Mandy manages to have Robinson tell him the whereabouts of the bond, Lau promises to pay Mandy HK$10 million as a reward. To get Mandy to prison, Lily sues him for sexual harassment. However, due to lack of evidence, the judge does not adopt the case. Mandy later gets himself to prison by throwing his shoe at the judge and he was sentenced to prison for a month for contempt of court and assaulting the judge.

In prison, in order to get close to Robinson and not be bullied by his inmates, Mandy bribes inmates Kei (Lee Siu-kei), Hung (Victor Hon) and Crazy Bill (William Ho) for protection. However, Mandy discovers the truth to the issue. Lau is actually Robinson's son in-law who killed his daughter for money and told the police that she was killed in a robbery. To avenge his daughter, Robinson cuts Lau with a knife and was framed by Lau for murder, which led to his imprisonment. After hearing this, Mandy changes his mind and is determined to help Robinson seek revenge and punish Lau and Robinson promises Mandy to split half of his property to him after he successfully takes revenge.

In order to persuade Chung, a prison officer, to help him, Mandy promises to give him HK$30 million after he successfully takes revenge on Lau. After fighting with Lau's subordinate Dinosaur (Chan Chi-fai), who was also sent to prison to interrogate Robinson, Mandy, Chung and Dinosaur caused a prison riot which was also on the night of the engagement party between Lau and Mona (Anita Lee). Mandy takes advantage of the chaos and successfully escapes from prison. At Lau's party, Mandy, Chung and Lily cause Lau to shoot Mona dead after a big fight where he was also arrested. Robinson also takes the long hidden bonds from a glass bottle and after the incident, Mandy, Chung and Robinson return to prison.

Due to their efforts and good behavior, the three of them were released from prion early. Since the bonds are deposited in a Switzerland bank, Chung has to wait four years to receive the HK$30 million that Mandy promised to give him earlier.

Cast

  • Andy Lau as Mandy Chin
  • Tony Leung Ka-fai as Prison inspector Chung Cho-hung
  • Christy Chung as Lily
  • Kwan Hoi-san as Robinson Shun
  • Kingdom Yuen as Turkey Chu
  • Anita Lee as Mona
  • Natalis Chan as Chan Chung-ming (cameo)
  • Liu Kai-chi as Gold Finger Chi
  • Tommy Wong as Big Eye Kwong
  • Wang Lung-wei as Pau
  • Chan Chi-fai as Dinosaur
  • Lee Siu-kei as Brother Kei
  • Victor Hon as Brother Hung
  • William Ho as Crazy Bill
  • Wan Chi Keung as Lau Yiu-cho
  • Teddy Yip as Chung's dad
  • Lok Wai as Girlfriend of Chung's dad
  • Pau Hon-lam as Judge
  • Law Shu-kei as Prison Warden
  • Fung Wai-lung as Cho's thug
  • Sam Ho as Dog
  • Bobby Au-yeung
  • Carol Lee
  • Leung Siu-tik as Inmate
  • Kwan Yung as Inmate
  • Kong Miu-ting as Inmate / Prison Guard (2 Roles)
  • Ng Kwok-kin as Prison guard
  • Chan Siu-wah as Prison guard at disco
  • Fei Pak as Prison guard
  • Wong Wai-shun as Cho's thug

Reception

Critical

Perfect Exchange received relatively positive scores of 6.1/10 stars from the Internet Movie Database[2] and 6.8/10 stars from Douban.[3] Kenneth Brorsson of So Good Reviews gave the film a positive review and writes "It helps that a performer like Tony Leung is very game and while Andy Lau is the cool presence in addition to a character rarely being in danger, he's the lesser part of the double act. It just doesn't seem like a fit to have Lau this time around in such a jarring Wong Jing film that mixes the crazy, the silly, Lau going into prison on a rape charge and various, jarring pieces of violence scattered throughout. But it's bearable and actually funny in parts so therefore great success coming from Wong Jing."[4]

Box office

The film grossed HK$17,912,327 at the Hong Kong box office during its theatrical run from 30 September to 20 October 1993 in Hong Kong.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Perfect Exchange at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
  2. ↑ Perfect Exchange on IMDb
  3. ↑ "将计就计 至尊卅六計之偷天換日 (1993)".
  4. ↑ "P - So Good Reviews".
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