Author Archives: Paul Bramhall

Humint (2026) Review

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Zo In-Sung, Park Jeong-Min, Park Hae-Joon, Shin Se-Kyung, Lee Shin-Ki, Jung Eugene, Park Myung-Shin, Kim Eui-Sung, Jang Hyun-Sung Running Time: 119 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been 13 years since director Ryoo Seung-wan helmed The Berlin File, a murky espionage action thriller that revolved around a quartet of characters – a South Korean agent and a trio of North Koreans, two of them operatives, one of … Continue reading

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Exclusive First Look: ‘The Raid 3’ is in production from acclaimed ‘Police Story 3: Supercop’ director Stanley Tong

It’s been 12 years in the making, but next year the wait is over, with The Raid 3 finally happening. In fact we can exclusively reveal initial filming is already underway. What may surprise fans is the way in which the long awaited third entry is arriving, with Gareth Evans – director of the The Raid and The Raid 2 – confirming that the rights for the franchise have been purchased by … Continue reading

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Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe (2026) Review

Director: Derek Hui Cast: Jackie Chan, Ma Li, Qiao Shan, Rongguang Yu, Yinglu Wang, Tian Qiu, Yang Yu Running Time: 100 min.  By Paul Bramhall In 2024 Jackie Chan hit a career low (one which is only rivalled by Kung Fu Yoga) with Panda Plan, a movie which – in the words of my own review from the time – was a “charmless affair devoid of any purpose or entertainment … Continue reading

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Project Y (2026) Review

Director: Lee Hwan Cast: Han So-Hee, Jun Jong-Seo, Kim Shin-Rok, Kim Sung-Cheol, Kim Sung-cheol  Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s always interesting to watch a director who’s primarily worked in the independent scene have the opportunity to helm a mainstream production. The likes of Jo Sung-hee would go from the lo-fi post-apocalyptic road movie End of Animal to helming Werewolf Boy, Phantom Detective, and Space Sweepers. Yeon Sang-ho … Continue reading

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Ghost Train (2025) Review

Director: Tak Se-woong Cast: Joo Hyun-young, Jeon Bae-soo, Choi Bo-min, Kim Woo-kyum, Kim Na-yeon Running Time: 94 min. By Paul Bramhall Spend any amount of time in the world of 21st century Asian horror cinema, and you’ll soon realise that practically any enclosed space can become haunted. From elevators to toilet cubicles to school corridors – nowhere is safe if a vengeful spirit is on the loose. So it shouldn’t … Continue reading

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Forbidden City, The (2025) Review

Director: Gabriele Mainetti Cast: Yaxi Liu, Enrico Borello, Marco Giallini, Sabrina Ferilli, Shanshan Chunyu, Elisa Wong Running Time: 139 min. By Paul Bramhall Is there another city in Europe that has more connection to the kung-fu genre than Rome? I’m going to say no. From providing the classic backdrop to Bruce Lee’s directorial debut Way of the Dragon in 1972, it would go on to inspire several other productions to … Continue reading

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King’s Warden, The (2026) Review

Director: Jang Hang-Jun Cast: Yu Hae-Jin, Park Ji-Hoon, Yoo Ji-Tae, Jeon Mi-Do, Park Ji-Hwan, Lee Jun-Hyuk, Ahn Jae-Hong, Kim Min, Lee Joon-Hyuk, Kim Soo Jin, Jung Jin Woon Running Time: 116 min. By Paul Bramhall The latest period piece from Korea has turned into quite the cultural phenomenon on its home soil, one which is continuing to play out as of the time of writing (March 2026). Having recently passed … Continue reading

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Blazing Fists | aka Blue Fight (2025) Review

Director: Miike Takashi Cast: Kinoshita Danhi, Yoshizawa Kamame, Mikuru Asakura, Gackt, Kuon Chikashi, Mariko Shinoda, Katsunori Takahashi, Susumu Terajima, Riki Sanada Running Time: 119 min.  By Paul Bramhall Over the last year chances are that, if you spend enough time scrolling on social media, you’ll have come across clips of trash talking Japanese fighters yelling at each other and almost coming to blows, set in what appears to be some … Continue reading

