Gambling Queen (Sandra Ng) obtains a briefcase containing $500,000 cash and some incriminating evidence against the Thai Gambling King (James Tien). After the Gambling Queen is killed in a face-off against the Thai King's thugs, her ghost enlists two hapless, bumbling gamblers (Wong Jing and Ng Man-Tat) to help protect her sister (Chingmy Yau) who is now in possession of the suitcase.
As usual for a Wong Jing film, Money Maker is a mash up of multiple genres - in this case ghost/comedy/gambling with a dash of kung fu. Not everything works but there's certainly enough here for a few chuckles. Admittedly, I found Sandra Ng's OTT antics quite amusing in this and a funny Charlie Chin cameo early on in the film gets things off to a good start. There are a few neat visual effects too - especially the card animations and a flying head gag. There's also the mandatory Taoist vs Black Magic battle during the climatic card game with Lam Ching-Ying putting in one of his usual turns as a priest.
The film drags slightly in spots and the ending could've been better but recommended if you're a fan of HK comedy or any of the lead actors.
(Review source: Taiwan VHS (Mandarin with English subs) & HK LD (Cantonese only))
3 out of 5.
