Category Archives: Reviews

Blind War (2022) Review

Director: Suiqiang Huo Cast: Andy On Chi Kit, Waise Lee, Yang Xing, Hank Qi, Jane Wu, Vincent Matile, Cheng Si Han, Zhang Ya Qi, Dao Dao, Li Fa Guang, Alexandre Robillard Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall Is there any production looked down upon more in Asia than the Chinese web movie? Arguably no. Maybe even more so than Filipino romantic comedies. Rapidly made and rarely clocking in longer … Continue reading

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Flying Swordsman, The | The Hidden Fox (2022) Review

AKA: The Hidden Fox Director: Qiao Lei Cast: Zhao Huawei, Fu Jia, Yusi Chen, Ray Lui Leung Wai, Shanshan Chunyu, Zihan Chen Running Time: 104 min.  By Will McGuire The Flying Swordsman (aka The Hidden Fox) is great entertainment. It is, like the best of contemporary wuxia films, a strong evolution of the style that began in the late-60’s revival of the genre at Shaw Brothers and though it has … Continue reading

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I Did It My Way (2023) Review

Director: Jason Kwan Cast: Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Gordon Lam, Cya Liu, Eddie Peng, Simon Yam, Chan Chun-Fung, Kent Cheng, Hedwig Tam, Lam Suet, Philip Keung, Mike Leeder Running Time: 115 min. By Paul Bramhall On paper at least, I Did It My Way feels like it should be the subtitle for a 4th instalment of The White Storm franchise. Like each instalment of the popular action thrillers, the focus is … Continue reading

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Haunted Samurai (1970) Review

Director: Keiichi Ozawa Cast: Hideki Takahashi, Masako Izumi, Isao Natsuyagi, Seiichiro Kameishi, Shoki Fukae, Yûji Odaka, Eiji Go, Masaya Oka, Utako Shibusawa, Maya Kitajima Running Time: 83 min. By Will McGuire Haunted Samurai is the perfect companion to a Lone Wolf and Cub movie marathon. This 1970 saga of evil Yagyu ninjas and noble samurai straining between the rigors of their code and the needs of their conscience feels like … Continue reading

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When Taekwondo Strikes | aka Sting of the Dragon Masters (1973) Review

Director: Huang Feng Cast: Jhoon Rhee, Angela Mao, Anne Winston, Kenji Kazuma, Carter Wong, Wang In Sik, Sammo Hung, Andre Morgan, Chin Yuet Sang, Gam Kei Chu, Chan Chuen, Wilson Tong, Billy Chan, Hsu Hsia, Lam Ching Ying Running Time: 95 min.  By Paul Bramhall If there was ever a decade when taekwondo had its chance to shine in Hong Kong action cinema, then it was the 1970’s. Following Bruce … Continue reading

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Wandering Earth II, The (2023) Review

Director: Frant Gwo Cast: Wu Jing, Li Xuejian, Ning Li, Andy Lau, Wang Zhi, Zhu Yanmanzi, Sha Yi, Zhang Yi Running Time: 173 min.  By Will McGuire The Wandering Earth 2 represents a new high-water mark for production values in Chinese cinema. One look at the opening credits will tell you that both this film and its 2019 first installment are the product of literally the entire Chinese cinematic apparatus, … Continue reading

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Ghost Station, The (2022) Review

AKA: Ghost of Oksu Station Director: Jeong Yong-ki Cast: Kim Bo-ra, Kim Jae-hyun, Shin So-yul, Obon, Kim Kang Il, Kim Soo Jin, Kim Kwang Hyun Running Time: 80 min. By Henry McKeand “Write a provocative article with a clickbait headline!” This is one of many pieces of questionable advice given to Na-Young, the journalist protagonist of Jeong Yong-Ki’s The Ghost Station. Played by Kim Bo-ra, she’s the standard cinematic reporter: … Continue reading

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Untold Story 2, The (1998) Review

