Reviews
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Vengeance Of A Snow Girl
There’s crisp action throughout, a captivating story, a bittersweet ending and plenty of ammunition to suggest that Lo Wei did know what he was doing.
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Love Hurts
Set on Valentine’s Day, the flick sees the well-worn tale of a deadly killer’s criminal life coming back to haunt him but the 87North team inject proceedings with fun and a truckload of well-orchestrated action.
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Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback
With crisp animation and a more epic cinematic scope than the series, the film is a slick adventure packed with (occasionally predictable) twists and short bursts of action.
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Love Never Ends
A heart-warming love story, a powerful comment on the treatment of the elderly in China (though it can be extended worldwide) and a stunning drama that looks at how the marginalised survive.
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Yadang: The Snitch
For the most part, ‘Yadang: The Snitch’ is a refreshing spin on the gangster/drug/corruption narrative that often soars thanks to its sheer force of momentum and electric lead performance.
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Hitman In The Hand Of Buddha
‘Hitman in the Hand of Buddha’ is often very decent, but its flaws drag it away from approaching the top tier of the genre.
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Out Of Reach
Unless you’re looking to poke fun at it, I’d imagine even the most dedicated Steven Seagal fans will find it hard to recommend ‘Out of Reach’.
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The Hunted
All but forgotten gem from the mid-90s starring one-time ‘Highlander’ Christopher Lambert and from the writer of ‘Under Siege’, ‘The Hunted’ is a savage little ninja movie that deserves more recognition.
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Invincible Swordsman
The action is slick and just about gets the balance right between computer effects and practical choreography, while the cast are appealing.
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Bangkok Dog
Flying fist first as if it’s from the straight-to-video 90s action movie heyday, ‘Bangkok Dog’ is a no frills, fast and furious, fight film.
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The Moon Thieves
‘The Moon Thieves’ is a decent action thriller that never quite ignites in the way that the classics do, but has plenty to recommend it.
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The Tattooed Dragon
Moving from the Shaw Brothers studio to the ones housed at Golden Harvest, Lo Wei and Jimmy Wang Yu bring their considerable talents to this shot in Thailand potboiler that allows Yu to showcase his action talent.
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The 14 Amazons
‘The 14 Amazons’ is one of those brash, bold and defiant Hong Kong hits of yesteryear that continues to find new admirers.
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The Killer
Woo’s remake of his own film is a fun actioner (if one can leave the incessant need to compare and criticise behind) that entertains thanks to its location, assassin gender swap, and some finely staged action.
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The Last Dance
It doesn’t always draw the viewer in the way that might be expected, yet it eventually develops into an intriguing drama where a fusion of exceptional acting and thoughtful direction ensure its success.
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Fierce Cop
While ‘Fierce Cop’ flip flops between melodramatic exploitation and a serious examination of trafficking, it thankfully keeps proceedings thundering along with Kenji Tanigaki’s excellent action design.
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Nine-Ring Golden Dagger
‘Nine-Ring Gold Dagger’ might not have that hook that keeps the viewer on board throughout, but there is enough promise to make it a more than adequate watch.
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Blind Woman’s Curse
Further elevated by an offbeat sense of humour, with periodic bursts of slapstick and broad comedy, Teruo Ishii’s ‘Blind Woman’s Curse’ is nothing if not memorable.
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The Shadow Strays
Timo Tjahjanto continues to reach new action heights with every new film and ‘The Shadow Strays’ continues this trend with violent aplomb.
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Crisis Negotiators
Herman Yau’s remake is, to be honest, unnecessary. It doesn’t add much to the source material and, when compared side-by-side, comes off poorly.
Best New Films
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Vengeance Of A Snow Girl
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Love Never Ends
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Yadang: The Snitch
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The Hunted
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The 14 Amazons
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The Shadow Strays
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The Bells Of Death
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Kickboxer
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The Lady Assassin
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Time Still Turns The Pages
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Sanshiro Sugata
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The Heroic Trio
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Doctor Vampire
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Mama’s Affair
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Everything Under Control
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Black Cat II
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Rashomon
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Broken Oath
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Black Rain
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Stuntman
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Yellow Fangs
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Taoism Drunkard
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A Light Never Goes Out
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The Valiant Ones
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Message From Space
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Chilli Laugh Story
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Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
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The Swordsman Of All Swordsmen
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Badland Hunters
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The Boy And The Heron
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A Guilty Conscience
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Yakuza Wolf