Category Archives: All

My Wife Is a Gangster 3 (2006) Review

Director: Jo Jin Gyu Cast: Shu Qi, Lee Beom-Soo, Hyun Young, Oh Ji-Ho, Choi Min-Soo, Jo Hee-Bong, Ti Lung, Lee Ki-Yong, Ken Lo, Kim Byung-Choon, Kim Yang-Woo, Ji Dae-Han Running Time: 114 min.  By Paul Bramhall During the early – mid 2000’s Korean cinema felt like it was re-discovering itself, with some of its most popular titles earning the period the moniker of the Korean Wave, as the peninsulas output began … Continue reading

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Kung Fu Zohra (2022) Review

Director: Mabrouk El Mechri Cast: Sabrina Ouazani, Ramzy Bedia, Eye Haidara, Tien Shue, Lina Hachani, Matthieu Burnel, Olivia Cote, Ali El Mechri Efira, Franck Ropers, Achref Mazhoud Running Time: 100 min. By Martin Sandison The constantly shifting tones at work in old Hong Kong movies is an aspect that puts off many Western viewers, who are used to consistency and predictability; safety, really. Us lovers of the unpredictable, jarring brilliance … Continue reading

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Seoul Vibe (2022) Review

Director: Moon Hyun-Sung Cast: Yoo Ah-In, Ko Gyung-Pyo, Lee Kyu-Hyung, Park Ju-Hyun, Ong Seong-Wu, Moon So-Ri, Kim Sung-Kyun, Kim Chae-Eun, Baek Hyun-Jin, Eom Ji-Man Running Time: 138 min. By Paul Bramhall There must be something in the Korean air at the moment with setting movies in the lead up to the Olympics. While the 2020 gangster movie Paid in Blood set itself directly in the lead up to the 2018 … Continue reading

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Libera Me (2000) Review

Director: Yang Yun-Ho Cast: Choi Min-Soo, Cha Seung-Won, Yoo Ji-Tae, Kim Gyu-Ri, Park Sang-Myeon, Lee Ho-Jae, Jung Joon, Heo Jun-Ho, Jeong Ae-Ri, Kim Soo-Ro, Park Ga-Ryeong Running Time: 119 min. By Paul Bramhall Korean cinema was in an interesting place at the turn of the millennium. The 90’s was a tricky decade for the film industry, it’s first one as a democracy, and initially the outlook didn’t look promising for … Continue reading

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Twins Effect (2003) Review

Director: Dante Lam Cast: Gillian Chung, Charlene Choi, Ekin Cheng, Josie Ho Chiu-Yee, Jackie Chan, Edison Chen Koon-Hei, Mickey Hardt, Karen Mok Man-Wai, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To Man-Chat, Bey Logan, Spencer Lam Running Time: 107 min.  By Henry McKeand Vampires and Kung Fu films have a long, if troubled, history. From 1974’s Shaw Brothers/Hammer Horror co-production Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires to wacky 80s fare such as Encounters … Continue reading

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Steel Rain 2: Summit (2020) Review

Director: Yang Woo-Seok Cast: Jung Woo-Sung, Kwak Do-Won, Yoo Yeon-Seok, Shin Jung-Keun, Kim Wang-Do, Ryu Soo-Young, Angus Macfadyen, John D. Michaels, Yook Hyo-Myung Running Time: 131 min. By Paul Bramhall In 2017 director Yang Woo-seok helmed Steel Rain, an adaptation of his own web comic of the same name that saw Jung Woo-sung and Kwak Do-won thrown together from opposing sides of the Korean peninsula in an attempt to prevent … Continue reading

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Exciting Dragon | aka Drunken Dragon (1985) Review

AKA: Drunken Dragon Director: Chiu Chung Hing Cast: Suen Kwok Ming, Chiang Sheng, Chow Mei Yee, Philip Ko Fei, Leung Kar Yan, Yeung Hung, William Yen, Ko Jan Pang, Chen Chin Hai, Lam Gwong Wing Running Time: 94 min. By Henry McKeand One set piece in Chiu Chung-Hing’s Exciting Dragon (or Drunken Dragon, depending on who you ask) involves a man steering a wheeled rowboat as he fights, indoors, against … Continue reading

