Reviews

Yellow Fangs

4.0

Adventure, Disaster, Horror, Thriller • Japan
Oct 8

‘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.
The Young Taoism Fighter

3.0

Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts • Taiwan
Sep 27

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.

Taoism Drunkard

4.0

Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Sep 25

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.
Moscow Mission

3.5

Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller • China
Sep 17

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.
Crystal Fortune Run

3.0

Action, Crime, Fantasy, Sci-Fi • Hong Kong
Sep 9

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.
A Man Called Tiger

3.0

Action, Adventure, Crime, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Sep 2

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.
A Light Never Goes Out

4.5

Drama • Hong Kong
Aug 19

A beautifully shot portrait of grief, redemption and family, ‘A Light Never Goes Out’ deserves the plaudits it is receiving and much more.
The Valiant Ones

4.0

Action, Drama, History, Martial Arts, Wuxia • Hong Kong, Taiwan
Aug 8

‘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.
The Crippled Masters

3.0

Action, Drama, Martial Arts • Hong Kong, Taiwan
Aug 1

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.
The Double Crossers

3.5

Action, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Jul 23

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.
Message From Space

4.0

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi • Japan
Jul 22

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.
The Romancing Star

2.5

Comedy, Romance • Hong Kong
Jul 16

‘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.
Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms

3.0

Action, Drama, Fantasy, War • China
Jul 10

‘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.
Legend Of The Fox

3.5

Action, Drama, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Jul 3

It’s a shame to report that ‘Legend of the Fox’, while peppered with solid characters and decent fisticuffs, is a frustrating experience.
A Queen’s Ransom

2.5

Action, Crime, Martial Arts, Thriller • Hong Kong
Jun 26

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.
Chilli Laugh Story

4.0

Comedy, Drama • Hong Kong
Jun 19

‘Chilli Laugh Story’ is pure Hong Kong, a comedy drama about those that would probably be forgotten about by other film industries.
Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In

4.0

Action, Crime, Drama, Martial Arts, Thriller • Hong Kong
Jun 4

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.
The Legend And Hag Of Shaolin

3.5

Action, Comedy, Drama, Martial Arts • China
May 28

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.
The Swordsman Of All Swordsmen

4.0

Action, Drama, Martial Arts • Taiwan
May 22

A somewhat straightforward, and at times melodramatic, narrative is given heft by the committed cast, stunning cinematography and set design, and fantastic swordplay action.
Raid On Royal Casino Marine

2.0

Action, Comedy • Hong Kong
May 15

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.