Star Runner
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDaniel Lee
Written byAbe Kwong
Taurus Chow
Daniel Lee
Produced byCatherine Hun
(executive producer)
Albert Chow
Dou Shou Fang
StarringVanness Wu
Kim Hyun-joo
Max Mok
Andy On
Wong Yau-Nam
Gordon Liu
CinematographyTony Cheung
Edited byAzreal Chung
Music byHenry Lai Wan-man
Distributed bySil-Metropole Organisation (Hong Kong)
Lions Gate (U.S. DVD)
Release date
  • 27 November 2003 (2003-11-27)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguagesCantonese
Mandarin
Korean
Budget$30 million

Star Runner (Chinese: 少年阿虎), (also known in the United States as The Kumite), is a 2003 Hong Kong action/romance film co-written and directed by Daniel Lee. It is rated PG-13 by the MPAA "for intense sequences of martial arts action violence".

Plot

Bond Cheung (Vanness Wu) is a high school student in Hong Kong who has a strong passion for Muay Thai kick boxing. He trains at a local boxing gym, and is instructed by the Kong Ching team trainer Lau (Gordon Liu), in an effort to be a competitor in the Star Runner Pan Asian Martial Arts Competition. While attending summer courses, he is attracted to his new Korean teacher Kim Mei Chiu (Kim Hyun-Joo). It is revealed that she is recovering from a break-up in Korea with a former lover and has come to Hong Kong to start over. The two start off as friends, but after a series of fateful events occur, feelings spark, and they eventually begin seeing one another, in spite of the controversy that it creates. Then abruptly, Bond is kicked off the Kong Ching team, regarding with his coach's financial troubles, which angers him and believes that his chance in entering the competition is gone. Soon after, he is confronted by an unexpected new trainer Bill (Max Mok Siu Chung), a washed-up but well experienced former martial arts champion. After some compensation, Bill teaches Bond Chinese Kung Fu (Wing Chun, Hong Kuen) as alternative and effective fighting techniques to his kick boxing. Regained confidence, Bond then decides to enter the competition on his own, with Bill as his advisor and cornerman and they become the team Fusion Tao. The event draws entries of 18 boxing organizations from 12 countries, along with its most lethal fighter Tank Wong (Andy On) from Soul Boxing Gym team. As his relationship with Kim becomes stable, Kim's former lover sees her again, asking for forgiveness, saying that he still loves her. With her feelings torn, she decides to go back to Korea with him, but is still having second thoughts about her feelings for Bond. In the competition however, competitors are slowly eliminated one by one, as the epic fight between Bond and Tank draws closer and what will determine both fighters' destiny.

Cast

Release

Star Runner was released in Hong Kong on 27 November 2003. In the Philippines, the film was released on December 3, 2003.[1]

Accolades

23rd Annual Hong Kong Film Awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Grand Opening Today!". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. 3 December 2003. p. B15. Retrieved 8 September 2022. You Admired Him In 'Meteor Garden'[,] Now, Get Ready To Fall In Love...
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