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Dead Camping the Live (2022) Review

Director: Kim Hyun-woo Cast: Nam Jihyun, Lee Jae-seok, Lee Pu Reum, Kim Jung Joo, Jo Myung-haeng, Jeong In-gi, Dong-Hyung Kim, Rim-Hoo Kim, Seung-Jae Won, Big Alex Running Time: 72 min.  By Paul Bramhall Ladened with the kind of grammatically challenged title that feels like it came straight out of 80’s or 90’s Hong Kong cinema, 2022’s Dead Camping the Live is a low budget entry in the rape-revenge genre, a … Continue reading

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Trivia of the Guardians: An Interview with Yuen Woo-Ping on Blades of the Guardians

As part of the marketing campaign for Blades of the Guardians, which hit theatres on 17th February (check out our review!), we were given an opportunity to sit down with director Yuen Woo-Ping to talk about the production. As most will be able to guess, we’re big fans of Yuen Woo-Ping here at cityonfire, so ideally would have liked to have been locked in a room together for 24 hours … Continue reading

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Blades of the Guardians (2026) Review

Director: Yuen Woo-ping Cast: Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, Yu Rong-Guang, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Max Zhang, Kara Hui, Jet Li, Zhang Yi, Yosh Yu, Chen Lijun, Sun Yizhou, Cisha, Li Yunxiao Running Time: 125 min.  By Paul Bramhall On paper Blades of the Guardians reads like a wuxia fans dream – Yuen Woo-Ping in the director’s chair, paired with the likes of Wu Jing and Jet Li, for an adaptation of … Continue reading

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An Eye for an Eye (1990) Review

Director: O Sing-Pui Cast: Joey Wong Cho-Yin, Max Mok Siu-Chung, Wilson Lam Jun-Yin, Lung Fong, John Ching Tung, Ricky Yi Fan-Wai, Leung Gam-San, Melvin Wong Gam-San Running Time: 90/93 min.  By Paul Bramhall For fans of Hong Kong cinemas golden age 1990’s An Eye for an Eye makes for an enticing prospect on paper – Joey Wong (The Beheaded 1000, God of Gamblers) steps into the role of a triad … Continue reading

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Dead to Rights (2025) Review

Director: Shen Ao Cast: Liu Haoran, Wang Chuanjun, Gao Ye, Wang Xiao, Zhou You, Yang Enyou, Daichi Harashima  Running Time: 137 min.  By Paul Bramhall  The Nanjing Massacre remains one of the most harrowing examples of wartime atrocities in recent history, with the Japanese army systematically murdering and raping an untold number of Chinese, regardless of if they were military, men, women, or children in December 1937, lasting well into … Continue reading

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Dongji Rescue (2025) Review

Director: Guan Hu Co-director: Zhenxiang Fei Cast: Zhu Yi Long, Leo Wu, Ni Ni, William Franklyn-Miller, Yang Haoyu, Chen Minghao Running Time: 135 min. By Paul Bramhall The latest blockbuster from China, Dongji Rescue, tells the story of the 1942 sinking of the Lisbon Maru. The freighter was being used by the Japanese military to transport over 1800 British prisoners of war captured during the Battle of Hong Kong in … Continue reading

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Back to the Past (2025) Review

Director: Ng Yuen-Fa Co-director: Jack Lai Cast: Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Michael Miu, Wu Yue, Fay Bay Baihe, Jessica Hsuan, Chris Collins, Timmy Hung, Sonija Kwok, Joyce Tang, Louis Cheung, Michelle Saram, Kevin Chu, Jimmy Au, Wong Man-piu, Liu Kai-chi Running Time: 107 min. By Paul Bramhall Back to the Past offers up an intriguing proposition – a movie sequel to A Step into the Past, a 40-episode TVB series … Continue reading

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