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Joe Ma

Joe Ma

Writer, director and producer · Born February 21, 1964 (62) · Hong Kong, China

Joe Ma Wai-ho is a Hong Kong film director, scriptwriter and producer.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 21, 1964 (62)
From
Hong Kong, China
Works as
Writer, director and producer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 78 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 33% in 30 days

What are Joe Ma's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Morality
14%
Self
14%
Survival
13%
Society
9%
Power
8%
Loyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 9 · Serious 2 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 6 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 10

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
7
Joyful
6
Tense
5
Warm
4
Thrilling
2
Other
2

How their films linger

Fun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Joe Ma's films?

As of October 24, 2026, none of Joe Ma's 12 MovieCove titles is streaming on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Joe Ma's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted.

Filmography

78 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.

  • Forever the Lioness Roars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Writer

  • Men on the Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Producer

  • On Fallen Wings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • Days of Our Own (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • The Lion Roars 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Stand By Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • My Sassy Girl 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • Sasori (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Writer

  • Give Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Club Sparkle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Love Undercover 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Embrace Your Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Itchy Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Producer

  • The White Dragon(2004)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Hidden Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • Three of a Kind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Sound of Colors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Writer

  • Star Runner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • 1:99 Shorts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Love Undercover 2: Love Mission (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Writer

  • Diva: Ah Hey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Mummy, Aged 19 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Producer

  • New Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Producer

  • The Lion Roars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Summer Breeze of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • Women from Mars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Head of Radio Station

  • Love Undercover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • Stolen Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Joe

  • Dummy Mommy, Without a Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Funeral March (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Feel 100% II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Writer

  • Fighting for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Glass Tears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Producer

  • United We Stand, and Swim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Producer · Writer

  • Clean My Name, Mr. Coroner! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Producer

  • Love Paradox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Producer

  • A War Named Desire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Producer

  • Juliet in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Producer

  • Rave Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Actor

  • Victim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Producer · Screenplay · Actor

  • Bullets Over Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Producer

  • Afraid of Nothing, the Jobless King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Till Death Do Us Part (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Actor

  • PR Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Screenplay

  • Bio-Zombie(1998)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Nude Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Producer · Writer

  • He Comes From Planet K (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Producer

  • Lawyer Lawyer(1997)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • First Love Unlimited (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Writer · as Hong's Boss

  • Feel 100%... Once More (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • Till Death Do Us Laugh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • Black Mask(1996)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Lost and Found(1996)

    as Ting's Father

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Feel 100% (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Writer

  • Big Bullet(1996)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Love and Sex Among the Ruins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Producer

  • The Golden Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Writer

  • Over the Rainbow, Under the Skirt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director · Writer

  • I Wanna Be Your Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Actor

  • I've Got You, Babe!!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Actor

  • Chez n' Ham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Producer · Writer

  • Hero Beyond the Boundary of Time(1993)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • All's Well, Ends Well Too(1993)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Rich Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Actor

  • The Days of Being Dumb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Writer

  • Daddy, Father and Papa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Screenplay

  • Happy Ghost IV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Writer

  • Doctor's Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Screenplay

  • No Way Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 21 episodes · Writer

  • The Nobles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Writer

  • Chicken and Duck Talk(1988)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Bless This House(1988)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Writer

  • Porky's Meatball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Screenplay

  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World(1987)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Devoted to You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Screenplay

  • My Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Screenplay

  • The Happy Ghost(1984)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 78 titles from 1984 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Black Mask (1996)

$13M worldwide

Highest rated

Chicken and Duck Talk (1988)

Midcredits 84th

Most popular right now

Hero Beyond the Boundary of Time (1993)

Film career

  • 1996Screen debut· Lost and Found

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting17 of 78: 9 only acting, 8 with another roleDirecting32 of 78: 10 only directing, 22 with another roleWriting44 of 78: 20 only writing, 24 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdProducing24 of 78: 13 only producing, 11 with another role

78 titles, 26 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 20 of them.

By decade

1980s9 · crew1990s31 · 10 acting · 26 crew2000s31 · 7 acting · 27 crew2010s6 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Joe Ma's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · writer

Bless This House (1988)

52nd percentile spread · 57% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Lost and Found (1996)

Midcredits 92nd · 78% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 53/100 and the plot and story 45/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Joe Ma work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joe Ma's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Clifton Ko Chi-Sum shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles