Reviews

Vanguard

2.5

Action, Adventure, Thriller • China
Jan 16

‘Vanguard’ tries to be a slick, Chinese version of ‘Mission: Impossible’ but has no idea what made the Tom Cruise film popular with viewers and critics alike.
Peace Hotel

2.0

Action, Comedy, Romance, Western • Hong Kong
Jan 12

A great set up is unfortunately wasted via odd creative choices, too much focus on comedy-romance and a reliance on grating theatrics.

Rock Me To The Moon

5.0

Documentary, Music • Taiwan
Jan 7

It is a confident film that merely allows the people involved to tell their story without the need for the makers to chime in unnecessarily.
General Commander

1.0

Action, Drama, Thriller • USA
Jan 7

It’s hard to imagine anyone enjoying ‘General Commander’ as it’s such a sorry excuse for an action movie with no real positives to offer.
Peninsula

3.0

Action, Drama, Horror • South Korea
Dec 24

‘Peninsula’ had a lot to live up to and it all looked promising with the initial turbo-charged teaser trailer. But while there is a lot to enjoy here it’s unfortunately not a case of lightning in a bottle striking twice.
The Bravest Escort Group

3.0

Action, Drama, History, Martial Arts • China
Dec 24

‘The Bravest Escort Group’ was one of those films you start watching while all the while thinking that it must have either been edited down from a much longer version or part of a series.
The Real Iron Monkey

2.0

Action, Drama, Martial Arts • China, Hong Kong
Dec 12

The cast is not without charm, the idea not without potential, but ‘The Real Iron Monkey’ is a certified dud.
Girl$

2.0

Drama • Hong Kong
Dec 4

Any way you approach it, the multitude of flaws inherent within ‘Girl$’ outweighs its handful of pluses and it remains a (sadly) vapid entry within its given sub-genre.
Moving Target

2.0

Action, Martial Arts • Ireland, USA
Nov 27

Don Wilson is his usual likable self, gets to kick loads of butt and there’s something odd and unique about seeing him run around Ireland kicking lots of ass.
Integrity

3.0

Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller • Hong Kong
Nov 20

The result is every bit as slick as viewers have come to expect from the film-makers, but severely lacking in genre staples like tension or excitement.
Butterfly And Sword

3.5

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Romance, Wuxia • Hong Kong
Nov 13

If you’re one who only digs more grounded, one-on-one martial arts action then you may want to look away, but fans of wuxia action are in for a treat.
The Spirit Of The Dragon

2.0

Action, Comedy, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Nov 6

What could have been an amusing film sprinkled with a bit of action is more like a woefully over-exaggerated piece of fluff that wastes a good cast.
The Asian Connection

1.0

Action, Crime, Drama • USA
Nov 6

‘The Asian Connection’ is easily one of Seagal’s worst outings to date, as well as being one of the poorest films I’ve seen in some time.
The Bridge Curse

3.0

Horror, Mystery, Thriller • Taiwan
Oct 31

Thanks to a novel set-up, some impressive tension and a cast of youngsters that aren’t as annoying as they first appear, ‘The Bridge Curse’ provides enough jolts to warrant a watch.
The Grand Grandmaster

2.0

Action, Comedy, Drama, Martial Arts • Hong Kong
Oct 26

‘The Grand Grandmaster’ barely has enough good material for a TikTok clip though and it should be noted that this drudgery goes on for a full two hours.
Crocodile Island

2.0

Adventure, Disaster, Fantasy • China
Oct 12

‘Crocodile Island’ is deadly earnest which doesn’t quite work when characters are facing spiders the size of a shire horse.
#Alive

3.5

Action, Drama, Horror, Thriller • South Korea
Oct 12

Buoyed by two incredible performances from the young leads the film offers a fun take on two youngsters in the digital age using their grasp of tech to help them survive.
Double Dragon

3.0

Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Sci-Fi • USA
Sep 29

Bad fashion, hideous colours, crazy make-up effects and over-the-top acting make this video game adaptation a trash classic.
A City Called Dragon

3.5

Action, Drama, Martial Arts, Wuxia • Taiwan
Sep 25

‘A City Called Dragon’ is one of many 70s Taiwanese action films that deserve a wider audience and hopefully modest reviews like this can help.
The Sandwich Man

3.0

Drama • Taiwan
Sep 19

Overall this is an interesting, thoughtful collection of stories that shows promise. Yet it is once again a film whose historical significance leaves more of an impression than the material therein.