Lik Wong (1991)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Ngai Kai Lam

Writers:

Tetsuya Saruwatari (manga "Riki-oh")
Ngai Kai Lam (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 April 1991 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

A young man with superhuman strength is incarcerated at a prison run by corrupt officials and seeks to use his martial arts to clean up the system.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Martial Arts | Torture | Face Ripped Off | Threatened With Knife

Cast

Siu-Wong Fan	...	Riki-Oh Saiga
Mei Sheng Fan	...	Assistant Warden (as Faan Mooi Saang)
Ka-Kui Ho	...	Warden Sugiyama
Yukari Ôshima	...	Yomi - Huang Chaun
Frankie Chin	...	Narumi - Hai
Tetsuro Tamba	...	Master Zhang Shan-Gui
Gloria Yip	...	Keiko - Riki's Girlfriend
Philip Kwok	...	Lin Hung
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Suet Lam
Daan Bob Chit Long
Ji Keung Wong
Cheng Chuen Yam	...	Wildcat

Directed by
Ngai Kai Lam		(as Simon Nam)

Writing credits
Tetsuya Saruwatari		(manga "Riki-oh")
Ngai Kai Lam		(screenplay)

Produced by
Chan Dung Chow	....	producer
Lam Chua	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Fei Lit Chan

Cinematography by
Hoi-man Mak

Film Editing by
Yiu Chung Cheng
Chuen Dak Geung

Art Direction by
Gim Seng Hiu
Kim-Sing Ho

Costume Design by
Mei Shing Wang

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chuk Gwan Dang	....	assistant director
Siu Chiang Man	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Siu-Lung Ching	....	sound effects

Stunts
Philip Kwok	....	stunt coordinator (as Chun-Fung Kwok)

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Warren	....	best boy

Other crew
Chan Fung Gok	....	action designer

Production Companies

• Diagonal Pictures
• Golden Harvest Company
• Paragon Films Ltd.

Distributors

• Golden Harvest Company
• Hong Kong Legends (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Manga Films (Spain)
• Media Asia Distribution
• Media Blasters
• Tokyo Shock
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cine Art Laboratory  film processing
• Cinerent  camera and lighting equipment provided by (as Cine Supply)
• Media Business Service Limited  sound mixing studio (as Media Sound)

Also Known As:

King of Strength (International: English title) (literal title)
Li wang (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Riki Ô
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (USA)
Story of Ricky (Hong Kong: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and gore, and for some drug content.

Runtime:

Germany:91 min | Japan:91 min | USA:88 min (unrated version)

Country:

Hong Kong | Japan

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 | USA:R (edited for re-rating) | West Germany:(Banned) | Ireland:(Banned) | Finland:K-18 | Australia:R | New Zealand:R18 | Taiwan:R-18 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Norway:18 | Netherlands:16 | Mexico:C | Malaysia:(Banned) | Japan:R-15 | Italy:VM18 | Ireland:18 (re-rating) (2002) | Hungary:18 | France:-16 | Czech Republic:18 | Chile:18 | Canada:R (British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:R (Alberta/Manitoba/Prince Edward Island) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Brazil:18

Company:

Diagonal Pictures

Trivia:

So much and so thick was the fake blood used in the "Meat Grinder" finale that Siu-Wong Fan, the actor who played Ricky, could not wash the red off his skin for three days.

Quotes:

Rikki O/Eric: Ye talkin' to me?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dogma (1999)

One of the bloodiest, most over the top horror comedy martial arts films ever made (Or maybe the only one)

If you hate blood and guts (literally) stop reading now this movie is in no way for you.

On the popcorn scale of fun brain removed films this is on the top rung for laugh out loud enjoyment.

The plot has Ricky, a kid with super strength being thrown into prison for killing the man responsible for the girl he loved. This is a corrupt privatized prison of the future where the prisoners are nothing more than cheap labor. Ricky instantly gets under the skin of the wardens, the guards and the leaders of the prison population. Cartoon violence with bloody gory consequences ensue. Body parts go flying as Ricky fights to stay alive and help his fellow prisoners.

This is one of the bloodiest movies I've ever seen. Think Python's Salad Days sketch but for 90 minutes. There is blood and limbs everywhere. The effects run from very good to god awful, with most just okay. None of it is really "real".There's no way you could do this film realistic, assuming the plot allowed it, with out having the audience throwing up all over the place. I'm assuming they are done the way they are for effect, we see the effect of the violence and laugh at the silliness of it all while keeping our lunches.

And as the film spins more and more out of control, with plot holes that are more like stellar voids, you find your self staring and laughing at it all, disbelieving that grown people put this together. Its a 12 year-old's action figure dream come true, but some how it all works on an adult level since the film makers seem to be winking and nodding at those watching it.

High camp? Low brow? There is nothing in this film that seems to be serious except for the way that pretty much everyone plays it dead nuts straight to wonderful tongue through cheek effect.

Not a movie you want to see on a first date (or any date) this is a movie to watch with some loud friends with strong stomachs and a great sense of the absurd. Its not a great film as such and I doubt it was ever intended to be, however on the throw your mind out of the car on the way to the video store scale this film rates at the top.

And I can't stress enough this film lives up to its rep for blood and guts. If you don't like to see them flying in every direction stay away stay away stay away.