A big screen adaptation of the popular 1980's Hong Kong TV series Shanghai Bund (aka Shanghai Beach) that launched Chow Yun-Fat to fame, Shanghai Grand certainly has its' share of detractors. But this particular reviewer found it to be a fairly powerful movie dramatically, spiced up with a little more than a dash of bloody action.

The story's protagonist is Ding (Andy Lau), a poor man who makes what little he can by cleaning toliets. Nevertheless, the powerful local gang leader's beautiful daughter, Fung (Ning Jing), takes a shine to Ding. After Ding rescues Fung from an attempted kidnapping, her father gives his blessing to their relationship -- if Ding can help him consolidate power by killing off some of the other "big brothers". Along with his good friend Keung (Leslie Cheung), Ding begins to rise to the top of Shanghai's underworld, but soon the cost to him personally becomes apparent.

The above plot summary is very streamlined. Shanghai Grand is a very dense movie, and that is its' main problem. There's just too many characters and relationships to keep track of, and things become muddled as a result. Obviously, the film-makers were trying to incorporate as much of the original series into here as they could, but perhaps some more judicious editing would have been in order. There are times when the film-makers seem to realize this, and try to speed things up via a musical montage, but that kind of device just comes off as a cheap fix.

Nevertheless, Shanghai Grand is still a compelling movie, thanks to the performances of the leads, especially Andy Lau. It was at this point in his career that, with the departure of several high-profile stars like Chow Yun-Fat, Lau seemed to realized his importance in the Hong Kong film hierarchy and take his roles more seriously. There's a nice depth to Ding which most of his early work was missing, and that goes a long way into making the proceedings more relevant for the viewer.

Combined with top-notch set design, cinematography, and editing, Shanghai Grand is one of those big-budget Hong Kong films that actually looks and feels the part. When you throw in a few very solid action sequences (helmed by Stephen Tung), you have the makings of a good night's entertainment. Thankfully, Shanghai Grand doesn't disappoint. This is an entry that's well worth your time, especially if you're a fan of Andy Lau and/or Leslie Cheung.

RATING: 7