The Magic Crystal (1986)

Rating: A-

Dir: Wong Jing
Star: Andy Lau, Richard Norton, Cynthia Rothrock, Siu Bing-Bing

[11] Deep breath. An archaeologist in Greece finds a jade crystal with very odd powers, wanted both by KGB spy Norton (billed in the atrociously dubbed UK version as ‘Ivan, all-Russian karate champion’!) and Interpol agent Rothrock. The archaeologist is KGB-napped, but slips the jade into the case of a friend’s son who discovers the crystal is a telepathic creature that’s fond of ice-cream before he’s also abducted by Norton; will Interpol and his father get there in time? There’s more that I mustn’t give away, but it’s a good example of the way HK can cram humour, drama and action together to great effect, and would be fine even without the martial arts (Norton’s prowess with the sai would make a Ninja Turtle weep). Any story which combines UFO’s, school bullies and the birth of Venus must have something going for it.