CASINO TYCOON II is a direct sequel to the first movie, set some 20 years later and picking up some plot strands along the way. Andy Lau is by now the boss of the casino and seems to hold infinite power, but various foes are stacked against him and his personal relationships continue to cause problems. Wong Jing returns to write and direct, but I found this by far the weaker film of the two, lacking the momentum and grittiness that made the first film so good.
It opens on a broadly comic note featuring Dennis Chan as a small-time scammer before moving into a slow-moving character piece. You can't fault the actors, but the film doesn't have much in the way of drive or intrigue. The bad guys are clear cut and the various assassination attempts at well staged, with a gruesome attack in the second half being a highlight. But you don't really feel that Lau is ever in danger and the laidback approach works against it. There's also a little too much melodrama with all the offspring and love interests too. Perhaps Wong Jing should have left the story alone after all.
It opens on a broadly comic note featuring Dennis Chan as a small-time scammer before moving into a slow-moving character piece. You can't fault the actors, but the film doesn't have much in the way of drive or intrigue. The bad guys are clear cut and the various assassination attempts at well staged, with a gruesome attack in the second half being a highlight. But you don't really feel that Lau is ever in danger and the laidback approach works against it. There's also a little too much melodrama with all the offspring and love interests too. Perhaps Wong Jing should have left the story alone after all.
