Reviews

Paradox

3.5

Action, Crime, Drama, Martial Arts, Thriller • Hong Kong
Jan 17

The third instalment in the ‘SPL’ franchise sees original director Wilson Yip return for another dark crime tale that doesn’t skimp on the nihilism or the hard edged fight action.
A Lifetime Treasure

2.0

Comedy • Hong Kong
Jan 9

It’s almost as if director Andrew Lam just got a few mates together for an exercise in tedium to prove how willing we are to forgive anything for a hit of nostalgia.

Death Fighter

2.5

Action, Martial Arts • USA
Jan 9

It’s nice to see Wilson and Rothrock back in action and there are some flashes of talent in amongst the fight scenes, but none of it is ever quite enough to overcome the film’s obvious faults.
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy

4.0

Action, Drama, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Dec 25

Competently directed by the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping and utilising a decent budget, ‘Master Z’ is pleasingly straight-forward, action soaked entertainment.
Dead Mine

3.0

Action, Horror • Indonesia
Dec 3

This Indonesian B-movie horror never quite lives up to its awesome high-concept but has enough going for it to make it a swift, slick shocker.
Lost In The Pacific

2.0

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller • China
Nov 20

Much like ‘Last Flight’, the pace is just too static and there isn’t enough fun or silly action to recommend it to even B-movie aficionados.
Last Flight

1.5

Action, Horror, Thriller • China
Nov 8

This should have been some silly, slick fun but is instead just a slog with far too much exposition and unnecessary melodrama clogging up proceedings.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable – Chapter 1

3.0

Action, Adventure, Fantasy • Japan
Nov 8

Despite doing some things right in terms of the look and feel of the franchise, it never quite seems to re-capture the atmosphere or the magical abilities to the point where they truly captivate.
Kill ‘Em All

1.5

Action, Crime, Martial Arts, Mystery, Thriller • USA
Oct 30

‘Kill ’Em All’ has a gem of an idea at its core but squanders it with needless flashbacks, unnecessary characters and terrible editing.
The Witness

3.5

Crime, Thriller • South Korea
Oct 23

The characters are realistic and have sympathetic worries to consider, the twists keep the viewer guessing throughout and it benefits from Kim Sang-ho at his very best.
May The Devil Take You

3.5

Horror • Indonesia
Oct 16

Groovy, gory, good time from ‘The Night Comes for Us’ director Timo Tjahjanto, ‘May the Devil Take You’ ramps up the craziness when the devil decides to collect his dues.
Canola

4.5

Drama, Family • South Korea
Oct 7

Sentimental, yet never schmaltzy, inspiring though certainly not preachy, ‘Canola’ strikes a beautiful balance between its elements that makes for a hugely admirable whole.
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes

3.0

Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi • Japan
Oct 7

While the animation and action are definitely well handled, the numerous anime movie clichés prevent it from ever progressing beyond anything other than filler.
Eerie

3.0

Crime, Drama, Horror • Philippines
Sep 30

‘Eerie’ may adhere to cliché and an over-reliance on jump scares but thanks to an effective sense of dread conjures up a worthwhile watch in the long-haired-scary-ghost-girl genre.
Dying To Survive

4.0

Comedy, Drama • China
Sep 24

While ‘Dying To Survive’ offers an important message, it is, at its heart, an excellent comic drama.
Simply Actors

3.0

Comedy • Hong Kong
Sep 17

‘Simply Actors’ represents a modest enough cinematic diversion, even superficially entertaining in passages, for modern Hong Kong cinema aficionados.
Avengement

3.5

Action, Crime, Thriller • UK
Sep 9

Adkins and Johnson go full force here and while it may not be to everyone’s taste, ‘Avengement’ is another hit for the duo and showcase for the unprecedented talents of Scott Adkins.
The Tigress Of Shaolin

2.0

Action, Comedy, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Sep 1

Despite having all of the benefits of being made under the Shaw Brothers’ banner – solid production values and a notable cast – this is insipid film-making.
The Matrimony

3.0

Drama, Horror, Thriller • China
Aug 26

It is an elegant, richly designed and photographed tale of love from beyond the grave that rarely bothers itself with the imagery or shock-tactic clichés of the genre.
Triple Threat

3.5

Action, Martial Arts, Thriller • China, France, Thailand, USA
Aug 19

Fast and fun ensemble action flick puts some of the best fight stars front and centre for an action blast straight out of the 1990s.