Country: Hong Kong

Unfortunately not enough of the storyline’s potential is realised to be fully satisfying; such an intriguing plot needed a bit more attention to its effects instead of just skimming over the matter.

This provides solid viewing for fans while the veterans will no doubt enjoy spotting the endless array of familiar faces in the background.

Not that ‘Heart Against Hearts’ doesn’t have its moments, but it certainly never develops the story beyond typical moments of Hong Kong farce.

‘Heart Into Hearts’ is subsequently a perfect example of the law of diminishing returns, a sequel that tries to impress with its relative opulence but forgets how important its characters are.

If you prefer to see Jackie in films like ‘Shanghai Noon’ and ‘Rush Hour’ then this may not be for you, but if you want to see an alternative to his stereotyped bumbling hero then it will certainly deliver.

With consistent pacing, a convincing story and an effortless mixture of comedy and romance, it is no wonder that ‘Heart To Hearts’ was successful enough to spawn two sequels and numerous imitators.

‘Heat Team’ will undoubtedly baffle more than it will appease; the fractured style and severe lack of focus on what the film actually wants to achieve is difficult to forgive.

‘Heaven and Hell’ is actually a whole lot more interesting, and engaging, than one would outwardly expect from its (largely) negative reputation.

The director has taken complicated source material and distilled it into something arresting before, but here he finds too many sub-plots to balance and too many characters to accommodate.

Not a Brunel intellectual challenge, this is a recommended satirical comedy, easy to enjoy and a feather in the cap of Johnnie To’s varied filmography.

Widely seen as Carol Cheng’s finest hour, ‘Her Fatal Ways’ manages to combine a number of qualities to create a very satisfying experience.

It’s important to remember that this is nothing out of the ordinary though and, if you didn’t enjoy the original, it’s unlikely that you’ll enjoy this weaker sequel.