Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

God of Gamblers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 19, 2023

Wong Jing's "God of Gamblers" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by Hong Kong Cinema Expert David West; archival interviews with Chow Yun-Fat and Andy Lau; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In Cantonese or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Let's play cards.

It is very tempting to declare that Wong Jing directed God of Gamblers to test the limits of Chow Yun-Fat’s acting skills because over the course of two hours he plays three, possibly even four very different characters. It is just as tempting to speculate that Chow Yun-Fat took on the challenge determined to make the best of it as well. On the other hand, attempting to view God of Gamblers as such an experimental project is quite silly because in the late 1980s Chow Yun-Fat was already a superstar in Hong Kong and most of Asia, so he did not need to prove anything to anyone. Then again, as strange as it may sound, his performance in God of Gamblers does feel like a big, definitive statement.

The first character is a legendary gambler with supernatural abilities that always wins. The type of game he chooses, the location where it is played, and his opponents never jeopardize his winning record. If he sits down to play, eventually he gets up a winner. However, this legendary gambler is not greedy because he understands that time is on his side.

The second character is introduced shortly after the gambler agrees to help a friend who is in serious trouble. The gambler agrees to play a high-stakes card game and win against another very wealthy gambler with connections to the underworld. The win, which would be substantial, is supposed to eliminate his friend’s unpaid debts. But while the game is being arranged, the gambler has a freak accident that wipes out his memory and transforms him into a childish chocoholic.

While the chocoholic recovers in the company of three small-time hustlers, the third character slowly begins to emerge. Despite his silly behavior, his ability to easily win card games is promptly discovered and then repeatedly abused, but the more he wins for the hustlers, the closer they become. After the true identity of the gambler is accidentally revealed, yet another transformation is initiated, restoring his lost memory and fitting the hustlers who have become his closest friends in it.

The finale reintroduces the original gambler but with a slightly different personality. He keeps his promise and meets the wealthy gambler that threatens to bankrupt his friend on a luxurious yacht somewhere off the coast of Hong Kong. Even though he is framed and his biggest loss seems inevitable, he once again emerges victorious.

A film about a master gambler that never loses is a risky project because it can quickly become repetitive while rehashing the same material. After all, where would the excitement come from if the gambler always leaves his opponents penniless? It would be entertaining watching the first three or four of his opponents lose but after that? There must be more, preferably a lot more, too. This is precisely why God of Gamblers blends numerous ideas and resets Chow Yun-Fat’s character several times. Now there are more opportunities to place this character in contrasting situations and create entertaining material.

But God of Gamblers is a very entertaining film because it is essentially a giant show-off piece for an extremely confident Chow Yun-Fat. Indeed, as structured, the narrative is a large collection of individual acts in which Chow Yun-Fat employs different personalities and does very particular things with them to blend comedy, drama, romance, suspense, and action into a coherent story. There are some decent contributions, most notably by Andy Lau, but they are decorative work in a one-man show.

Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of area of God of Gamblers where Chow Yun-Fat’s enthusiasm is simply off the chart, so the dramatic material for instance very quickly begins to look like parody material. Also, it is very easy to notice how quite a few of the other actors are struggling to match this excessive enthusiasm and, in the process, hurting the credibility of their characters.

A brilliant soundtrack composed by Sherman Chow and Lowell Lo instantly gives God of Gamblers an unmistakable classic vibe.

God of Gamblers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, God of Gamblers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films.

It is very easy to tell that the film has been fully remastered because it looks very fresh and attractive. I liked the technical presentation a lot. On my system, virtually all visuals revealed very good to excellent delineation, clarity, and depth. A lot of the darker and nighttime footage looked particularly good, which I do not think is easy because plenty of areas could have been severely crushed. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. As a result, grain exposure is very good. Image stability is excellent. The overall color balance is convincing. However, there are a few scattered shots that clearly have a slightly more contemporary appearance. The one that sticks out the most is this shot, which pushes the blues toward contemporary turquoise. Still, the existing range of primaries and nuances is solid. There are no distracting age-related imperfections to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

God of Gamblers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese: LPCM 2.0, Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and English: LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I sampled the three tracks but my preference would be for the Cantonese LPCM 2.0 track. I think that it has very good clarity and depth. Sharpness can fluctuate a bit, but this must be an inherited limitation. The English track is a bit of a mixed bag. It often sounds boxy and the dubbing is quite unattractive. I would not recommend that you experiment with it.

God of Gamblers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - author and Hong Kong Cinema Expert David West discusses in great detail the production history and box office success of God of Gamblers as well as the interesting overlapping of different genre material in it. There is plenty of information about the careers of Chow Yun-Fat, Wong Jing, Andy Lau and other people that contributed to the film. This was the commentary that I listened to without interruption and enjoyed it quite a lot.

• Commentary Two - this audio commentary was recorded by Hong Kong Cinema Experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto. Again, there is a lot of factual information about the production history, box office success, and fan reception of God of Gamblers as well as the various sequels that came after it. Some career overviews are provided, too.

• Interview with Chow Yun-Fat - in this archival interview, Chow Yun-Fat discusses the early stages of his acting career, work with John Woo, success in Hong Kong, the type of roles and characters he has played in the past, etc. The interview was conducted in 1993. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Interview with Andy Lau - in this archival interview, Andy Lau discusses the evolution of his acting career (with some quite interesting comments about his TV work), the state of the Hong Kong film industry and working conditions, some memorable characters he has played in the past, etc. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Interview with Wong Jing - Part One - in this archival interview, Wong Jing discusses some of the difficulties Hong Kong superstars faced while working on films that had to have international appeals, the appeal of action films, and his work on God of Gamblers. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Interview with Wong Jing - Part Two - in this archival interview, Wong Jing discusses the origin and production of God of Gamblers. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (7 min).

• English Titles - presented here is the opening sequence of God of Gamblers with original English titles. (6 min).

• Hong Kong Trailer - presented here is an original Hong Kong trailer for God of Gamblers. Remastered. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (3 min).

• International Trailer - presented here is an original international trailer for God of Gamblers. Remastered. In English. (3 min).

• Stills Gallery - a collection of promotional stills for God of Gamblers.

• Cover - cover with new art by Sean Longmore.

• Poster - original theatrical Hong Kong poster.

• Booklet - 30-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Paul Bramhall and technical credits.

God of Gamblers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

God of Gamblers comes from Chow Yun-Fat's best period, the 1980s, so it is great to have it on Blu-ray. I think it becomes a tad silly at times, but I enjoyed it quite a bit and would love to see the two sequels it inspired transition to Blu-ray, too. Hopefully, the folks at 88 Films are already planning releases for them. God of Gamblers has been newly remastered and looks very good in high-definition. The release we have reviewed also has a nice selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.