Genre: Action

Coming with a boatload of deserved hype, ‘Godzilla Minus One’ really does live up to the love that has been showered upon it.

While it may not be as strong as the original, ‘Godzilla Raids Again’ is still an immensely fun ride that first showed the world exactly what would happen if two giant monsters decided to throw down.

Chances are, if you’re a fan of Japanese war history or the Goemon legend, you’ll be pleased as punch with this update. Even if you’re not, Ninja action has never been so beautiful.

Working with what is probably a minimal budget by Hollywood standards, Chin Ka-Lok fashions quite an impressive action film, complete with international locations and slick looking set-pieces.

Ultimately, it is Joe Don Baker that makes ‘Golden Needles’ worth tracking down; it’s by no means his best work, but he’s always great to watch.

It does contain just enough bad kung fu movie clichés and shots of Yeung Huei-Chie in hot (or no) pants to keep you watching.

‘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.

‘Golgo 13: Queen Bee’ is a short and not particularly sweet film that fails to make effective use of one of the coolest Japanese characters around.

‘Golgo 13: The Professional’ is a truly genre-defining anime classic that is as exciting today as it was back in the 1980s.

If you manage to remain interested while the film establishes a story and can tolerate the odd sense of the macabre, then ‘Gonin’ does provide a few flashes of excellence.

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

I walked into it expecting ‘Godzilla’ given a British spin on a Dr Who episode budget, instead it is a great, colourful thriller of a bygone age.