Rating: 3.0

There’s much silliness, a lot that doesn’t make sense, some dodgy CGI, but mercifully a boatload of wicked fight action.

‘Until Death’ was supposed to be Van Damme’s shot at serious acting and while he does well, the film eventually falls apart due to some misguided stylistic approaches.

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.

‘Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl’ is fun, especially if watched drunk and with a group of like minded fans but the mini genre is fast becoming saturated with each entry being a little less mad, bad and cult like.

Owing a lot to likes of ‘Evil Dead’ (and other 80s style demon/zombie/gore films) Kenichi Ugana puts enough of his own spin and Japanese style quirk into proceedings to make it his own.

It has a few spurts of entertaining action and maintains a degree of watchability, but it’s nowhere near the standards required to restore Van Damme’s status as an A-list Hollywood star.

Finally arriving after those teaser trailers taunted us with big-budget rampaging robot action, ‘Warriors of Future’ may not quite live up to its barmy high concept, but it gives it a good go.

The casting of Andy Lau and Gong Li – and the inclusion of a somewhat wasted Russell Wong – added to a plush Beijing setting might make this a more appealing watch than first thought.

Although this film is not his very best, it is still worth watching for Hong Kong newcomers and is a definite recommendation for Chow completists.

‘When I Look Upon The Stars’ is mercilessly padded in many areas and there are constant moments when the narrative almost grinds to a halt.

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

The unrealistic and slightly uncomfortable relationship that is the film’s centre never lets the film be anything more than a watchable film from a director who more should be expected from.