Re-Cycle (2006) Movie Review

“Re-Cycle” is the latest effort from Hong Kong ’s dynamic directing duo Danny and Oxide Pang. The film screened at the 2006 Cannes International Film Festival, closing the “Un Certain Regard”, marking the growing international recognition of the talented twins. Although...

September 6th, 2006 | Read More

The Heavenly Kings (2006) Movie Review

“The Heavenly Kings” is a mockumentary which blurs the line between fact and fiction, following a Hong Kong boy band called ‘Alive’, who may or may not have been created solely with the intention of poking fun at the music business. The result is a sharp and at times hilarious...

August 19th, 2006 | Read More

Daisy (2006) Movie Review

On paper, “Daisy” sounds like an Asian film fan’s dream come true, directed by “Infernal Affairs” co-helmer Andrew Lau and starring everybody’s favourite sassy girl, popular Korean actress Jeon Ji Hyun. Unfortunately, despite the talent involved, and the fact that...

August 17th, 2006 | Read More

The Thunderbolt Fist (1972) Movie Review

“The Thunderbolt Fist” is a re-release of the 1972 Shaw Brothers film, directed by Cheung Yat Woo, who also made “The Fists of Vengeance” for the famous studio in the same year. The film is another focusing on the Chinese struggle against the Japanese, though essentially it follows...

July 28th, 2006 | Read More

Godfather of Canton (1982) Movie Review

Gordon Liu is one of the best known Shaw Brothers stars, having been in the classics “36th Chamber of Shaolin” and “Eight Diagram Pole Fighter” to name but two, as well as featuring in fervent fanboy Tarantino’s recent martial arts love letter “Kill Bill”. “Godfather...

July 20th, 2006 | Read More

The Young Avenger (1972) Movie Review

“The Young Avenger” is another in the never-ending line of Shaw Brothers’ re-releases, this time from back in 1972. The film was one of the final efforts of director Yueh Feng, a veteran with a career spanning more than forty years and dozens of films, including the likes of “The...

July 20th, 2006 | Read More

Election 2 (2006) Movie Review

It is now 2 years after the events of “Election”, and the Wo Sing Hong Kong Triads are once again set to elect a new Chairman as per tradition, which requires that one new Chairman be selected every two years and for only one term, without exceptions. This last part proves to be unacceptable...

July 10th, 2006 | Read More

2 Become 1 (2006) Movie Review

Though a Hong Kong comedy about breast cancer conjures up all manner of images of bad taste humour, “2 Become 1″ is actually a fairly level headed attempt to mix romance and ‘issue’ drama. Despite these initial reservations, this bright and breezy approach at least makes for...

May 16th, 2006 | Read More

49 Days (2006) Movie Review

At first glance, “49 Days” has very little going for it, especially given that it features not one, but two pop stars as leading cast members. Mercifully, neither displays their questionable singing talents, and the film turns out to be far more entertaining than expected, mainly due to some...

May 14th, 2006 | Read More

Sons of Good Earth (1964) Movie Review

“Sons of Good Earth” is a re-release of the 1964 Shaw Brothers film, notable for marking the debut of legendary director King Hu. Although he had previously worked on “The Story of Sue San” with Li Han-hsiang (himself an important Chinese director, having made no less than 70...

May 9th, 2006 | Read More

The Bloody Escape (1975) Movie Review

Although “The Bloody Escape”, a 1975 Shaw Brothers release, was officially directed by Sun Chung (”The Kung Fu Instructor”), some sources state that he was assisted by famed “Five Venoms” director Chang Cheh. To be honest, the truth is largely irrelevant, as the film...

April 21st, 2006 | Read More

The Art of Fighting (2006) Movie Review

Although the DVD box art seems to suggest some kind of wacky martial arts comedy, “The Art of Fighting”, the directorial debut from Shin Han Sol, is actually a brutal, surprisingly bittersweet drama. This attempt at misdirection by the producers is a shame, as the film is very entertaining,...

April 19th, 2006 | Read More

The Golden Lion (1975) Movie Review

“The Golden Lion” is a re-release of the 1975 Shaw Brothers swordplay film directed by the prolific Ho Meng Hua, probably best known for “The Flying Guillotine”. As well as being responsible for a good number of traditional wuxia films, Hua actually worked for the studio across...

April 14th, 2006 | Read More

Five Tough Guys (aka Kung Fu Hellcats, 1974) Movie Review

“Five Tough Guys” is a new release of the 1974 Shaw Brothers film directed by Pao Hsueh-li, best known for his work on “The Water Margin” and “Boxer from Shantung”, both of which he co-directed with the legendary Chang Cheh (”The Five Venoms”). “Five...

April 2nd, 2006 | Read More

Kung Fu Instructor (1979) Movie Review

“The Kung Fu Instructor” is a re-release of the 1979 Shaw Brothers film by director Sun Chung, probably best known for the action classic “City War” as well as the infamous “Human Skin Lanterns”. The film is of special interest for the fact that it was the first by...

March 28th, 2006 | Read More

Fearless (2006) Movie Review

“Fearless” has been one of the most talked about martial arts films in years for a number of reasons, not least of which was the announcement by Jet Li that it would be his last ‘wushu’ outing. Adding to the ensuing storm of publicity was the editing out of around forty minutes,...

March 22nd, 2006 | Read More

B420 (2005) Movie Review

“B420″ is written, produced and directed by first timer Mathew Tang, and gets off to a less than promising start by having a frankly hideous title. Mixing letters and numbers in such a lame fashion is always a bad idea, whether as a weak attempt to catch some kind of text-speak zeitgeist,...

March 9th, 2006 | Read More

A Side, B Side, Seaside (2005) Movie Review

“A Side, B Side, Seaside “, directed by Chan Wing Chiu, was accepted into competition at the 2005 Hong Kong , Pusan and Tokyo festivals, though why is a complete mystery, as it barely qualifies as a film at all. Rather, it is an interminably long hour and a half of watching...

March 7th, 2006 | Read More

The 14 Amazons (1972) Movie Review

“The 14 Amazons” is a 1972 Shaw Brothers classic, directed by Cheng Gang, who also made the likes of “The Sword of Swords” and “Flying Guillotine 2″ for the famous studio. Although perhaps not as well known in the West as other Shaw genre films, “The 14 Amazons”...

March 2nd, 2006 | Read More

Wait Til You’re Older (2005) Movie Review

“Wait ’til you’re Older” is a Hong Kong take on the ever-popular fantasy scenario of a child inhabiting the body of an adult. This is a theme much-beloved of Hollywood screenwriters, with essentially the same film appearing every few years with a different big name taking the...

January 29th, 2006 | Read More