Country: Hong Kong

‘The Storm Riders’ is a film that all Hong Kong film fans will want to watch for its reputation. Whether or not it’ll stay in the viewer’s mind much longer after the final credits role is a different matter.

As the style inevitably overpowers the substance, the facade of a plot begins to break apart and the husk of a film is left.

‘The Suspect’ is a highly recommended return to form for Ringo Lam after his brief stay in Hollywood. For fans of quality thrillers, this is unlikely to disappoint.

During a period where comedy punctuated every kung-fu flick of the time, director Patrick Tam creates a very sombre martial arts drama and never allows the tension to drop.

If you enjoyed the previous two films or perhaps have an affinity for the more old fashioned Shaw Brothers movies, then you’ll no doubt find something to appreciate in ‘The Sword And The Lute’.

The wonderfully choreographed, filmed and performed kung fu from a large and talented cast is the reason to watch this movie and for this it is highly recommended.

Moving from the Shaw Brothers studio to the ones housed at Golden Harvest, Lo Wei and Jimmy Wang Yu bring their considerable talents to this shot in Thailand potboiler that allows Yu to showcase his action talent.

The strength of Karl Maka’s slice of entertainment is its wilful exuberance and obvious intention of creating a fun atmosphere.

‘The Thundering Mantis’ is a three star film that earns a fourth for its remarkable ending and Leung Kar Yan’s virtuoso performance as the hero driven straight over the edge.

While it hasn’t aged well in comparison to ‘Come Drink With Me’ and even some of Chang Cheh’s early work, it still proves to be a mildly diverting Shaw Brothers’ swordplay film.

Despite having all of the benefits of being made under the Shaw Brothers’ banner – solid production values and a notable cast – this is insipid film-making.

‘The Top Bet’ is that very parochial fusion of gambling and ‘nonsense comedy’ (mo lei tau) that many of us are still baffled by after all of these years.