A  lot of bad things have been said about 'Volcano High' concerning it's lack of originality or over-reliance on special effects and having never been a fan of Andrew Lau style films or HK imitations like 'The Matrix, you could say my expectations were quite low.  However, in the end I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.

Kim Kyung Soo is a problem child who has been transferred between several schools due to his wreckless behaviour.  When he finds himself relocated to Volcano High School it would appear that he has found his greatest challenge to date as within this school lies a secret manuscript that supposedly offers it's bearer the chance to rule the world.  Therefore, the stage is set for several martial artists to lay down challenges to become the owner of this important document.  As Kim finds himself drawn into this web of rivalry he must make the choice between siding with one of the factions or going after the power for himself.

It's probably fair comment to say that 'Volcano High' doesn't exactly break new ground but to call it dull and unoriginal does not do it justice.  Okay, the plot does occasionally create a certain degree of confusion and there aren't any revolutionary advances in film making but as a stand-alone action film it does more than just a few things right.  With it's comic book approach that lies somewhere between Japanese anime and the 'Streetfighter' computer game, 'Volcano High' offers humourous, larger-than-life performances combined with exaggerated visuals that give the film an energetic feel which sweeps the viewer through the running time.  These factors are also complemented by the dark and brooding locales that showcase almost colourless backgrounds, all of which are expertly shot with bucket loads of style.  I ask you, what more could any action fan ask for?

When it comes to the new breed of action, I (along with many other long term HK movie fans) have found myself  struggling to get to grips with the special effects induced wire-fu that is filling all the big budget blockbusters. Although this is clearly the preferred style in 'Volcano High', I was strangely accepting and captivated by the action sequences.  For me, the major difference between this film and others that have come before it is that it never disguises that it is a supernatural flick with superhero type characters so it doesn't build up any expectations about the action.  Instead, the audience is treated to well choreographed fight sequences that use just the right amount of CGI effects to represent the special powers whilst never allowing the computer effects to dominate the combat.  This is coupled with succinct direction that shows all the action properly without an abundance of slow motion or choppy editing techniques.  To be honest, if we must accept that the golden days of 80s Hong Kong action are far behind us then this is how I would like the new style to be presented.

Overall, regardless of whatever else has been said about this flick, there are still many reasons to recommend it -  watch it for the humourous leading performers, watch it for the exhilarating action, watch it for the stylish directorial approach but mainly, watch it because it's FUN!  It has it's faults but what film doesn't so I mark it down as another very successful entry into the action genre that truly deserves four stars.