Rating: 3.5

The sheer energy and pacing of the film is undeniably invigorating and it is truly captivating to watch poor, unsuspecting Cheung fighting for his life.

‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is resolutely pulp entertainment though and while it is unlikely to be mentioned in the same breath as ‘Yojimbo’ in years to come, it hits enough of its targets to satisfy.

The setup is basically a showcase for star Kotik and various real-life Russian MMA fighters to cut loose in a series of elaborate fight scenes and confrontations.

‘Sacrifice’ is not going to find itself among Chen Kaige’s most revered films, yet it is still a classy almost operatic historical film that holds the attention.

‘Sad Movie’ is professionally executed with slick, expertly-lit photography and that Korean ability to use common emotional triggers without being quite so conniving as expected.

Short but sharp samurai flick from an early on in his career Hideo Gosha, ‘Samurai Wolf’ still packs a punch despite its short running time and being almost 60 years old.

Slicker and swifter this time around, ‘Samurai Wolf II’ is still some dark, fight filled, chanbara entertainment but is perhaps unnecessarily complex and convoluted for its own good.

‘Savage’ pulls few punches in its tough tale of a mountain cop on a quest to extract revenge on a trio of criminals who killed his partner.

A pulpy period actioner is a good way to describe ‘Savage Dog’ but come the second half, the film veers into full on exploitation madness as the violence is ramped up.

Yu’s epic is often stunning to look at, is a lot less stuffy and longwinded than many a recent Chinese period epic, moves at a fair clip and delivers a surfeit of adrenaline surged spectacle.

Despite eschewing all the trappings of a big budget thriller, ‘Saving Mr. Wu’ is still a tense and perhaps even thought-provoking production.

The slightly absurdist Japanese style means that the film is very much an acquired taste, likely to baffle as many as it might amuse.