Reviews

  • Us And Them

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    Mar 19

    The pacing is just right, the locations are skilfully used and Liu has taken a deceptively simple story and given it layers of interest beneath.

  • Redcon-1

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    Mar 11

    Mixing the zombie, martial arts and men-on-a-mission genres, ‘Redcon-1’ adopts a take no prisoners approach and rarely lets up over its almost 2 hour run time.

  • The Way Home

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    Mar 6

    A truly beautiful tale of personal growth and self-discovery that is more than perfectly in tune with many Asian ideals of family and the implicit importance of such.

  • The Unity Of Heroes

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    Feb 25

    ‘The Unity of Heroes’ is a slipshod update of the Wong Fei Hong myth, a film wholly lacking in not only chemistry but also everything else that made the Tsui Hark chapters so influential.

  • Black Water

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    Feb 18

    Low budget, straight-forward, though with a couple of unexpected twists and turns, this was a fun and surprisingly action packed ride.

  • Red Eye

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    Feb 12

    A modest South Korean ghost story, albeit one that retains vestigial hints of promise that only serve to indicate how great it could have been.

  • Agent Mr. Chan

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    Feb 6

    It’s all very pleasant as a celeb-spotting exercise though it does remind you of the much better films these stars have already been in, productions you should be watching instead.

  • BuyBust

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    Jan 29

    We could be reaching fatigue with this style of relentlessly violent edged, Eastern set action flick but ‘BuyBust’s commitment to its own vibe and the impressive setting make it a worthwhile investment.

  • The Ghost

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    Jan 22

    Kim Tae-Kyung’s ‘The Ghost’ rises well above the attempts of its contemporaries to cut an individualistic path through legions of countless ‘Ring’ imitators.

  • Survival Family

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    Jan 15

    The humour is never forced and the drama never over-cooked, meaning that as a whole, the film hits its targets with remarkable accuracy.

  • A Blood Pledge

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    Jan 8

    Lee’s outing in the series really isn’t quite a bad as it might appear, and still contains enough spooky incidence and unexpected scares to make it a decent timewaster for most Asian horror fans.

  • Sweet Bean

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    Dec 24

    Once again, Japan has given us the cinematic equivalent of an antique porcelain swan – something so beautiful, delicate and sublimely crafted that it’s hard not to be impressed.

  • Arang

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    Dec 24

    The horror sequences are mandatory to the plot, but they have been stripped back and diffused of much of their sting, in favour of concentrating on the police procedural aspect and mystery behind the four friends’ criminal bond.

  • Guardians Of The Tomb

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    Dec 18

    The somewhat sluggish pace, the constant need to flashback to an incident from Li’s past, and a surfeit of cardboard characters rob the flick of any adventure fun.

  • Keep Calm And Be A Superstar

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    Dec 11

    There are some genuinely witty moments in there and they prove the perfect covering for the many more that end with a whimper.

  • A.f.r.i.k.a

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    Dec 5

    ‘A.f.r.i.k.a’ isn’t rocket science, but if you like a good laugh and are conversant in the basics of Korean pop-culture and society, it should prove an enjoyable treat, nonetheless.

  • The Night Comes For Us

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    Nov 28

    If one is not a fan of bloody carnage, one may want to stay clear but for fans of full throttle Indonesian action then ‘The Night Comes for Us’ should surely sate the most ardent fan.

  • Ring Of Fire III: Lion Strike

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    Nov 26

    All of the fun confrontations against wacky opponents are noticeably absent, and the film feels like a much more run-of-the-mill low budget actioner.

  • Wrath Of Silence

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    Nov 23

    ‘Wrath of Silence’ builds up well after a slow start and, while not quite bringing the viewer to the edge of their seat, evolves into a more than decent mixture of arthouse aesthetics and nuts-and-bolts action.

  • Unlucky Stars

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    Nov 13

    A glorious tribute to the Hong Kong action films of the 80s and 90s, ‘Unlucky Stars’ is a hoot and a cracking martial arts film to boot.

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