Country: Hong Kong

‘Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon’ seems to do so much right that it makes me wonder why this wasn’t the start of a series of films.

While there are flashes of his trademark fight scenes, it’s the fairy tale love story that always takes precedence.

Certainly a product of its time and now rather dated, ‘Guns of Dragon’ is still worth a watch for those in the mood for unpretentious and gratuitous gun blazing nonsense.

By no means a classic, ‘Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu’ is still an undemanding and quite enjoyable early Chan film.

Although not a masterpiece, ‘Hand Of Death’ is a good example of how quality quickly shines through and stands out in a crowded genre.

Above average production values help and a touch of style to the proceedings as does the all-star cast, but it still may not be enough to earn this a proper recommendation.

A simple storyline that is backed up by an ample supply of martial arts sequences; this is a film that makes no bones about being a showcase for the impressive fighting skills of its lead actors.

‘Happy Birthday’ is a slickly packaged vehicle for its two stars, but utterly uninspiring at the very same time.

It’s somewhat disappointing to see a comedian of Michael Hui’s pedigree reverting to, what is essentially, a reworking of the classic Jack Lemmon/Tony Curtis/Marilyn Monroe comedy ‘Some Like It Hot’.

John Woo allowed his imagination and cinematic showmanship full flight in ‘Hard Boiled’, strapping his trademark visuals and themes to an RPG and launching them into orbit.

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.

Fine performances, good cinematography and a well-paced storyline – despite the difficulty on my part to pick out its failings – will offer most viewers a rewarding 100 minutes of entertainment.