Chinese Movie Reviews »
Shadows of Love (aka Repeat I Love You, 2012) Movie Review
“Hi, Fidelity” writer director Calvin Poon returns with pan-Asian romantic comedy “Shadows of Love”, this time backed by acclaimed film maker Stanley Kwan (“Rouge”, “Centre Stage”) lending his talents as producer. The film features...
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Black & White Episode 1: The Dawn of Assault (2012) Movie Review
Popular Taiwanese television action drama “Black and White” makes it to the big screen in suitably bombastic fashion with feature “Black & White Episode 1: The Dawn of Assault”, co-written and directed by series...
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Lan Kwai Fong 2 (2012) Movie Review
Viewers are cordially invited to take a trip back to Hong Kong’s heaving, bump and grind nightlife centre in “Lan Kwai Fong 2”, the sequel to one of the surprise hits of summer 2011....
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The Lion Roars 2 (2012) Movie Review
For those who don’t remember the original, “The Lion Roars 2” is a sequel to the 2002 Hong Kong hit, continuing the period comedy wackiness after a break of some 10 years. The Mainland...
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The Cases (2012) Movie Review
Documentaries about the sinister and spooky have long been popular in Hong Kong and Chinese cinema, from back in the 1980s through to the present day, most recently seen in the sadly rather lacklustre...
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Nightmare (2012) Movie Review
The last few years have been an interesting time for the horror genre in Chinese cinema, with film makers venturing more and more into the realms of the sinister, while being held back by...
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10+10 (2011) Movie Review
Although the anthology format is common enough in Asian cinema, “10+10” offers something a little different, not to mention more densely packed and diverse, cramming in no less than 20 short films, each no...
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Tai Chi Zero (2012) Movie Review
Stephen Fung’s “Tai Chi Zero” is a failed attempt to mix up the martial arts movie genre into something new. The movie revolves around Lu Chen (Jayden Yuan) aka “The Freak”, who is born...
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Lacuna (2012) Movie Review
Pang Ho Cheung, arguably most the talented and exciting Hong Kong film maker of the last decade, serves as producer on “Lacuna”, directed by his regular collaborators Derek Tsang and Jimmy Wan, who wrote...
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Vulgaria (2012) Movie Review
“Vulgaria,” a new comedy co-written, produced and directed by Pang Ho-Cheung and starring Chapman To as a B-movie producer, opens with a lot of promise. Immediately, a voice over disclaimer warns viewers to be prepared...
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The Four (2012) Movie Review
Gordon Chan continues to cement his position as one of China’s top blockbuster directors, following up his hits “Painted Skin” and “Mural” with big budget martial arts fantasy “The Four”. Co-directed by Janet Chun...
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Double Trouble (2012) Movie Review #2
Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee Chan follows in his father’s footsteps with mismatched buddy comedy “Double Trouble”, very much in the traditional Hollywood style of “Rush Hour” and other such hits. The film marks the...
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Encapsulated Cinema: Motorway and Six Bullets
MOTORWAY (2012) Piss and vinegar, that’s what Shawn Yue’s character Cheung in Soi Cheang’s “Motorway” has plenty of. The young buck just wants to bust bad guys speeding on the motorways of Hong Kong,...
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Nix Goes Soft: Red Dog, Young Adult, and Inseparable
RED DOG (2011) Kriv Stenders’ “Red Dog” is supposedly based on a true story, but rather you believe it or not, I don’t suppose it matters. The film itself is good enough on its...
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Floating City (2012) Movie Review
It’s always good to keep an eye on the progressing careers of 1980s Hong Kong New Wave directors, and so “Floating City”, the 13th outing from helmer Yim Ho is likely to be of...
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First Time (2012) Movie Review
“First Time” is a Chinese youth romance offering and a remake of the 2003 Korean film “…ing”, helmed by Han Yan, whose part of the 2008 collection “Winds of September” ended up being refused...
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Fairy Tale Killer (2012) Movie Review
Danny Pang, still best known as one half of the brotherly directorial duo responsible for the 2002 hit “The Eye”, takes another shot at recapturing his past form with “Fairy Tale Killer”, which as...
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Guns and Roses (2012) Movie Review
“Crazy Stone” and “Crazy Racer” director Ning Hao returns with “Guns and Roses”, his biggest-budgeted and most ambitious film to date. Unsurprisingly, the film sees the Chinese sixth generation helmer sticking to the kind...
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Any Other Side (2012) Movie Review
Also known by the decidedly more fitting name “Nightclub Suspense Tale”, “Any Other Side” is another Chinese omnibus of ghostly tales of the weird and supernatural, marking the debut of writer director Fang Yaxi...
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The Second Woman (2012) Movie Review
Hong Kong writer director Carol Lai returns with “The Second Woman”, a suspense drama revolving around the ever popular theme of sinister twins. The film receives a real boost from having popular and award...
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