Reviews
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Yellow Fangs
‘Yellow Fangs’ is an excellent creature feature that may have slipped under the radar for many audiences. Hopefully, Sanada’s burgeoning reputation worldwide might mean that this changes soon.
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The Young Taoism Fighter
A mixed bag of what is essentially a series of heavily leaning comedy sketches spiced up with some creative action, the Yuen Clan seem to be firing on less cylinders here.
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Taoism Drunkard
Fantastical ingenuity, crazy comedy, outlandish practical effects, and hard-hitting martial arts are thrown together in perhaps one of the best zany action flicks to come from the Golden Era 80s.
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Moscow Mission
Bookended by two outstanding train-based action sequences, ‘Moscow Mission’ starts with a bang before settling into a more standard, yet still entertaining, police procedural.
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Crystal Fortune Run
Despite its strengths and a bit of nostalgia for those of us who remember that early-90s aesthetic, ‘Crystal Fortune Run’ is less than the sum of its parts.
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A Man Called Tiger
Not the best star or director have done but an entertaining slice of super cool 70s style nevertheless and certainly entertaining once Wang Yu erupts into action.
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A Light Never Goes Out
A beautifully shot portrait of grief, redemption and family, ‘A Light Never Goes Out’ deserves the plaudits it is receiving and much more.
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The Valiant Ones
‘The Valiant Ones’ really does deliver on its promise of a group of gifted fighters going after a never-ending swarm of rampaging pirates and fighting them all to the death.
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The Crippled Masters
Few genre films have achieved the cult status that ‘The Crippled Masters’ has and, thanks to a lovely remastered release from Film Masters, it can finally reach a wider audience.
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The Double Crossers
A mainly cool slice of retro 70s exploitation that while maybe not Golden Harvest’s finest, is an entertaining revenge romp for fans of old school action.
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Message From Space
Buoyed by Fukasaku’s energetic direction, copious action, and some still to this day impressive special effects, ‘Message from Space’ delights in being two hours of ambitious infectious fun.
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The Romancing Star
‘The Romancing Star’ might be a product of a particular time and culture, but its problems do not lay there – the fact is that it’s unfunny and annoying.
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Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms
‘Kingdom of Storms’ certainly gives it a good go at adapting the ancient tale for the big screen even though it buckles slightly under its lofty ambitions and reliance on copious CGI.
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Legend Of The Fox
It’s a shame to report that ‘Legend of the Fox’, while peppered with solid characters and decent fisticuffs, is a frustrating experience.
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A Queen’s Ransom
Jimmy Wang Yu, Angelo Mao, a very young Bolo Yeung, and one-time Bond, George Lazenby teamed up for this Golden Harvest-produced attempt at cracking the international market.
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Chilli Laugh Story
‘Chilli Laugh Story’ is pure Hong Kong, a comedy drama about those that would probably be forgotten about by other film industries.
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Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Arriving with a heft of rightly earned hype, ‘Walled In’ is an often epic, brutal, and thoroughly entertaining throwback to 80s Hong Kong style cinema.
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The Legend And Hag Of Shaolin
Once it settles down and the MacGuffin doesn’t become the sole focus of the story, ‘The Legend and Hag of Shaolin’ becomes an enjoyable homage to early 90s Hong Kong cinema.
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The Swordsman Of All Swordsmen
A somewhat straightforward, and at times melodramatic, narrative is given heft by the committed cast, stunning cinematography and set design, and fantastic swordplay action.
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Raid On Royal Casino Marine
Part three has none of the charm of the original and doesn’t even stack up well against the second part; this is a lazy, charmless affair that had me looking at the clock every couple of minutes.
Best New Films
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Yellow Fangs
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Taoism Drunkard
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A Light Never Goes Out
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The Valiant Ones
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Message From Space
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Chilli Laugh Story
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Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
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The Swordsman Of All Swordsmen
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Badland Hunters
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The Boy And The Heron
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A Guilty Conscience
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Yakuza Wolf
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Long Arm Of The Law II
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Perfect Days
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Virus
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Godzilla Minus One
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Casino Raiders
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The Wandering Earth II
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Ballerina
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Beach Of The War Gods
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Kill Boksoon
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Cop Image
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The Seventh Curse
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Baby Assassins
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Project Wolf Hunting
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Dreams
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The Bullet Train
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The Big 4
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Broker
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Violent Streets
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The Witch: Part 2. The Other One
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Too Cool To Kill