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on Exit 8 (2025) ReviewI have to admit, the coughing kind of got to me too. :-) By the last splutter…
on Exit 8 (2025) ReviewIt's not too often that I watch the movie adaptation of a video game that I h…
on The Furious (2026) ReviewI guess you can't blame the marketing team. "Best action movie since the Raid…
on The power of ghouls compels you! Eureka unleashes ‘Ghouls Gone Wild’ on Blu-ray starring Chow Yun-fat and Ricky HuiWoah, "Magic of Spell" is a HUGE get! Does anyone know if a restoration of th…
on Universal Soldier (1971) ReviewChump change, not “chunk” change, as in one would have to be a chump to work…
on Iceman: The Time Traveler (2018) ReviewLOL I like how you started your comment there, I couldn't stop laughing for a…
on Aces Go Places | 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (Shout)Karl Maka is one of the all time greats. Sounds your mother made a Typo when…
on OPERATION KAZAKHSTAN! First look at Jackie Chan in ‘Armour of God 4’ with his iconic Asian Hawk gearThat's messed up, given that LKL was one of Shaw's top directors. Sucks to he…
on ‘The Raid’ vs. ‘Versus’ star! Iko Uwais to take on Tak Sakaguchi in the martial arts thriller ‘Pendekar: Warrior’TIMUR WAS A SHAKEY CAMERA NIGHTMARE
on Meta madness! Eddie Peng joins Jason Statham in ‘Jason Statham Stole My Bike’ from ‘John Wick’ creator David LeitchLoved Munich. I do have to disagree with SS calling quits after it, because h…
Author Archives: Paul Bramhall
High Forces (2024) Review
Director: Oxide Pang Cast: Andy Lau, Liu Tau, Zhang Zifeng, Qu Chuxiao, Jiang Mengjie, Jiang Chao, Eric Chou Running Time: 115 min. By Paul Bramhall The disaster movie on a plane has been going through a bit of a renaissance in Asia during recent years. China threw their hat into the ring with 2019’s The Captain, and Korea’s returned to the genre twice in as many years with 2022’s Emergency … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews, Top 4 Featured
Tagged Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Oxide Pang, Pang Brothers
Bangkok Dog (2024) Review
Director: Chaya Supannarat Cast: D.Y. Sao, Jenny Philomena Van Der Sluijs, Brian Le, Ron Smoorenburg, Sahajak Boonthanakit Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall Throughout the 2000’s and 2010’s having the Thai capitals name in an action movie title seemed to be all the rage – Bangkok Dangerous, Bangkok Adrenaline, Bangkok Revenge, BKO: Bangkok Knockout, Bangkok Rush, Bangkok Assassins – the list goes on! However as the Thai action scene … Continue reading
Posted in All, News, Reviews, Thai
Tagged Brian Le, Chaya Supannarat, D.Y. Sao, Ron Smoorenburg, Sahajak Boonthanakit
Bridge of Death (1974) Review
Director: Lee Doo-yong Cast: Han Yong-cheol, Bae Su-chun, Kim Yeongran, Chang Il-sik, Woo Yeon-jeong, Mun-ju Kim Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall In my review for Returned a Single-Legged Man 2 I concluded with “What’s left to ask but for more taekwon-action productions be made available to be enjoyed.” The line was in reference to the Korean Film Archive’s decision in 2023 to release some of director Lee Doo-yong’s … Continue reading
Posted in All, Bruceploitation, Korean, News, Reviews
Tagged Han Yong-cheol, Lee Doo-yong
Shadow Strays, The (2024) Review
Director: Timo Tjahjanto Cast: Auroro Ribero, Hana Malasan, Ali Fikri, Adipati Dolken, Kristo Immanuel, Andri Mashadi, Chew Kin Wah, Arswendy Bening Swara, Tanta Ginting Running Time: 145 min. By Paul Bramhall When the Indonesian directing duo the Mo Brothers decided to apply their horror genre leanings to the action genre in 2016, the result was Headshot, a movie which immediately grabbed the attention of martial arts cinema fans. While it … Continue reading
Panda Plan (2024) Review
Director: Luan Zhang Cast: Jackie Chan, Yanbo Han, Ce Shi, Xiang Wei, Temur Mamisashvili, Aleksandra Smirnova Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall In one of the initial scenes from Jackie Chan’s latest big screen outing, Panda Plan, a character says, “It’s a commercial movie, it needs to entertain.” In many ways the line could be interpreted as director Luan Zhang’s way of announcing his intentions to the audience, and … Continue reading
Uprising (2024) Review
Director: Kim Sang-man Cast: Gang Dong-won, Park Jung-min, Cha Seung-won, Jung Sung-il, Kim Shin-rok, Jin Sun-Kyu Running Time: 126 min. By Paul Bramhall Much of the publicity for Uprising has leant into the fact that it’s co-scripted by Park Chan-wook, the director who gave us such modern-day classics like Decision to Leave and The Handmaiden. It’s an understandable approach, as while Chan-wook is most well known for the times he’s … Continue reading
Seire (2022) Review
