God of Gamblers II: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1990
Director: Wong Jing
Writers: Wong Jing, Corey Yuen
Cast: Andy Lau, Stephen Chow, Monica Chan, Ng Man-tat, Sharla Cheung, Charles Heung, Chow Yun-fat

Release Date: April 27th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 104 Minutes 53 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.00 (UK)

"Back to the casino – only this time, the Joker's wild. After his adventures with the world's greatest gambler in the first film, crafty Knife (Andy Lau – Hard Boiled 2: The Last Blood) teams up with another preternaturally gifted card sharp, Sing, played by Stephen Chow (Forbidden City Cop), here at his absolute silliest. But the odds are stacked against them: a crooked rival wants to take Knife out for good – and he's dealing from the bottom of the deck." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer: "High-definition Blu-ray presentation in original 1.85:1 aspect ratio."

God of Gamblers II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.1 GB

Feature: 28.7 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), additional scenes from the Taiwanese version (23 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Wong Jing titled Money Maker (21 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic and author David West, an audio commentary with Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), reversible cover art, a double-sided fold-out poster, and an O-ring slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Directed by Wong Jing, a prolific producer and director who is now into his fifth decade of making cinema in Hong Kong. Anyone who's familiar with Hong Kong's heyday of the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s is sure to have seen one of his films. And though he often takes on the role of producer, most films he is associated with have his distinctive bombastic style.

Someone has stolen the identity of the God of the Gamblers' protégé and plans on using it to steal millions in a fraudulent charity card game.

Although titled God of Gamblers II, the film serves more as a blend of All for the Winner and God of the Gamblers rather than a traditional sequel to the latter. Chronologically, God of Gamblers II stands as the third installment in a series that currently comprises 15 films.

Although Andy Lau’s (Infernal Affairs) character Michael Chan, aka Knight of Gamblers, is the protagonist, it is really a film that has two protagonists whose stories intersect. The other lead is Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) in the role of Chow Sing Cho, aka the Saint of Gamblers. While Andy Lau's performance leans towards seriousness, Stephen Chow's character encounters numerous absurd situations that offer ample comic relief.

When it comes to the humor, while most of it revolves around Stephen Chow’s character, once again he’s joined by Ng Man-tat, a frequent collaborator of Stephen Chow’s who’s often the recipient of his physical humor. There is a running gag where the Saint of the Gamblers has supernatural powers that aid him in his gambling endeavors. Unfortunately for him, his powers only work as long as he does not keep any of his winnings, which would give him bad luck.

The main constant throughout the God of the Gambler series is Wong Jing, who directed 10 of the 15 films. Anyone familiar with the films of Wong Jing knows what to expect; his direction is always solid, and he usually lets the cast do what they do best, instead of imposing a singular vision on them. That said, he does deliver a handful of stylish moments visually.

The narrative is a very satisfying balance of the Knight of Gamblers and the Saint of the Gamblers stories. When it comes to pacing, things move quickly, and the narrative does an excellent job building to its finale, a card game between the Knight of Gamblers and the man who stole his identity. While humor is key to the story, there are also well-crafted action scenes. Although Chow Yun-Fat's character, the God of the Gamblers, casts a significant shadow over the story, he is only referenced frequently by other characters. He appears in just two brief moments, both of which are archival footage from the original film, God of the Gamblers. Ultimately, God of the Gamblers II is a highly entertaining film that stands on its own, making prior knowledge of the two films that came before it unnecessary.

God of Gamblers II gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer