Genre: Crime

Unless you’re looking to poke fun at it, I’d imagine even the most dedicated Steven Seagal fans will find it hard to recommend ‘Out of Reach’.

While ‘Overheard’ was an excellent homage to the great American conspiracy films of the 70s, the in-name-only sequel is a more routine two hours with a far less incisive denouement.

Wordy, but with nothing to say, this is a verbose movie populated by monumentally dull characters and bland ‘twists’ that fail to hold the attention.

The third instalment in the ‘SPL’ franchise sees original director Wilson Yip return for another dark crime tale that doesn’t skimp on the nihilism or the hard edged fight action.

In Derek Yee though, the film has an impressive craftsmen who layers the tension until the film’s ultimately downbeat conclusion.

Despite its finale, ‘Police Story 2’ is worthy edition to any JC collection, and another example of how Hollywood action is made to look pathetic in comparison.

There is much to appreciate here, especially a plot with enough turns and twists to keep the viewer attentive and characters who go beyond their stereotypes as the villain’s motives unfold.

This is another great slice of entertainment JC style, and was one of his best performances before his physical shape noticeably began to deteriorate in the mid-90’s.

It was impossible to match the original classic, but Chan pulled out all of the stops to make sure he gave it his best.

Stanley Tong continues to show his skill in the action genre with more kinetic direction.

A gripping and often uncompromising look at the Hong Kong drug trade from the seller’s and user’s side, Derek Yee’s ‘Protégé’ is one of the finest dramas to come out of Hong Kong in recent years.

A stylish and moody piece from one of the masters of style and mood, ‘PTU’ is a dark journey into the equally dark heart of Hong Kong where the cops are almost as corrupt as the criminals.