Chinese Odyssey 2002

Kino Releases Martial Arts Comedy/Romance Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002), produced by Wong Kar-Wai on DVD

New York, NY - August 10, 2009 - Continuing its collaboration with acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai, Kino International is proud to release the martial arts comedy Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002) on DVD.

Directed by Jeffrey Lau (Eagle Shooting Heroes) and produced by celebrated filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai (Fallen Angels), Lau's "slick, entertaining and funny" (Time Out London) comedy stars the legendary Tony Leung (Happy Together, Lust, Caution), and features Faye Wong (2046), Wei Zhao (Shaolin Soccer), Chen Chang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Roy Cheung (Infernal Affairs II), among many others celebrated actors.

Slated for prebooking September 8, 2009, Chinese Odyssey 2002 comes with a SRP of $24.95. The film's street date is October 6.

Winner of the Best Actress and Best Film Awards from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Jeffrey Lau's Chinese Odyssey 2002 is a unique martial arts comedy-romance that sends up Shakespeare, the Shaw Brothers, Beijing Opera, high-wire thrills, and even producer Wong Kar-Wai's signature stylistic excess.

A movie that "packs a lot of laughs and action into a beautifully shot 105 minutes" (Variety), Chinese Odyssey follows royal heirs Princess Wushuang (Faye Wong) and future Emperor Zheng De (Chen Chang) as they escape the Forbidden City to taste life among Ming Dynasty China's have-nots.

But in a gender-bending twist, the princess disguises herself as a fierce male warrior who proves equally beguiling to both martial arts master King Bully (Tony Leung, cast hilariously against type) and his sister Phoenix (Wei Zhao).

When King Bully plays family match-maker, the foppish (and afro-wigged!) young emperor is forced to compete with his own sister for the beautiful commoner's hand.

Combining swordfights, slapstick, satire, songs, and genuine sentiment into a lightning-paced big-screen farrago of "identity changes and gender confusions; plot contortions, clever puns and a great punchline" (Time Out London), Chinese Odyssey 2002 may be the mother of all mo lei tau films - the crazy-quilt Hong Kong super-farces recently popularized in the West by Stephen Chow.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Theatrical Trailer
• Stills Gallery