Reviews

  • Phobia 2

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    Oct 9

    ‘Phobia 2’ sees many of the previous entry’s directors, writers and producers return to now tell five new short tales of terror and is, surprisingly, a superior slice of portmanteau horror.

  • Till The End Of The World

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    Oct 2

    While ‘Till the End of the World’ allows sentiment to become a little too exaggerated as the film nears its end it is, nevertheless, a mixture of the alienating and the intimate that works.

  • Return Engagement

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    Sep 26

    ‘Return Engagement’ is cut from much the same cloth as many gangster films of the era but differentiates itself with a stronger core storyline.

  • The Debt Collector

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    Sep 18

    A refreshing reminder of how action films used to be made where brains, brawn and banter all play a part in shaping a satisfying story.

  • Family Of Winners

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    Sep 12

    Whether this is the beginning of the Esports film remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – there’s definitely plenty of room for improvement.

  • Flaming Brothers

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    Sep 4

    ‘Flaming Brothers’ easily holds its place amongst the best of the genre as well as marked the successful return of one of Hong Kong’s favourite cinematic sons.

  • The Empty Hands

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    Aug 29

    As a meditation on father/daughter relationships, ‘The Empty Hands’ is lazy and thinks that a slickly delivered camera shot is a good replacement for basic storytelling.

  • Ring Of Fire II: Blood And Steel

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    Aug 29

    The film takes a silly concept and knows how to have fun with it, making for an enjoyable action-packed outing that is easy on the brain.

  • Heroes Shed No Tears

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    Aug 21

    It might not be an essential Woo flick but one would be doing themselves an injustice in not checking out this early but highly entertaining action flick from the director.

  • 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.

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