Asian Movie Reviews »
Kyofu (2010) Movie Review
“Kyofu” marks the end of the “J-Horror Theater” Japanese horror series, brainchild of famed producer Takashige Ichise, the man behind many of the country’s most influential genre films of the last couple of decades,...
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Encapsulated Cinema: The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman, Punished, and Kung Fu Chefs
The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman (2011)Presented by Doug Liman, director Wuershan’s dizzying action/comedy is, in some ways, the “Moulin” Rogue of kung fu movies. It’s loud, it’s brash, and it’s often more...
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First Squad (2009) / Redline (2009) Movie Review
I love me some anime. I have since I was a teen. My love and appreciation for the genre has only grown and as much as I love it, I’m often disappointed by the...
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The Raid (2011) Movie Review
Welsh born director Gareth Evans and Indonesian martial arts star and choreographer Iko Uwais follow up their 2009 cult hit “Merantau” by notching up the action and violence many, many levels with “The Raid”....
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The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman (2010) Movie Review
“The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman” was an interesting release for the Chinese film industry for a number of reasons, in part due to its having been produced through Hollywood studio 20th Century...
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Two More Apocalyptic Images from the South Korean Sci-Fi Flick Doomsday Book
With the picture’s release date rapidly approaching — the film opens in South Korea this April and not in March as previously reported — more images from Kim Jee-Woon and Yim Pil-Sung’s science fiction...
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Adrift in Tokyo (2007) Movie Review
“Adrift in Tokyo” (released domestically as “Tenten”) is a 2007 outing from cult favourite director Satoshi Miki, who has been responsible for some of the best loved of the recent wave of eccentric Japanese...
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72 Martyrs (2011) Movie Review
“72 Martyrs” is another film released to tie in with the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, a turning point in modern Chinese history which played a vital role in bringing down the Qing...
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Gantz: Perfect Answer (2011) Movie Review
“Gantz” continues with “Perfect Answer”, the second and concluding part of writer Watanabe Yusuke and director Sato Shinsuke’s big screen adaptation of the cult anime and manga series. Following on from the semi-cliffhanger ending...
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Ninja Kids (2011) Movie Review
Generally speaking, I love Takashi Miike. In fact, you could go as far as to say that I’m a fanboy without offending me in the slightest. I’ve followed the director down many strange cinematic...
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Quirky Guys and Gals (2011) Movie Review
As its title suggests, “Quirky Guys and Gals” is another slice of idiosyncratic comedy from Japan, a colourful anthology piece which follows a variety of eccentric individuals about their oddball lives. The film pulls...
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The Killer Who Never Kills (2011) Movie Review
Although the hitman genre isn’t quite as prolific in Asian cinema as it used to be, it’s still pretty popular, if by now looking more than a little overly familiar. Thankfully, as its oddball...
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Magic to Win (2011) Movie Review #2
“Magic to Win” revisits the popular Hong Kong 1980s “Happy Ghost” films (the first of which arrived back in 1984, inspiring no less than 4 sequels), following the same formula of cute female students...
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Nightmare (2011) Movie Review
“Nightmare” is a film immediately of interest as one of the rare horror efforts to emerge from Mainland China, where pretty much anything even vaguely supernatural is frowned upon by the notoriously strict censors....
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Countdown (2011) Movie Review
“Countdown” is an all star Korean thriller headlined by two of the country’s most popular talents, namely award winning actress Jeon Do Yeon (“The Housemaid”) and Jung Jae Young (“Moss”), who last appeared together...
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Hong Kong Ghost Stories (2011) Movie Review
“Hong Kong Ghost Stories” is a film which delivers exactly as its title suggests, serving up two short tales of spooky fun, directed by immortal Hong Kong schlockmeister Wong Jing and the prolific Patrick...
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Elbowroom (2010) Movie Review
Hard hitting Korean indie drama “Elbowroom” marks a bold debut for director Ham Kyoung Rok, following the trials and tribulations of a young cerebral palsy suffering woman. With real life cerebral palsy actress Park...
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Tomie: Unlimited (2011) Movie Review
The name Noboru Iguchi is synonymous with balls-out, gore-soaked cinematic insanity. The guy has cranked out some seriously warped motion pictures, including my personal favorite, the 2008 action flick “The Machine”. All of his...
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Hindsight (2011) Movie Review
“Hindsight” attracted a great deal of hype in Korea, marking the return of “Il Mare” director Lee Hyun Seung after an absence of over a decade. The film also whipped up interest thanks to...
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Quick (2011) Movie Review
“Quick” is a Korean blockbuster in the Hollywood mould, which as its title suggests packs in plenty of high speed action, with a motorcycle courier getting caught up in a mad bomber’s crusade of...
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