Cover Art

Credits

Director: Ngai Kai Lam Starring: Siu-Wong Fan, Bin Shimada, Mui Sang Fan, Ka-Kui Ho, Yukari Ôshima, Tetsuro Tamba Screenplay:Ngai Kai Lam Music: Fei Lit Chan Country: Hong Kong AKA: Lai wong; Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky

Based on one part of the 12 act manga 'Riki-Oh' by Tetsuya Saruwatari and Takajo Masuhiko, The Story of Ricky is set in 2001, in a privatized prison controlled by a monstrous Hulk-like warden (Ka-Kui Ho), his evil one eyed assistant, Cyclops (played by Fan Sui Wong's father, Fan Mui Sang) and the Gang of Four. The Gang is four prisoners who each control one wing of the prison (amusingly an all male prison yet one of the Gang of Four is played by female actor Yukari Oshima) with an iron fist. When superhuman Ricky (Fan Sui Wong), who has been trained in chi gung by his Uncle Ghost, is imprisoned for the revenge killing of the drug dealer who forced his girlfriend's suicide, his righteous presence and selfless outlook soon make him a hero to the inmates, which threatens to usurp the power of all those in charge. They decide they must rid themselves of Ricky's influence…forever!!

The Story of Ricky is the first movie in Hong Kong history to receive a Category 3 rating for violence rather than sex. The over-the-top cartoonish brutality of this movie makes the Itchy and Scratchy segments on The Simpsons look like The Smurfs by comparison. Eyes are punched out, people are pushed through meat grinders and arms are lopped off. The gore level of Riki-oh is as extreme and ridiculous as that of Peter Jackson's Brain Dead. So much blood is sprayed, not spilled, in this movie, that the actor, Fan Sui Wong, was so drenched in the red stuff after one scene, that it took him three days to clean his stained skin.

Rising Star is an interesting 35min interview with Fan Sui Wong, Ricky himself, about his career in movies, his training and his origins. Intercut with the interview footage is footage from other Hong Kong movies not starring him, like My Lucky Stars and The Magnificent Butcher (which starred his father).

Martial Hero is a two and a half minute display by Fan Sui Wong of martial arts.

The audio commentary is by Jude Poyer, Stuntman and Hong Kong film critic and Miles Wood, film critic and author of CinEast: Hong Kong Cinema in the Looking Glass. This is an informative commentary by two men who are huge fans of the Asian action film genre. I learnt more about Hong Kong cinema from this commentary than I think I ever knew before. The commentary also has a text introduction about the two men, which I thought was a fine feature.

There are also trailers from other Hong Kong Legend releases such as: Fist of Fury, Once Upon A Time in China, Iron Monkey, Armor of God and Police Story.