Director: Andy Ng Yiu-Kuen Cast: Emotion Cheung Kam Ching, Anthony Wong Chau Sang, Melvin Wong Gam San, Yeung Faan, Helena Law Lan, Jamie Luk Kim Ming, Pauline Suen Kai Kwan Running Time: 91 min.  By Paul Bramhall In 1993 Herman Yau and Anthony Wong teamed up as director and star to create what’s considered to be the definitive Cat III movie in the form of The Untold Story. A grizzly … Continue reading

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Hunt (2022) Review

Director: Lee Jung-Jae Cast: Lee Jung-Jae, Jung Woo-Sung, Jeon Hye-jin, Heo Sung-tae, Ko Yoon-Jung, Kim Jong-Soo, Jeong Man-Sik, Lim Hyung-Guk, Jung Kyung-Soon  Running Time: 130 min.  By Paul Bramhall As a leading man Lee Jung-jae has been a consistent presence in the Korean film industry ever since his debut with The Young Man in 1994 at 21 years old. While many actors harbour a curiosity to direct, it’s still a rarity to … Continue reading

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12.12: The Day (2023) Review

Director: Kim Seong-su Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-Sung, Lee Sung-Min, Park Hae-Joon, Kim Sung-Kyun, Jeong Man-Sik, Jung Hae-In, Nam Yun-Ho, Jeong Dong-Hwan Running Time: 141 min. By Paul Bramhall When a country goes through a period of turmoil and trauma, it’s always interesting to see how much time passes in order for those feelings to be collectively processed, arriving at a point where the events in question lose enough of … Continue reading

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Silent Night (2023) Review

Director: John Woo Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Yoko Hamamura, Vinny O’Brien, Anthony Giulietti, John Pollack, Angeles Woo Running Time: 104 min.  By Will McGuire Silent Night represents John Woo’s return to Hollywood after a twenty year absence. Trailers breathlessly proclaim him to be “the Michelangelo of the Action Film”, and this film is clearly meant to re-introduce him to an American audience before his … Continue reading

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Phantom Kung Fu (1979) Review

Director: Lee Tso-Nam Cast: Chang Yi, Don Wong Tao, Lee Kwan, Ma Cheung, Jimmy Lee Fong, Shih Ting Ken, Tommy Lee Gam Ming, Wang Tai Lang, Got Heung Ting, Miu Tin Running Time: 90 min.  By Will McGuire Lee Tso-Nam is one of the most distinctive directors of independent kung fu films during the 70’s. A favorite of Tarantino, his energetic, workmanlike, style produced kung fu films that stood out … Continue reading

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Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2021) Review

Director: Ana Lily Amirpour Cast: Jeon Jong-seo, Kate Hudson, Ed Skrein, Evan Whitten, Craig Robinson, Cory Roberts Running Time: 106 min. By Paul Bramhall When it comes to the age-old question of which Asian actors should try their hand at Hollywood, my usual response is to ask why they’d need to in the first place, however even in the 2020’s Hollywood remains a kind of validation in the world of … Continue reading

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The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell (2023) Review

Director: Herman Yau Cast: Louis Koo, Lau Ching-Wan, Aaron Kwok, Caiyu Yang, Gallen Lo, Tse Kwan-ho, Alex Fong Chung-sun, Power Chan, Timmy Hung, Lam Suet  Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall Ten years after the release of 2013’s The White Storm, the late Benny Chan’s divisive homage to the heroic bloodshed genre, it’s a safe bet that no one was expecting it to become a trilogy. However in 2023 … Continue reading

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Crocodile Island (2020) Review

Director: Simon Zhao Co-director: Xu Shixing Cast: Gallen Lo, Hu Xueer, Liao Yinyue, Wang BingXiang, He Qiwei, Dang Wei, Zhao Zuo Running Time: 86 min. By Will McGuire Crocodile Island is a bad film, but it is a film that’s worth talking about because the question of why it is bad is so instructive to problems in Chinese genre cinema right now. First of all, the film is a throwback … Continue reading

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