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Day Shift (2022) Review

Director: J.J. Perry Cast: Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Snoop Dogg, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Meagan Good, Karla Souza, Steve Howey, Scott Adkins, Oliver Masucci, Peter Stormare Running Time: 114 min.  By Paul Bramhall  One of the biproducts of the John Wick franchise being so successful is that producers are now more willing to back experienced players from the stunt community who want to have a crack at directing. When stuntmen turned … Continue reading

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Emergency Declaration (2022) Review

Director: Han Jae-Rim Cast: Song Kang-Ho, Lee Byung-Hun, Jeon Do-Yeon, Kim Nam-Gil, Im Si-Wan, Kim So-Jin, Park Hae-Joon, Kim Bo-Min, Hyun Bong-Sik, Seol In-A, Lee Yeol-Eum Running Time: 141 min. By Paul Bramhall  The disaster movie has become something of a regular fixture in Korean cinema over the last 15 years. We’ve had colossal tidal waves in 2009’s Haeundae, towering infernos in 2012’s The Tower, nuclear meltdowns in 2016’s Pandora, … Continue reading

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Carter (2022) Review

Director: Jeong Byeong-gil Cast: Joo Won, Lee Sung-Jae, Jung So-Ri, Kang Yoo-Ra, Camilla Belle, Mike Colter, Yeo Dae-Hyun, Shin Woo-Hee, Kim Won-Jung, Lee Ye-Joon, Jung Jae-Young Running Time: 133 min. By Paul Bramhall When it comes to modern day action cinema the influence of the John Wick aesthetic is undeniable, defined by its stripped-down approach to killing, and imbued with a kinetic energy and sense of immediacy that’s become the … Continue reading

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Baby Assassins (2021) Review

Director: Yugo Sakamoto Cast: Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Mone Akitani, Yukina Fukushima, Masanori Mimoto, Atom Mizuishi, Yasukaze Motomiya, Takashi Nishina, Yosuke Ohmizu Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall  We can blame the John Wick franchise for the action genres current infatuation with assassins for hire. Following a bombardment of assassin flicks in the 2010’s which came after the release of the original John Wick in 2014, now only a … Continue reading

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Special Actors (2019) Review

Director: Shinichiro Ueda Cast: Kazuto Osawa, Hiroki Kono, Miyu Ogawa, Hayate Masao, Nozomi de Lencquesaing Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall  In 2017 Shinichiro Ueda’s micro-budget zombie movie One Cut of the Dead burst onto the scene fuelled almost purely by word of mouth, a production which cleverly subverted the type of movie audiences thought they were watching to entertaining and hilarious effect. His sophomore feature, following up such … Continue reading

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Fatal Raid, The (2019) Review

Director: Jacky Lee Cast: Patrick Tam Yiu-Man, Michael Tong Man-Lung, Jade Leung Ching, Sharon Luk, Lin Min-Chen, Jadie Lin, Jeana Ho, Hidy Yu, Chiu Sin-Hang, Yona Fong Running Time: 91 min.  By Paul Bramhall The Fatal Raid originally started out as a sequel to 2016’s Special Female Force, but somewhere along the way it was decided to scrap the sequel angle and make it a standalone story with different characters. … Continue reading

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Special Delivery (2022) Review

Director: Park Dae-Min Cast: Park So-Dam, Song Sae-Byeok, Kim Eui-Sung, Jeong Hyun-Jun, Yum Hye-Ran, Han Hyun-Min, Heo Dong-Won, Yeon Woo-Jin, Baek Do-Gyum Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall  Following in the footsteps of Jason Statham in The Transporter series, in Special Delivery Park So-dam continues the fine cinematic tradition of playing a character who transports “anything that regular post carriers can’t.” Like its predecessors, Special Delivery frames itself as … Continue reading

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VR Fighter | aka One More Shot (2021) Review

Director: Tang Qiaojia Cast: Fan Siu-Wong, Yiyi Jiang, Diego Dati, Jiang Yi-Yi, Wang Zhipeng, Song Ziqiao, Tang Hu Running Time: 80 min. By Paul Bramhall The web movie has become something of a cultural phenomenon in China. While what can be considered the first official Chinese web movie is up for debate, it’s a trend which has continued to grow at a rapid rate since their inception in the mid-2010’s. Fuelled … Continue reading

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