Yes, his work is multifaceted and chameleonic, but coz of that i can’t see any consistencies. Still he does genre films, not art house, so how much of him is in the movies ? I dunno. It’s said he directs romcom’s for the money, and the gangster stuff for himself, but who does know ?
To be true i know less of his former movies and more of his Milkyway Image production company era.
From the early works there is Heroic Trio of course , the overrated Stephen Chow legal comedy Justice My Foot , the brutal cop actioner Big Heat [ Tsui Hark was involved and Andrew Kam also ] and Loving You, which is very good at beginning, but then transforming into Regarding Henry and using Clay Aiken’s “To love Somebody” , gosh. Lifeline is HK’s answer to Backdraft, and the US one is better, because To’s movie works like a pilot for an action soap series like TVB’s Burning Flame.
And then the over-stylish Gangster movies. I’ve to say, i like his produced Expect the Unexpected ,The Longest Nite, The Odd One Dies [ all directed by Patrick Yau. Where is he actual ? ] more than his directed A Hero Never Dies, The Mission and Running Out of Time. Too may Ways to be #1 is also only produced by him, but who’s talking of Wai Ka Fai ?
Of the romcoms i’ve only watched Love on a Diet, which was schmaltzy.
And the later work of him seems to based on one great and creative opening shot [ PTU, Breaking News, Running on Karma ].
