Reviews

  • The Red Panther

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    Aug 12

    The efforts to downplay the (deservedly) serious subject matter over lengthy diversions into dreadfully unamusing comedy shtick ultimately diffuse whatever real horror ideals it may have had.

  • Breathing

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    Aug 7

    Director Fan Haolun seems to be more concerned with playing with flashbacks and flash-forwards than he is with constructing a story of any real depth.

  • Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings

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    Jul 30

    Much like the first two Dee flicks, ‘The Four Heavenly Kings’ is an often breathless fantasy blockbuster that doesn’t skimp on the wuxia action, CGI wonderment and imaginative scenarios.

  • Troublesome Night 4

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    Jul 21

    There’s enough spooky set-pieces, riotous comedy and bare flesh on show to keep even the most mercurial of Hong Kong genre fans entertained.

  • Manhunt

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    Jul 16

    Not the return to modern action many a Woo fan may have hoped for but fun in fits and starts if you can forgive its flaws.

  • Dersu Uzala

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    Jul 9

    A life-affirming work that came at a key time for a director whose self-confidence was at its lowest ebb, ‘Dersu Urzala’ is cinema at its most vital.

  • Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion

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    Jul 4

    Fans of exploitation cinema as well as students of international cinema and its trends will have solid reward from ‘Female Convict #701: Scorpion’ and the powerful ferocity of the onscreen tale of love, betrayal and revenge it weaves.

  • Jailbreak

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    Jun 29

    It may not be the most original fight flick around but ‘Jailbreak’ obliterates any flaws through its dedication to sating the most ardent fight fan’s want for excessive action.

  • Harmonium

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    Jun 25

    With a sparse soundtrack, and an ensemble of superb performers, Koji Fukada has fashioned a haunting film that is never quite a thriller despite leanings in that direction.

  • Ring Of Fire

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    Jun 25

    ‘Ring of Fire’ is a bold attempt at breaking the usual martial arts B-movie mould but unfortunately it proves to be an unsuccessful one.

  • Till Death Do Us Laugh

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    Jun 15

    ‘Till Death Do Us Laugh’ hits a nice balance of horror and comedy, with neither outweighing the other, whilst never taking itself so seriously as a collective that the audience can’t have a bit of fun with it.

  • The Villainess

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    Jun 11

    As much a twisty-turny drama as an all out action flick, ‘The Villainess’ overdoes both its noble attempts at gritty drama and action technical wizardry.

  • The Clones Of Bruce Lee

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    Jun 5

    The result is every bit as wonderful and awful as it sounds, a quite dizzying display of opportunism and ineptitude that has to be seen to be believed. Essential.

  • New Blood

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    May 29

    ‘New Blood’ is a smart, efficient and alarmingly effective genre piece that sits effortlessly alongside some of the finer horror entries of the period as an unremittingly morbid and blood-curdling exercise in unadulterated terror.

  • Mad World

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    May 25

    It tackles a complex subject with real skill and, while not pretending to be the definitive film on the matter – as if any one film could claim to be – it is a work of rare brilliance.

  • House Of The Damned

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    May 21

    ‘House of the Damned’ is just another of the numerous B-grade horror entries that emerged from the late-nineties, albeit sexed up with lashings of gratuitous nudity and as loud, crude and unruly as any of its peers.

  • Mission Milano

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    May 18

    ‘Mission Milano’ is exactly what you would expect from Jing; a paper thin plot, overdone action sequences and low-brow humour.

  • Haunted Mansion

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    May 14

    Whilst not without some near-peripheral flourishes of merit, To’s film is perhaps no more (or less) notable than many other similar productions of the era.

  • Concerto Of The Bully

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    May 11

    Recalling those doomed rom-drams of yesteryear where low-level gangster falls for someone from a totally different world, ‘Concerto Of The Bully’ is something of a nostalgia trip.

  • Don’t Look Up

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    May 7

    The film is not without its flaws, inclusive of a sometimes-confused narrative structure, but it’s worth a look against its widespread negative reaction for long-time fans of the director.

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