The Conmen in Vegas (1999)Though you'd never believe it from the opening card cheating, those eponymous conmen - King (Lau), Richard/Luckchard (Chan) and Dragon (Cheung) - are pretty sharp at their gambling... So sharp that the mainland authorities hire them to aid their justice system. A pretty odd concept to be sure, and it goes like this: A fraudster named Peter Chu has pulled off some shoddy construction work in China, pocketed RMB400 billion (that's about US$46 billion), and cut for the highlife in Nevada casinos. Since their mate Dragon by this time has been kidnapped by triads in Hong Kong, the remaining two parts of the gambling threesome take the job to bring back Chu alive. Before cutting for Las Vegas, a handy pool scene introduces us to Sammi and Betty - busty and sexy respectively, as we're perpetually reminded - two girls also out for a fast buck and who just happen to end up in the USA as well to help out. And actually providing more tricks than the conmen themselves is the afro-wigged Handsome Wu (Wong Jing). He's a Hong Kong director-turned-US hardcore porno director and aspiring theme park operator. And he's mighty helpful too. Much is set in the Caesar's Palace casino and in and around Las Vegas, making The Conmen in Vegas a fun summer field trip movie. Very little gambling in this, and nothing particularly tricky about the card tricks. Instead wildly silly visual comedy with some crimefighting thrills is thrown in. And the action peaks when the confolks dart across the desert in their bullet-riddled Winnebago, two helicopters in hot pursuit. It seems Wong Jing can just set down his formula anywhere and simply make it happen. |
Credits: Scripted and directed by Wong Jing |
| Main | Movies | DVDs | Extras | Links |