Reviews

Crisis Negotiators

3.0

Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller • Hong Kong
Jun 8

Herman Yau’s remake is, to be honest, unnecessary. It doesn’t add much to the source material and, when compared side-by-side, comes off poorly.
Hunt The Wicked

3.0

Action, Martial Arts, Thriller • China
Jun 2

Loaded with breakneck action, ‘Hunt the Wicked’ gets by on its energetic execution and its two martial arts stars facing off before teaming up.

Funny Soccer

3.0

Comedy, Sport • China
May 27

While it is a good idea that is probably stretched beyond its running time, there is something quite heartening about ‘Funny Soccer’.
The Bells Of Death

4.0

Action, Drama, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
May 23

Some may not appreciate the style-over-substance approach here, but it works well to deliver a sharp, cruel tale of wuxia justice.
Kickboxer

4.0

Action, Martial Arts, Sport • USA
May 23

‘Kickboxer’ is excellent old-school action entertainment, filled with top-notch fights, classic training sequences, and a sublime soundtrack.
The Lady Assassin

4.0

Action, Drama, History, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
May 19

‘The Lady Assassin’ is very good, but there is the nagging feeling that this could have been even better with a little discernment.
Fist Of The Condor

3.0

Action, Martial Arts • Chile
May 12

While the film does deliver ample bouts of impressive fight action, the film gets a little bogged down in its own seriousness and slipshod back-and-forth timelines.
Time Still Turns The Pages

4.0

Drama • Hong Kong
May 5

‘Time Still Turns the Pages’ is a film that intends to create necessary debate about the next generation and their mental health – it achieves its aim with skill and humanity.
Executioners

3.0

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Sci-Fi • Hong Kong
Apr 28

‘Executioners’ carries over the comic book vibe of the previous instalment but ladens on the seriousness and melodramatics this time around.
Sanshiro Sugata

4.0

Action, Adventure, Drama, Martial Arts • Japan
Apr 20

It’s rough around the edges to be sure, but there’s much to be savoured here; Kurosawa gets more out of this condensed 80 minutes than many filmmakers get from three hours or so.
The Heroic Trio

4.0

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Sci-Fi • Hong Kong
Apr 14

Don’t think about it too much, just go along for the ride and bask in the beauty and talent of the incredible action scenes and the trio of leading ladies.
Two Jolly Cops

1.5

Action, Comedy • Hong Kong
Apr 10

‘Two Jolly Cops’ starts with a modest spark, but pours a bucket of water on this immediately; what follows is ninety minutes of utter boredom.
Ode To Gallantry

3.5

Action, Comedy, Drama, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Mar 24

Perhaps not what one might be expecting from all those involved but nevertheless ‘Ode to Gallantry’ is another solid Cheh flick buoyed by a fantastic lead performance from Philip Kwok.
In Between Loves

2.0

Comedy, Crime, Thriller • Hong Kong
Mar 21

A partial remake of ‘Eyewitness’, the flawed, but diverting 1981 William Hurt/Sigourney Weaver thriller, ‘In Between Loves’ starts with promise only to quickly lose it all.
Shaolin Boxers

3.5

Action, Drama, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Mar 17

Frivolous of plot it may be but director Huang Ta makes up for the lack of narrative meat by stuffing the film with superb fight action.
Crazy Nuts Of Kung Fu

3.0

Action, Comedy, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Mar 10

The finale offers a solid conclusion to a production that has promise but never quite delivers on it – ‘Crazy Nuts of Kung Fu’ is never really the kung-fu buddy film you hope it will be.
Doctor Vampire

4.0

Action, Comedy, Horror • Hong Kong
Feb 24

A fangtastically (sorry!) fun and extremely silly film is a great time for those looking for a creatively made comedy with a dash of cool supernatural action.
Mama’s Affair

4.0

Drama • Hong Kong
Feb 20

It’s another story about the quiet drama of everyday life despite being set in the music industry and while Hong Kong keeps making films that stay true to their roots, I’ll always be watching.
Legend Of The Eight Samurai

3.0

Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, History, Martial Arts, Romance • Japan
Feb 17

It just takes a while to get going with too much wandering around, the leads randomly and conveniently bumping into everyone, and their romance clogging up too much of the runtime.
Black Dragon River

2.5

Action, Martial Arts • South Korea
Feb 13

There is a degree of drama in this story of redemption but it’s not constructed with any great care and can hardly make up for the lack of sparkle in the choreography.