Genre: Martial Arts

A glorious tribute to the Hong Kong action films of the 80s and 90s, ‘Unlucky Stars’ is a hoot and a cracking martial arts film to boot.

From opening credits that ape the Spaghetti Westerns of the period to its surprising epilogue wrap-up, ‘Valley of the Fangs’ is an equally surprising and unexpected hidden gem.

The peripheral cast all read like a who’s who of HK cinema, and it does not pretend to do anything other than offer 90 minutes of lightweight entertainment. Definitely recommended.

There are definitely better films out there than ‘Vengeance’ but Chang Cheh’s experienced editing and camera work do still make it an interesting watch.

There’s crisp action throughout, a captivating story, a bittersweet ending and plenty of ammunition to suggest that Lo Wei did know what he was doing.

While it may often prioritise style over substance, ‘Volcano High’ still emerges as a pretty enjoyable action flick.

The problem with ‘War’ is that there just isn’t enough grit and oomph to make it a tough thriller and not enough action to make it a fun action movie.

‘Warriors Two’ is not intended to explore characters in the way later Sammo works would do, but remains firmly rooted in the action of the genre.

‘What Price Survival’ is nice to look at on the surface but is ultimately very tedious and the action sequences make for insufficient compensation. All in all, dull and boring.

Jackie has never looked better in a one-on-one fight, and while the story is barely memorable, it is still another excellent addition to Hung’s filmmaking resume.

‘When Taekwondo Strikes’, while still falling foul of the prosaic nature of the narrative and its uninspiring characterisation, is thankfully lifted above the mundane.

This is an above par HK action comedy and would please all fans of the genre – especially fans of Sammo like myself.