Action Member: Yuen Woo-Ping

‘Snake In The Eagle’s Shadow’ gave Jackie his first chance to shine outside the reigns of Lo Wei, and under the expert guidance of Woo Ping and Ng See Yuen delivers a classic of the genre.

Without doubt this is a powerhouse film that will satisfy even the most demanding fans of the Jade Screen. Worth tracking down at all costs.

‘Tai Chi II’ features an average plot and some unnecessary over-the-top moments, but is a decent effort that usually earns little attention from Hong Kong film fans.

Packed full of superbly choreographed fight sequences and sporting solid leading performances, it is definitely one of the finest kung fu movies to emerge from Hong Kong during the 90s.

While it doesn’t always engage and could have used a little more oomph come the second half, Feng Xiaogang’s film is still a decent attempt at dynasty drama.

Very 1980s in its tone, a factor which adds to a lot of the fun, ‘The Forbidden Kingdom’, is flashy and harmless and shows the two Hong Kong stars still have charisma to burn.

There is no arguing that it is an entrancingly shot piece of work with some typically eye-catching Yuen Woo-Ping action choreography.

Any production that brings together a cast of this nature is worth watching, but the fact of the matter is that this isn’t as good as it should have been.

It has its faults and no-one could call it the greatest movie ever made. Importantly though, this is a fabulous example of how a combination of technology and innovation can still wow the jaded viewer.

This is a real love it or hate it kind of movie and while I found it to be extremely amusing and entertaining, I have only given it 3 out of 5 as it is not likely to be viewed more than a couple of times.

This sequel doesn’t match the original, but there are enough fresh ideas to make it watchable.

‘The Shadow Boxer’ is a fairly standard affair as offered by the Shaw Brother’s studio and is unable to elevate itself to compete with the likes of the classic ‘Boxer from Shantung’ and the exceptional ‘The Water Margin’.