Millionaires Express

{{Short description|1986 Hong Kong film by Sammo Hung}} {{Use Hong Kong English|date=May 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}} {{Infobox film | name = Millionaires Express | image = MillionairesExpress.jpg | caption = Hong Kong film poster | native_name = {{Infobox Chinese | child = yes | t = 富貴列車 | s = 富贵列车 | j = Fu3gwai3 Lit6ce1 | p = Fùguì Lièchē }} | director = Sammo Hung | producer = Alfred Cheung Raymond Chow Leonard Ho Wu Ma | writer = {{ubl| * Sammo Hung * Barry Wong * Keith Wong }} | narrator = | starring = See castlist | music = Anders Nelsson Alastair Monteith-Hodge Stephen Shing Gam-wing | cinematography = Arthur Wong | editing = Peter Cheung | distributor = Golden Harvest | released = {{Film date|1986|01|30|df=yes}} | runtime = 101 minutes | country = Hong Kong | language = Cantonese Japanese | budget = | gross = HK$28.1{{nbsp}}million<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|date=November 26, 1986|page=35|title=Top Hong Kong Grossers}}</ref> }} '''''Millionaires Express''''' ({{zh|t=富貴列車|j=Fu3gwai3 Lit6ce1}}, also known as '''''The Millionaires' Express'''''<ref name="BBFC title Millionaires">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-millionaires-express-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmzczodc|title=The Millionaires' Express |website=bbfc.co.uk|publisher=British Board of Film Classification|access-date=9 January 2023}}</ref> or '''''Shanghai Express'''''<ref name="BBFC title Shanghai">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/shanghai-express-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0ynzkzmte|title=Shanghai Express |website=bbfc.co.uk|publisher=British Board of Film Classification|access-date=9 January 2023}}</ref>) is a 1986 Hong Kong Western action comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Sammo Hung. It centers on a disparate group of characters, including rival bandits, con artists, and ninjas, who converge on a rural town where a train carrying many wealthy passengers is stopping.

The film is notable for its large, ensemble cast of well-known performers (many of them in cameo roles), including Hung, Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan, Kenny Bee, Peter Chan, Chin Kar-lok, Chin Siu-ho, Hsiao Ho, Hwang Jang-lee, Yasuaki Kurata, Yukari Oshima, Lam Ching-ying, Lau Kar-wing, Richard Ng, Shih Kien, James Tien, Eric Tsang, Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, Yuen Wah, and Jimmy Wang Yu.<ref>{{cite web |date= |title=The Millionaires' Express (1986) |url=http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=6767 |accessdate=2015-10-02 |publisher=hkmdb.com}}</ref>

''Millionaires Express'' was released by Golden Harvest on January 30, 1986.

==Plot== In the Soviet Union, Ching Fong-tin attempts to steal goods from a group of soldiers. They catch him and force him to strip down to his underwear and dance for their amusement. He escapes by stealing the soldiers' grenades and blowing up the cabin with them inside. Ching is immediately caught by government agent Fook Loi, but escapes and retrieves his clothes.

In Ching's home town, policeman Jook Bo and his allies set fire to a large building, as a diversion for a bank robbery. Tsao Cheuk-kin and his fire team race to the scene and save a fat lady and a blind woman. While the fire rages, the criminals rob the bank; two of them are caught and jailed. Mayor Yi gives a negative speech lamenting that there is no chance of recovering the stolen money; in contrast, Tsao encourages the townsfolk, and he is given the job of head of the town's security.

