Reviews
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The Wandering Earth II
‘The Wandering Earth II’ is a marvel from a technical point of view and solid hard sci-fi that this time around manages to flesh out characters and story, all the while delivering epic scaled action.
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7 Days In Heaven
It’s not intended to be a stinging critique, but more an affectionate look at something that weaves together every culture on the planet: the way we mourn.
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Ballerina
A heady mix of slick, pulsing beat-backed visuals, violent action and a descent into a dark criminal underworld.
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Pyongyang Nalpharam
Scenes are chopped at strange junctures, the plot jumps all over the place and the simple act of allowing actors to have proper reaction shots to the drama unfolding is mostly absent.
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Table For Six
‘Table For Six’ blends wit with appealing characters, and the dynamic between the sextet is a real strength for the film.
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Beach Of The War Gods
‘Beach of the War Gods’ is a fantastic vehicle for its star and his supporting cast to showcase heaps of wickedly staged old-school fight action.
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Easy Money
It will forever be a footnote in Yeoh’s career (especially now) but it offers a comforting bit of nostalgia. And not a great deal else, sadly.
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Kill Boksoon
Slick, stylish and stuffed with a surfeit of violent fight action, ‘Kill Boksoon’ is a superb tale of stylised action and a protagonist attempting to leave their violent profession behind.
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Cop Image
Made before Anthony Wong’s star went truly stratospheric in Hong Kong, this is one of the fun little films that you remember when it was released but never got the opportunity to watch it.
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The Seventh Curse
Crazy cult classic that lives up to its mad-as-a-bag-of-frogs rep, ‘The Seventh Curse’ is some delicious Hong Kong Category III madness.
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Hidden Hero
‘Hidden Hero’ is nothing more than functional, unlikely to ignite any excitement in even the biggest Chang Cheh fan.
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Illang: The Wolf Brigade
‘Illang’ looks fantastic, often thrills, and features some incredible and expertly staged action but suffers from pacing issues and a lukewarm emotional core.
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Carry On Yakuza
Chan Wai-Man and Lau Kar-Wing do make a good Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw-type double-act. Only with more fighting ability.
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Baby Assassins
‘Baby Assassins’ may not be what you’re expecting (or for everyone) but it’s a fun, low key ride with charm, laughs and great fight action.
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Hidden Strike
‘Hidden Strike’ is an entertaining film though the computer effects sometimes lack finesse and the wirework for an ageing Jackie Chan has become too obvious.
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An Inspector Calls
Everything is so over-the-top and forced while desperately trying to drag all of those ensemble hits of yesteryear kicking and screaming into the 21st century. The result is a bizarre mix.
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Tragic Hero
‘Tragic Hero’ goes harder than its predecessor, jettisoning much of the overwrought drama and focusing on revenge mayhem and improved action.
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Rich And Famous
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.
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Tibetan Raiders
While the makers were patting themselves on the back over the look of the film, they decided that any great set-pieces would dilute the view and ensured that none troubled the film.
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Kabamaru The Ninja Boy
‘Kabamaru the Ninja Boy’ is the typical ‘fish-out-of-water’ comedy but lacks the necessary qualities to succeed beyond its premise.
Best New Films
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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
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The Princess
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Song Of The Assassins
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Incantation
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Nightshooters
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Spiritwalker
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Escape From Mogadishu
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Shaolin And Wu Tang
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Midnight
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A Distant Cry From Spring
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Exit
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The Attorney
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Fish Story
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The Paper Tigers
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Drive My Car
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Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes
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The Medium
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Hell Hath No Fury