Action Member: Sammo Hung

A tapestry of emotion, audaciously flashing backwards and forwards and shifting voice-overs to piece together the moments that have led the characters to the barren wastes of the desert.

Superbly paced, mounted and executed, one should simply sit back and enjoy this kung fu spectacle.

Starts out as a fairly happy-go-lucky comedy but eventually culminates in an all action finale that is surprisingly violent for a film of this ilk.

‘Come Drink With Me’ has convinced me of King Hu’s mastery of film-making and I would certainly consider his work here to be almost equal to the best of Chang Cheh and Liu Chia-Liang.

Impressive production values, an excellent cast and a few moments of genuine inspiration (courtesy of Sammo Hung’s action choreography) make the minutes fly be.

‘Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog’ doesn’t compare to Sammo’s classics, but it’s diverting enough to persuade genre fans to catch it.

It’s not exactly the best Van Damme movie around, but ‘Double Team’ remains entertaining fluff thanks to a few entertaining action highlights.

‘Eastern Condors’ is a mind blowing mix of kung fu and wartime combat that will have you hooked from start to finish.

Martial arts, magic and bizarre creatures are blended together seamlessly, with expert direction.

‘Enter the Fat Dragon’ is a warm homage to the man who popularised martial arts cinema around the world.

The brief scenes that actually feature Lee’s original ‘Game Of Death’ footage only help to condemn the rest of this shambolic mess.

As an introduction to the Hui brothers or Hong Kong comedy in general, this is a fine starting point.

Although not a masterpiece, ‘Hand Of Death’ is a good example of how quality quickly shines through and stands out in a crowded genre.

A simple storyline that is backed up by an ample supply of martial arts sequences; this is a film that makes no bones about being a showcase for the impressive fighting skills of its lead actors.

If you’re an action fan you won’t be disappointed and for me, this is Donnie Yen’s best film to date from an acting perspective.

Any Sammo Hung fan would love this film, as would anyone who enjoys old-school martial arts flicks.

The action is simply electric, most notably the two-against-one finale that pits Sammo and Yuen against Liu Chia Yung.

The pairing of Jet Li and Sammo should have spawned a masterpiece, but instead the audience is left with this disheartening effort.

It is a brilliantly constructed spoof of the martial arts genre that includes all of the elements that made Chow such a success.

This film could be recommended alone for it’s exceptional fight action, but as you’d expect from this cast there’s much more on offer.

Newcomers will enjoy the fight action, the slightly more experienced will also appreciate the comedy and the veteran viewer will be entertained by the great cast.

It’s just so generic, so riddled with the current Chinese cinematic pox that it is impossible to care about.

If you’re a fan of Hong Kong comedies then this one certainly delivers the goods and you’ll also be rewarded with a couple of hard-hitting action scenes along the way.

Anyone searching for a traditional kung-fu flick that is filled with sublime choreography need look no further than this.