The Magic Crystal
The Magic Crystal (Chinese: 魔翡翠) is a 1986 Hong Kong action film written and directed by Wong Jing. The film stars Andy Lau, Max Mok and Cynthia Rothrock.
| The Magic Crystal | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Traditional | 魔翡翠 |
| Simplified | 魔翡翠 |
| Mandarin | Mó Fěi Cuì |
| Cantonese | Mo1 Fei2 Ceoi3 |
| Directed by | Wong Jing |
| Produced by | Wallace Chung |
| Screenplay by | Wong Jing |
| Starring | Andy Lau Cynthia Rothrock Natalis Chan Siu Ban-ban Wong Jing Max Mok Sharla Cheung |
| Music by | Joseph Yip |
| Cinematography | Movie Impact Cinematographers Team |
| Edited by | Lau Siu-kwong |
Production company | Win's Entertainment Lung Cheung Films |
| Distributed by | Movie Impact |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Budget | HK$28,000,000 |
| Box office | HK$11,383,366 |
It is about a mysterious jade that holds powers to be able to do both nice and terrible things. The film is well known for being one of those 'so bad it's good' films. What saves the film from total mediocrity is its high-octane martial arts scenes.
Storyline
The films sees some of the greatest martial arts action performed in a scene featuring Richard Norton, Cynthia Rothrock and a very youthful Andy Lau. Norton also shows off his great skill in using weapons, much to the annoyance of both Rothrock and Lau.
Plot
An important piece of document to be presented as evidence in court the next day against triad boss has been stolen from the Hong Kong police. Due to the time constraints, Sergeant Shek (Shih Kien) of the Special Duty Unit employs mercenary Andy Lo (Andy Lau), known as the "Eagle Hunter", to retrieve it. Andy breaks into the triad boss's mansion where he fights his henchmen and tricks the triad boss into opening his safe where the document is hidden.
Later Andy receives a letter from his archeologist friend Shum Kwan (Philip Ko) where he discovered a mysterious artifact in Greece and wants Andy to examine it with him, but also warns him to be cautious as Shum is being tailed by international spies. Andy arrives in Greece with his nephew, Ban-ban (Siu Ban-ban), and assistant, Snooker (Wong Jing). While Andy was sightseeing at the Parthenon with Ban-ban and Snooker, he bumps into Shum. Shum is ambushed and chased down by KGB thugs posing as Interpol agents. Andy, along with actual agents Cindy Morgan (Cynthia Rothrock) and her partner (Max Mok) give chase and give chase and beat up the thugs while Shum escapes. Afterwards, Cindy and her partner reveals to Andy that they know of his identity as the Eagle Hunter and informs him of Shum's situation of being hunted by the KGB and persuades him to cooperate with them to help his friend.
Shum arrives at the hotel where Andy was residing but gets shot by a KGB thug posing as Andy's assistant, but manages to subdue the thug before escaping. Afterwards, Shum leaves a baggage containing the mysterious artifact in Andy's hotel room before being captured by Karov (Richard Norton), head of the KGB. Shum is then tranquilized by Karov when he refuses to tell him the whereabouts of the artifact, but Karov is able to deduce that it may be kept by Andy.
After returning to Hong Kong, Andy's older sister (Wong Mei-mei) informs about a phonecall for him made by Shum's younger sister, Winnie, and gives him an address of a gymnasium where she trains. Ban-ban also opens the luggage containing the mysterious artifact, the Magic Crystal, a large piece of jade with magical powers and can talk, and befriends the jade. Meanwhile, Andy arrives at Winnie's gymnasium she states she has no news of her brother for a month. Andy, Winnie and Lo Sai (Natalis Chan), an aggressive pursuer of Winnie, were ambushed by Karov's thugs and Andy fights them off and rescues Winnie. Winnie goes to hide in Andy's house, while Lo Sai also follows, much to everyone's annoyance.
