Genre: Drama

Unfortunately for the prospective viewer, the film never reaches beyond the interest of the synopsis and ends a somewhat dull piece entertainment.

It’s no surprise that this Tsui Hark comedy was a box-office smash as it allows the viewer to enjoy superior character interaction and sharp comic routines.

Kwak Jae-young has presented us with a film that is difficult to properly judge. It starts quietly, edges towards something quite special and finally nosedives into woeful melodrama.

Thankfully this low-budget Hong Kong drama has enough going for it to sidestep its lazier moments.

‘The Corruptor’ makes for an enjoyable ride that is far superior to Chow’s previous introduction to an international audience.

Few genre films have achieved the cult status that ‘The Crippled Masters’ has and, thanks to a lovely remastered release from Film Masters, it can finally reach a wider audience.

‘The Daredevils’ is a fine opportunity to savour a great team of performers who always appear to be so comfortable together.

Unfortunately, the film itself falls far short the sum of its dazzling parts, with a central love story too lightweight to sustain either the bulk of the plot or the grand tragedy of the climax.

Bi serves up familiar twists and turns, yet the way they are presented raises them above expectations, successfully mixing the elements of the triad drama with something quite the opposite.

Despite being made in the early 80s, the choreography lacks the invention and energy common to this era. This, for many viewers, may be the main problem that hinders ‘The Emperor And His Brother’.

‘The Emperor and the Assassin’ is a minor masterpiece and comes highly recommended, though it should be stated that this is not a film for everyone.

As a meditation on father/daughter relationships, ‘The Empty Hands’ is lazy and thinks that a slickly delivered camera shot is a good replacement for basic storytelling.