Asian Movie Reviews »
Chinese Visual Festival ’13: The Transition Period (2009)
Part of his series exploring institutions in China, Zhou Hao’s remarkable 2009 documentary “The Transition Period” offers an amazingly frank look at the workings of the Chinese government as it follows a civil servant...
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Chinese Visual Festival ’13: Cop Shop II (2011)
The sequel to his acclaimed observational documentary “Cop Shop” (2009), “Cop Shop II” (2011) sees influential Mainland Chinese director Zhou Hao returning after a year to again capture the daily operations of the police...
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Rurouni Kenshin (2012) Movie Review
Watsuki Nobuhiro’s “Rurouni Kenshin” has long been one of the most loved manga in Japan, telling the story of the wandering pacifist samurai of the title and his many adventures. Known as “Samurai X”...
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Chinese Visual Festival ’13: Emergency Room China (2013)
“Emergency Room China” is the latest film from award winning Mainland Chinese director Zhou Hao, one of the most acclaimed and influential figures of the Modern Chinese Independent Documentary Movement. Following on from his...
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I am the King (2012) Movie Review
“I am the King” is a Joseon Dynasty set Korean comedy which takes a light hearted look at the mysteriously undocumented period before Sejong the Great took the throne, supposing what might have happened...
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Chinese Visual Festival ’13: Happy or Not (2003)
Shot back in 2003, “Happy or Not” is Wu Wuna’s second film, and was the deserving winner of the Best Documentary Award at the Taipei Film Festival. The documentary sees Wu’s own sympathetic personality...
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Chinese Visual Festival ’13: Let’s Fall In Love (2009)
Originally released in 2009, “Let’s Fall in Love” is a hugely popular documentary from Taiwanese director Wu Wuna (also credited in places as Wu Tairen) which sees her seeking out and following the efforts...
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The Chrysalis (2013) Movie Review
Though limited by notoriously tough censorship, the horror genre is slowly but surely finding its feet in Chinese cinema, with directors coming up with new and occasionally creative ways to work around the restrictions....
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Love in Time (2012) Movie Review
“Love in Time” is an old fashioned Hong Kong romantic comedy directed by Leefire, a multi-talented type also known as a playwright, radio host and song writer, following up on his not entirely successful...
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Marrying the Mafia 5: Return of the Family (2012) Movie Review
The “Marrying the Mafia” series has proved one of the most enduring and popular in Korean cinema, now reaching its fifth instalment and marking its tenth anniversary with “Return of the Family”. This fourth...
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The Tower (2012) Movie Review
Like Hollywood, Korean cinema loves a good disaster movie, none more so than director Kim Ji Hoon, known for big budget spectacles such as “May 18” and “Sector 7”. Kim returns for more explosive...
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Confession of Murder (2012) Movie Review
Korean writer/director Jung Byung Gil makes his commercial feature debut with “Confession of Murder”, following up on his acclaimed 2008 stuntman documentary “Action Boys”. The film takes the usually serious and gloomy serial killer...
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Wolf Children (2012) Movie Review
Although Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli colleagues are still the most famous purveyors of Japanese animation, a number of other directors have also been winning fans and acclaim of late. Hosoda Mamoru is...
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The Last Supper (2012) Movie Review
With big budget Chinese historical dramas and epics still proving incredibly popular, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that two films went into production around the same time about the Feast at Hong Gate,...
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Barbie (2011) Movie Review
Writer director Lee Sang Woo, who caused quite a stir on the Korean indie scene with his hard hitting features “Mother is a Whore” and “Father is a Dog”, returns with “Barbie”, another scathing...
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A Werewolf Boy (2012) Movie Review
Romantic fantasy “A Werewolf Boy” emerged as of the biggest Korean hits of 2012, not to mention the country’s biggest grossing melodrama to date. Written and directed by Jo Sung Hee, his second feature...
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Codename: Jackal (2012) Movie Review
“Codename: Jackal” (aka “Jackal is Coming”) got a lot of interest for the fact that it stars K-pop star and JYJ member Kim Jae Joong in the male lead role, marking his big screen...
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Cold Steel (2011) Movie Review
Noted editor and director David Wu blasted back into Chinese cinemas in 2011 with “Cold Steel”, a wartime sniper thriller that after enjoying success at international festivals finally lands on DVD. Wu has certainly...
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Chinese Zodiac (2012) Movie Review
Jackie Chan, perhaps best known these days for his outspoken Chinese nationalism rather the stunt-filled action films in which he made his name, returns with “CZ12” (“Chinese Zodiac”), his latest outing as writer, director,...
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New On Blu-Ray: Woochi: The Demon Slayer (2009)
Based on popular Korean folk tales, 2009’s “Woochi the Demon Slayer (AKA “Jean Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard”) finally has a domestic Blu-ray release, courtesy of the fine folks at Shout! Factory. And who doesn’t...
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