Release Year: 2021

It has to be admitted that there are some decent moments within the film and it certainly brings more smiles to the face than many a Chinese New Year comedy of the past.

It may be a little slight for the more cynical out there and both action stars have trod similar ground before, but ‘Castle Falls’ is an effectively unfussy flick that delivers the meat and potatoes action.

‘Drive My Car’ is both a beautiful adaptation and a clever expansion of Haruki Murakami’s short story of the same name from the 2014 collection ‘Men Without Women’.

The action ranges from the adequate to the quite good – hardly a ringing endorsement, I grant you – but suffers from that same curse of poor wirework.

Searing blockbuster thrills based on true events where diplomats from both South and North Korea become stranded in the fallen city of Mogadishu during a rebel uprising in Somalia.

‘Escape of Shark’ is a remake of Australian thriller ‘Bait’ which, while not a masterpiece either, is several notches above this effort.

Those expecting a one-woman killing machine type flick may be disappointed as this is much more a character piece and darkly told tale that pulls no punches.

It will probably be appreciated much more by the local audience but there is enough to enjoy for international viewers.

‘Ip Man: The Awakening’ may not be remembered in the great canon of Chinese folk hero cinema, but as a solid offering that clocks in under ninety minutes, this is recommended.

It’s hard not to come away from ‘Keep Running’ with a feeling of awe for those involved, but also a sense that we’ve come to really get to know the participants by the end.

A seemingly simple set-up is given verve, Hitchcockian tension, and extra depth via nerve shredding direction and having the two leads both deaf and mute.

The glory days of the 80s ninja flick may be long gone but ‘New York Ninja’ is a welcome reminder of how much crazy earnest fun they were.