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Just Another Pandora's Box

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Just Another Pandora's Box
Film poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese越光寶盒
Simplified Chinese越光宝盒
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYuèguāng Bǎohé
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingJyut6-gwong1 Bou2-hap6
Directed byJeffrey Lau
Written byJeffrey Lau
Produced byJulia Chu
Xu Jianping
Jessica Kam-Engle
Li Li
Liao Qianshan
Yang Yang
StarringRonald Cheng
Gigi Leung
Betty Sun
Athena Chu
Eric Tsang
Huang Bo
Guo Degang
Gillian Chung
Patrick Tam
Wu Jing
CinematographyEdmond Fung
Edited byMarco Mak
Music byMark Lui
Production
companies
Beijing Bona Cultural Exchange Co., Ltd.,
Beijing Galloping Horse Film & TV Production,
Pearl River Film Co., Ltd.,
Beijing Galloping Horse Film Co., Ltd.
Distributed byMei Ah Entertainment
Release date
  • 18 March 2010 (2010-03-18)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese

Just Another Pandora's Box, also known as Once Upon a Chinese Classic, is a 2010 Hong Kong parody film directed by Jeffrey Lau, starring Ronald Cheng, Gigi Leung, Betty Sun, Eric Tsang, Huang Bo, Guo Degang, Gillian Chung, and Patrick Tam. It is a spiritual successor to Lau's two-part 1995 film A Chinese Odyssey. Athena Chu, who starred in A Chinese Odyssey, makes a guest appearance in Just Another Pandora's Box.

The film's Chinese title is a pun on the Chinese title of the first part of A Chinese Odyssey, Yuè Guāng Bǎo Hé (月光寶盒). The last three characters of each title are the same, only the first differs; the pronunciations of 月 and 越 are the same in both Cantonese (jyut6) and Mandarin (yuè). The older title translates literally to "Moonlight Treasure Box"; in the title of this film, the character for "moon" is replaced by 越, in this context meaning "more" or "surpassing".

In addition to A Chinese Odyssey, the film spoofs Red Cliff and also makes references to other films such as The Eagle Shooting Heroes, Kung Fu Hustle, House of Flying Daggers, CJ7, Kung Fu Panda, Titanic, King Kong, The Green Hornet, and The Matrix, as well as events such as the 2008 Summer Olympics.[1]

Plot

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Rose Fairy is sailing along the river when she suddenly trips on a rope and falls into the water. The trap is set by the bandit Qingyise, who wants to rob her. He steals the Purple Sword from her and plans to sell it. Just then, Joker (the protagonist in A Chinese Odyssey) appears and makes Qingyise unsheathe the sword by pulling away its scabbard. Rose Fairy regains consciousness and mistakenly thinks it was Qingyise who unsheathed the sword. Since she has made a promise to marry the person who unsheathes the sword, she follows Qingyise wherever he goes, leading to a cat-and-mouse chase between the two of them.

Qingyise and Rose Fairy run into Grandpa Buddha and his assistant, who are chasing Bull King for the Pandora's Box. By accident, Qingyise recites "Prajñāpāramitā" and activates the box, causing him to be transported back in time to the Eastern Han dynasty. He finds himself as Zhao Yun at the Battle of Changban, where he is supposed to save Liu Bei's infant son. While the rescue mission turns out to be successful, Qingyise unwittingly brings Liu Bei's son straight into the enemy camp, right before Cao Cao, who confiscates the Pandora's Box and sends him away. Unable to return to his own time, Qingyise is forced to cooperate with Rose Fairy, who has infiltrated Liu Bei's camp in disguise as an ambassador from Turkestan. The two of them make their escape in the midst of the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Cast

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The opening sequence of the film states that Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Jet Li, Chow Yun-fat, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi and Angelina Jolie refused to be in this movie.

Main cast

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Actor / actress Character(s) Spoof of
Ronald Cheng Qingyise / Zhao Yun / Zhang Ziyi's transvestite Red Cliff, A Chinese Odyssey, Titanic
Betty Sun Rose Fairy A Chinese Odyssey, Titanic
Huang Bo Zhou Yu Red Cliff
Huang Yi Xiao Qiao Red Cliff
Yuen Biao Liu Bei Red Cliff
Alex Fong Guan Yu Red Cliff
Louis Fan Zhang Fei Red Cliff
Guo Degang Cao Cao Red Cliff
Eric Tsang Zhuge Liang Red Cliff
Jeffrey Lau Grandpa Buddha A Chinese Odyssey

Special appearances

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Actor / actress Character(s) Spoof of
Gillian Chung Sun Shangxiang Red Cliff
Athena Chu Zixia A Chinese Odyssey
Gigi Leung Ambassador of Turkestan
Stephy Tang Painted Skin / Ambassador's sister Painted Skin
Ada Choi Princess Iron Fan A Chinese Odyssey, King Kong
Sandra Ng Cook
Kenny Bee Soldier holding Olympic torch House of Flying Daggers, 2008 Summer Olympics
Bruce Leung Beast Kung Fu Hustle
Yuen Wah Landlord Kung Fu Hustle
Yuen Qiu Landlady Kung Fu Hustle
Yu Rongguang Gan Xing Red Cliff
Johnnie Kong Blindy A Chinese Odyssey
Tin Kai-Man Soldier in forest House of Flying Daggers
Lam Chi-chung Sunset Warrior A Chinese Odyssey
Lee Kin-yan Flower Girl / Pork Chop A Chinese Odyssey
Guo Tao Hua Tuo Red Cliff
Sha Yi General Qi Yan Red Cliff
Wang Xuebing Bull King A Chinese Odyssey, King Kong
Xu Jiao Dicky CJ7

Other cast

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Actor / actress Character(s) Spoof of
Yuen Cheung-yan Beggar Kung Fu Hustle
Lee Lik-chi Joker A Chinese Odyssey, The Green Hornet
Wu Jing Zhao Yun's subordinate
Edmond Leung Wu soldier
Marco Ngai Wu soldier
Ken Wong Lu Su Red Cliff
Yu Bin Injured soldier
Xu Wanqiu Nurse
Marco Mak Xiahou Dun Red Cliff
Patrick Tam Xiahou Yuan Red Cliff
The Flowers Cao Cao's soldiers
Corey Yuen Cao Cao's general
Lam Suet O Sim Osim massage chair
Xing Yu Wu soldier
Chiu Chi-ling Wu soldier
Tats Lau The Boy Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7, Kung Fu Panda
Wong Cho-lam Cao Cao's soldier
Chen Kaishi Big Mouth Jenny Kung Fu Hustle
Li Yixiao Lady Mi Red Cliff
Zhang Li Liu Bei's wife
Ai Mengmeng Liu Bei's wife
Li Na Liu Bei's wife
Michael Tong Wu general
Lin Wai-kin Cao Cao's official
Tse Kwan-ho Agent Smith The Matrix
Yu Qian Sign language performer
Ken Jonk Cao Cao's soldier
Charmaine Fong Cao Cao's soldier

References

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  1. ^ "Film Business Asia: Just Another Pandora's Box". Film Business Asia. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
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