All Film Reviews

A modest South Korean ghost story, albeit one that retains vestigial hints of promise that only serve to indicate how great it could have been.

While it remains watchable, ‘Red Wolf’ really suffers from its own inability to create anything fresh.

Mixing the zombie, martial arts and men-on-a-mission genres, ‘Redcon-1’ adopts a take no prisoners approach and rarely lets up over its almost 2 hour run time.

Fast, fresh, funny and full of character and tension, this is wuxia done well and should be seen by fans of the genre at their earliest convenience.

Beneath the simple premise is a dissection of friendship and finding one’s place in society that is about as good as cinema has ever shown.

Fight fans may be somewhat disappointed by the lack of combat, but there’s certainly enough on offer here to please the casual viewer.

‘Return Engagement’ is cut from much the same cloth as many gangster films of the era but differentiates itself with a stronger core storyline.

Li’s ghostly anthology achieves its ends as a series of cautionary tales of the ills that might befall those who succumb to their own greed and desires.

There’s therefore much to recommend this superior sequel, a film that takes the best elements of the original and invites viewers to contemplate a message beyond the common expectations of the genre.

Despite the tantalising title, this flick has nothing to do with John Woo’s genre defining classics but is rather a cheap cash in from the relentless Wong Jing conveyor belt.

This venture was constantly entertaining, and providing the potential becomes reality, should prove a very worthwhile experience.

‘The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin’ was a definite achievement in the genre, but this follow-up has its own charm as well.

‘Returner’ is a bizarre blend of sci-fi and action that rarely really seems to succeed in either genre.

A film that gives the viewer the experience of rolling down a hill in a barrel full of dirty razor blades without having to leave one’s home.

Basically a showcase for Kahn’s incredible fight skills, ‘Revenger’ is best when the all out martial arts mayhem is on screen.

Not the best example of heroic bloodshed from the golden age but an entertaining footnote in the careers of heavy hitters Chow Yun-Fat and Andy Lau, and certainly worth checking out for completists.

For those of us who have grown up with Jackie Chan, this leaves quite an impression; it recalls an era of cinema, not just Hong Kong but worldwide, that will never be repeated again.

‘Riding Alone For Thousands Of Miles’ offers a pensive 100 minutes with the kind of devotion to China that shows clearly where the director’s heart lies.

This is the definitive Hong Kong action flick of the 80’s, easily on a par with ‘Police Story’ and should take pride of place in any fan’s collection.

Loaded with larger-than-life characters and absolutely overflowing with gore, ‘Riki-Oh: The Story Of Ricky’ is an insane outing that hops from one bizarre confrontation to another.

Much is left out that would have made this a much more well-rounded work – a missed opportunity perhaps, but certainly not an unimpressive two hour drama despite this.

The film showcases psychological horror at its absolute finest and it manages to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.

‘Ring 2’ feels like more of a carbon copy than a worthwhile sequel and even Nakata’s knack for haunting imagery can do little to make it stand out.

‘Ring of Fire’ is a bold attempt at breaking the usual martial arts B-movie mould but unfortunately it proves to be an unsuccessful one.