A train along a Shanghai-Chengdu route is due to pass the town, carrying numerous wealthy passengers including Wong Kei-ying and his young son Wong Fei-hung, as well as three Japanese who are in possession of a stolen map showing the location of the Terracotta Army. A group of bandits conspire to steal the map; separately, Jook Bo's criminal group plan to board the train. Ching's ambition is to bring money into the town, so he intends to force the train to stop at the town by blowing up the tracks with dynamite. Ching recruits a group of women,{{efn|A scene introducing these characters as prostitutes is present in the 97 minute Hong Kong cut, but omitted from the 101 minute extended ("international") cut of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=154171|title=Millionaires' Express (Comparison: International Version - Hong Kong Version) - Movie-Censorship.com|website=Movie-Censorship.com|access-date=9 January 2023|quote=13:20 / 13:20-18:31 Right after the meeting of the gangsters, there is an additional scene with Fong-Tin Ching (Sammo Hung) and his girls.[...]310.5 sec (= 5:11 min)}}</ref>}} including Chi and Siu-hon, and they clean up and redress a hotel. When questioned by Tsao, the women claim to be make-up artists.{{efn|Scenes in which Tsao questions the women at the hotel, and in which Chi flirts with Tsao, are present in the 101 minute extended cut but are omitted from the 97 minute Hong Kong cut.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=154171|title=Millionaires' Express (Comparison: International Version - Hong Kong Version) - Movie-Censorship.com|website=Movie-Censorship.com|access-date=9 January 2023|quote=35:40-41:54 / 36:38 After his helper has left, Tsao says that Fong-Tin is probably up to something. Two long additional scenes follow: 1. Tsao goes to the "beauty salon" to question Chi, in the meantime Fong enters and Tsao, hidden behind a door, gets to know a little part of his plan. After that, Chi tries again to get some attention from Tsao, but she's being turned down.}}</ref>}}

Ching places dynamite at the railway station, but is caught by Tsao; they fight, knocking Tsao out. As the train travels through the country, passenger Han uses the roof to sneak back and forth between his wife and his mistress. Jook Bo's criminals try to board the train, using magnets, a lasso, and a cart. When the train reaches the station, Ching blows the dynamite, derailing the train.

As Ching had planned, the passengers spend time in his home town awaiting the train's repair. In the hotel, the criminals seeking the map attempt to occupy the room housing Han's mistress, in order to spy on the three Japanese in the room next door. The criminals don't know the language, and are forced to hide when the train captain and his mistress enter the room. Han enters the room via the hotel roof, inadvertently scaring the train captain's mistress. The commotion alerts his wife, who accuses him of cheating. To explain the situation, Han claims that he is actually an agent spying on the Japanese, which prompts the criminals to emerge from hiding and share the same excuse.

Fook Loi returns from the Soviet Union and uses Tsao to capture Ching and put him into jail. At night, Siu-hon and her group of ladies free Ching. An army of bandits arrives on horseback, storming the town and capturing the Japanese and other passengers.

Ching returns to town and frees Fook, Tsao, Siu-hon and her women, and Jook Bo and his criminals from jail. Ching and Fook attack the bandits with a multiple-barrel firearm, while their allies free the Japanese and the other train passengers. A huge fight breaks out, until the bandits are dealt with and Ching and Tsao finally take back the map from the Japanese.

==Cast== {{castlist| * Sammo Hung as Ching Fong-tin * Yuen Biao as Fire Chief Tsao Cheuk-kin * Rosamund Kwan as Chi * Kenny Bee as Fook Loi * Peter Chan as Firefighter / Security Officer * Olivia Cheng as Siu-hon * Chin Kar-lok as Firefighter / Security Officer * Chin Siu Ho as Siu Cheung * Emily Chu as Bo * Chung Fat as Mountain Bandit * Fan Mei-sheng as Mountain Bandit * Hsiao Ho as Siu Hau * Hwang Jang-lee as Yukio Fushiki * Yasuaki Kurata as Male Ninja * Yukari Ôshima as Female Ninja * Phillip Ko as Mountain Bandit * Lam Ching-ying as Security Officer / Bank Robber * Billy Lau as Train Captain * Lau Kar-wing as Kang * Mang Hoi as Security Officer / Convict / Bank Robber * Richard Ng as Han * Lydia Shum as Han's Wife * Richard Norton as Male Russian Bandit * Cynthia Rothrock as Female Russian Bandit * Shih Kien as Master Sek * James Tien as Yun Shiyu * Eric Tsang as Jook Bo * Jimmy Wang Yu as Master Wong Kei-ying * Dick Wei as Mountain Bandit * Woo Fung as Mayor Yi * Wu Ma as Security Officer / Convict / Bank Robber * Bolo Yeung as Cotton Weaver * Teresa Ha as Cotton Weaver's Wife * Yuen Wah as Security Officer / Convict * Johnny Wang as Train Robber * Cho Tat-wah as Shanghai Chief Inspector }}

