Carry On Yakuza

Charlie Chan is a boxer who goes to Japan to take on a local hotshot in the ring. A gang of yakuzas pressure him to take a dive, but Charlie beats his opponent senseless instead, resulting in a life-or-death chase in which Charlie and his coach try to escape from the angry gangsters. They are spared by the yakuza boss Yakoda, and their eagerness to impress him leads them to pretend that they are the leaders of an influential triad organization known as the Marlboro Gang. That gang doesn't really exist, and their ruse only leads them to further endangerment after Yakoda is murdered by one of his employees. Yakoda's widow sends their daughter (who speaks Cantonese) to Hong Kong so that she won't be next on the hit list, and Charlie -- still pretending to be a powerful triad gangster -- agrees to protect her. He and his friends must save the girl from assassination attempts and kidnapping along the way, as well as coming to the rescue of Yakoda's widow.

Directed by Philip Chan Yan-Kin, Carry On Yakuza leans on a strong ensemble — Michael Chan Wai-Man, Lau Kar-Wing, Cheung Kwok-Keung — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1989.