Director: Park Kang Cast: Shim Eun-woo, Seo Hyun-woo, Ryu Abel, Ko Eun-Min, Kim Woo-Kyum, Jeon Woon-Jong Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall Taking its name from a traditional Korean custom that follows childbirth, Seire refers to a newborns first 21 days, during which time the entrance of a property has a protective rope hung on it to ward off evil spirits, and the baby should have minimal interaction with … Continue reading
I, The Executioner | aka Veteran 2 (2024) Review
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, Oh Dae-hwan, Oh Dal-soo, Jang Yoon-ju, Kim Shi-Hoo, Jeong Man-Sik, Shin Seung-Hwan, Jin Kyung, Kwon Hae-Hyo Running Time: 118 min. By Paul Bramhall When Veteran hit the screens in 2015 it struck the perfect balance as an action comedy, and director Ryoo Seung-wan promised audiences there’d be more, revealing in interviews at the time how it was the first in an intended … Continue reading
Village of Doom (1983) Review
Director: Noboru Tanaka Cast: Masato Furuoya, Misako Tanaka, Kumiko Oba, Isao Natsuyagi, Midori Satsuki Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall The Tsuyama massacre remains one of the most harrowing mass murders in Japan, taking place on the night of 21st May 1938 in the rural village of Kamocho Kurami. After cutting off the electricity to the village shortly before midnight, a 21-year-old man named Mutsuo Toi proceeded to arm … Continue reading
Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die, The (2022) Review
Director: Choi Jae-Hoon Cast: Jang Hyuk, Bruce Khan, Cha Tae-Hyun, Son Hyun-Joo, Lee Seo-young, Anne, Son Hyun-joo Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s no secret that in the 21st century mainstream Korean cinema has rarely sold itself on action. It’s certainly not for lack of talent, but rather you’re likely to find the countries best action sequences play out as part of a gangster movie, or a crime … Continue reading
Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews
Tagged Bruce Khan, Cha Tae-hyun, Choi Jae-Hoon, Jang Hyuk
Smugglers (2023) Review
Director: Ryoo Seung-Wan Cast: Kim Hye-Soo, Yum Jung-Ah, Zo In-Sung, Park Jeong-Min, Kim Jong-Soo, Go Min-Si, Kim Jae-Hwa, Park Jun-Myun, Park Kyung-Hye, Kwak Jin-Seok Running Time: 129 min. By Paul Bramhall Any discussion on modern Korean action cinema will invariably also be a discussion on director (and sometime actor) Ryoo Seung-wan. An avid Hong Kong action cinema fan when he was growing up, Seung-wan would debut in 2000 with Die … Continue reading
Officer Black Belt (2024) Review
Director: Kim Joo-hwan Cast: Kim Woo-bin, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Hyun-geol, Lee Joong-Ok, Kang Seung-Ho, Yoon Dae-Yul, Park Ji-Yeol, Jin Mi-Sa, Lee Jung-Gwi, Bang Byung-Hyun Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall The latest in Korea’s steady stream of post-Squid Game Netflix produced movies, Officer Black Belt hit the platform in 2024, offering a look into a rarely seen part of the law enforcement system – the parole officers who monitor … Continue reading
Land of Happiness, The (2024) Review
Director: Choo Chang-min Cast: Cho Jung-Seok, Lee Sun-Kyun, Yoo Jae-Myung, Woo Hyeon, Lee Won-Jong, Jeon Bae-Su, Song Young-Kyu, Choi Won-Young, Kang Mal-Geum Running Time: 124 min. By Paul Bramhall The 8 months spanning October 1979 to May 1980 are some of the most tumultuous in Korea’s recent history, marked by the assassination of president Park Chung-hee on the 26th October, and culminating in military dictator Chun Doo-hwan ordering the Gwangju … Continue reading
The Sword (1980) Review
Director: Patrick Tam Kar-Ming Cast: Adam Cheng Siu Chow, Norman Chui Siu-keung, Jade Hsu, Tien Feng, JoJo Chan Kei-Kei, Bonnie Ngai, Eddy Ko Hung, Lau Siu-Ming, Lee Hoi-Sang Running Time: 86 min. By Paul Bramhall In the early 80’s Hong Kong cinema was experiencing what’s come to be labelled the new wave, as a fresh generation of young directors came to the fore. Movies like Tsui Hark’s Dangerous Encounter of … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, Golden Harvest, News, Reviews
Tagged Adam Cheng Siu Chow, Eddy Ko Hung, Lee Hoi-Sang, Norman Chu, Patrick Tam Kar Ming, Tien Feng
Killer, The (2024) Review
Director: John Woo Cast: Omar Sy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Diana Silvers, Sam Worthington, Eric Cantona, Aurélia Agel, Tchéky Karyo, Saïd Taghmaoui, Angeles Woo Running Time: 126 min. By Paul Bramhall Chances are if you’re a fan of Hong Kong action cinema, then John Woo’s 1989 classic The Killer is part of the reason why. In the 35 years since there’s been multiple attempts at a Hollywood remake – in the 1990’s … Continue reading
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