==Release== ''Millionaires Express'' was released in Hong Kong on 30 January 1986. In the Philippines, the film was released as ''China Warriors'' by Asia Films on 2 August 1987,'''''<ref name="MSMTRCB">{{cite news |date=2 August 1987 |title=MTRCB Classification Guide for films reviewed 24-30 July 1987 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8cBNEdFwSQkC&dat=19870802&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |accessdate=23 August 2020 |work=Manila Standard |publisher=Standard Publications, Inc. |page=14 |quote=The story revolves around the Shanghai Express and the three sectors who exploit it to attain their needs.}}</ref>''''' rated "G" by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.<ref name="MSMTRCB"/><ref>{{cite news|title=2nd Action-Packed Day!|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8cBNEdFwSQkC&dat=19870821&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|accessdate=23 August 2020|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Standard Publications, Inc.|date=21 August 1987|page=9|quote=The Fiercest Encounter of Martial Arts Experts in a Gigantic Movie!}}</ref>

=== Home media === The film was initially released on DVD in Hong Kong by Universe Laser (Region 0). It was re-released in 2006 by Joy Sales (Region 3).

In the US it was released in 1999 by Tai Seng, under the title ''The Millionaires Express'' (with a leading "The"). It was re-released in 2007 by Dragon Dynasty under the title ''Shanghai Express''.

In the UK it was released in 2005 by Hong Kong Legends / Contender Entertainment Group, under its original title.

In July 2021, Eureka Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom, under the title ''The Millionaires' Express'', as a two-disc set containing the 97 minute Hong Kong theatrical cut, the 101 minute extended version (a.k.a. the "international" cut), the 92 minute English export cut, and a new 109 minute "hybrid" cut.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/the-millionaires-express-limited-edition-set-3000-copies/| title=The Millionaires' Express (Limited Edition Set – 3000 Copies) (Blu-ray)| website =eurekavideo.co.uk |publisher=Eureka Entertainment| access-date=9 January 2023| quote=SKU: EKA70430 2 Discs Release Date: Jul 26, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=April 22, 2021|title=THE MILLIONAIRES' EXPRESS (Eureka Classics) New & Exclusive Trailer |trans-title= |type=Trailer |language= English|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LISgv3LcenQ |access-date=9 January 2023 |time=1m24s |publisher=Eurekaentertainment YouTube channel |via=YouTube}}</ref> In September 2022, Eureka released a single-disc edition containing only the former two cuts of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/the-millionaires-express-standard-edition/| title=The Millionaires' Express (Standard Edition) (Blu-ray)| website =eurekavideo.co.uk |publisher=Eureka Entertainment| access-date=9 January 2023| quote=SKU: EKA70477 1 Disc Release Date: Sep 12, 2022}}</ref>

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title|91091|Millionaires Express}} * [https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film243892.html The Millionaires Express at filmaffinity.com]

Category:1986 Cantonese-language films Category:1980s martial arts comedy films Category:1980s Western (genre) comedy films Category:1986 action comedy films Category:1986 films Category:1986 Hong Kong films Category:1986 martial arts films Category:Films about bank robbery Category:Films directed by Sammo Hung Category:Films set on trains Category:Films shot in Alberta Category:Films shot in Hong Kong Category:Films shot in Thailand Category:Golden Harvest films Category:Hong Kong action comedy films Category:Hong Kong martial arts comedy films Category:Ninja films