Ban-ban and the jade play tricks on Lo Sai, including swapping his hands and feet and he wakes up in shock. The jade also help Ban-ban beat up a school bully. Sergeant Shek arrives and asks Andy, Winnie and Lo Sai about their attack last night, with the latter hiding the awkward swatting of his limbs. Cindy and his partner also arrive in Hong Kong and briefly speak with Andy, before encountering Karov, who demands Andy to hand out the jade, which confuses Andy. Andy fights off Karov's thug and escape with Winnie and tells Snooker to take a look at their baggages brought back from Greece. At this time, Lo Sai also discovers the jade, who swaps Lo Sai's hands and feet back to normal and gives him a superpower where he can demand to do whatever he says. However, Lo Sai did not catch that the superpower only works within five feet of the jade and he goes to rob a bank by himself and is taken to an asylum as a result.
Andy then receives a call from Sergeant Shek that he as found Shum as is at his house. Andy arrives at Shek's home and finds both Shek and Shum dead while Andy was knocked unconscious. Andy wakes up and Cindy and her partner who arrest him thinking he murdered Shek. Meanwhile, Andy's sister was attacked by Karov's thug at home but she fends them off. Karov arrives and fights Andy's sister, outmatching her until Cindy arrives and join forces to fight Karov, who kidnaps Ban-ban and takes the jade.
Karov then hides a thug to kill Andy with ice bullets but fails. Andy then escapes from prison helped by Cindy's partner, who reveals the plan to avoid the attention of moles in the police force. The two join with Cindy, Snooker and Andy's sister at Karov's headquarters where they fight off Karov's thug. Karov escapes after Andy engages in a fight with him but they were able to rescue Ban-ban and Cindy suggests to keep the child protected at the police station. At the police station the jade uses its power where Ban-ban leaves the station and takes the jade to Greece by himself while police mole informs Karov the whereabouts of Ban-ban before being punched by Cindy's partner.
Andy, Snooker, Cindy and his partner arrive in Greece where Cindy receives intel Ban-ban payed for a boat to a mysterious island. However, Ban-ban is once again captured by Karov on his way to the island by Andy and the crew manage to follow them into a cave. Andy, Cindy, Snooker fall into an underground level full of booby traps while Cindy's partner chases Karov, and the trio find a device with the recording Venus detailing his journey to Earth and the jade, which is his technological pet, will help him return to his home planet. Karov, who has Ban-ban in his arms also hear this and a big fight between Andy, Cindy and his partner against Karov and his thugs. Andy and Cindy then join forces to fight Karov who uses a pair of sai against them until Andy delivers a devastating punch on Karov. Karov then chaes Ban-ban but Andy subdues Karov with a big statue and Ban-ban is able to use the jade to help Venus return home while Karov furious jumps into the wave bringing Venus home and is transported out of Earth. The jade dies after using all it's energy and bids farewell to a crying Ban-ban before it hatches a baby jade, much to the delight of the child.
Cast
- Andy Lau as Andy Lo (羅力), a mercenary employed by the Hong Kong police and is branded as the Eagle Hunter No. 1 (獵鷹第一號).
- Cynthia Rothrock as Cindy Morgan, an Interpol agent.
- Natalis Chan as Lo Sai (老細), an aggressive pursuer of Winnie with low IQ and can be easily manipulated by the Magic Crystal.
- Siu Ban-ban as Ban-ban (彬彬), Andy's nephew who befriends the Magic Crystal.
- Wong Jing as Snooker, Andy's bumbling assistant.
- Max Mok as Cindy's Interpol partner.
- Sharla Cheung as Winnie Shum (沈雲妮), Shum Kwan's younger sister.
- Shum Wai as a triad boss captured by Andy.
- Chung Fat as the triad boss's thug who fought Andy.
- Hung San-nam as the triad boss's thug who fought Andy.
- Philip Ko as Shum Kwan (沈昆), Andy's archeologist friend who discovered the Magic Crystal in Greece and is hunted by Karov.
- Wong Mei-mei as Andy's older sister and Ban-ban's mother.
- Eddie Maher as Karov's thug in Greece
- Tony Leung Siu-hung as Karov's thug in Greece
- Richard Norton as Karov, leader of the KGB who is after the Magic Crystal.
- Shih Kien as Sergeant Shek (石探長), Andy's employer.
- Shing Fui-On as a prisoner.
- Jackson Ng as Karov's thug who wears a red head band and fought Cindy and Andy's sister.
- Yu Mo-lin as Maureen Yu, head coach at Winnie's gymnasium.
- Albert Lai as a cop.
- David Ho as Steve's father.