Film Name: 与龙共舞 / Dances with the Dragon / Dance with the Dragon / 與龍共舞
Last night while flipping through movie channels, I stumbled upon this film. I’d never seen it before, and when I caught it, Andy Lau was already on a luxury cruise ship with his busty cousin making a big play for him. What followed was pretty entertaining: the cousin demanded Andy kiss her, threatening to accuse him of rape if he refused… She then pretended to faint, just to get Andy to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. But Andy says he’d rather read his book. Furious, she pushes him overboard. Suddenly, Andy becomes a mainland stowaway being chased by sharks. He ends up at Zhang Min’s house. What follows is the classic Hong Kong Prince-Turned-Frog trope: Andy bravely battles a fake rich playboy and wins the beauty’s heart. (Just a random rant—Ye Tianyu, the Eastern Master, was so adorable back then…)
The whole film revolves around the rich, handsome guy faking rejection of the rich, beautiful girl, pretending to be a loser before making a comeback to win her heart. The dialogue is packed with laughs and punchlines. The pace is fast, the logic a bit messy. Andy Lau is seriously too handsome. Minnie Cheung’s short haircut isn’t flattering, but her figure is surprisingly great. Yee Tak-sin as Minnie’s mom steals every scene. Weng Hung’s cousin is so tempting, drool… Zhang Min’s best friend is actually Jacky Cheung’s wife.
After watching, the whole film feels quintessentially Hong Kong cinema. I can’t quite pinpoint what makes Hong Kong films so distinct. It reminds me of renting VHS tapes from stores back in the day—most were Hong Kong productions (age giveaway alert). I focused on studying back then, so I didn’t get to watch many. Mostly, it happened when I hung out at friends’ houses. Parents playing mahjong, a bunch of kids heading to the video store to rent movies to kill time.
My idea of a Hong Kong film was simple, relatable plots; snappy, quick-witted dialogue; handsome guys and beautiful girls who didn’t rely on fancy styling; and the occasional adult scene. In other words, cheesy, silly, tacky, and sexy… But whether watching them then or now, they still hold my interest.
Why is that?
Because my aesthetic tastes were already set by these films. New things became hard to accept. After hearing Simple Love and watching Jane Eyre, I couldn’t listen to Princess Wang or watch The Last Supper. Before age 20, the outside world can be absorbed. After 20, unless a rich, beautiful woman comes knocking, I think openness to new things weakens considerably.
This explains why fans of the 1996 Lu Songxian version of “Xiao Ao” fiercely criticized the original adaptation. Will future generations—those born in the 90s and 00s—grow old and then harshly condemn the next wave of fans for their interpretations of “Xiao Ao”?
So, be a little more tolerant, a little more accepting. Toward other fans, toward new adaptations. Dancing with dragons requires a bit of spontaneity. New talents emerge in every generation—the “aliens” of yesterday are today’s “Letters of Love.” Just enjoy the fun.
Also, I’ll make a commitment: I’ll try to write something after watching each adaptation. The stars deserve some ranting—starting with March 8th…
Please specify：Anime Phone Cases » Dances with the Dragon 1991 Film Review: Hong Kong Version of Prince Turns into Frog, and Other