Category Archives: Reviews

Caught in Time (2020) Review

February 16, 2022 Martin Sandison

Director: Lau Ho-Leung Cast: Daniel Wu, Wang Qianyuan, Jessie Li, Michelle Wai, Da Li, Yu Xiao, Hu Zi-Cheng, Li Xiao-Chuan, Hung Jun-Jia, Rock Ji Huan-Bo, Dante Pang Yu-Nong  Running Time: 95 min. By Martin Sandison  Back a decade or so ago Daniel Wu annoyed me. I had seen him in films such as New Police Story and One Night in Mongkok, very good films, and his presence had made me squirm … Continue reading →

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Ashfall (2019) Review

February 13, 2022 Paul Bramhall

Director: Lee Hae-Jun Co-director: Kim Byung-Seo Cast: Lee Byung-Hun, Ha Jung-Woo, Ma Dong-Seok, Jeon Hye-Jin, Bae Suzy, Lee Sang-Won Running Time: 130 min. By Paul Bramhall Korean cinema went for the disaster movie double in 2019, with the low-key Exit offering up a brisk comedic take on the genre, one that saw the residents of Seoul looking to escape a steadily rising cloud of poisonous gas. On the other hand, … Continue reading →

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Seo Bok (2021) Review

February 9, 2022 Paul Bramhall

Director: Lee Yong-Joo Cast: Gong Yoo, Park Bo-Gum, Jo Woo-Jin, Yeon Je-Wook, Lee Un-Jung, Lee Sang-Kyung, Park Byung-Eun, Jang Young-Nam, Kim Jae-Gun Running Time: 114 min.  By Paul Bramhall Around the turn of the millennium the Korean film industry saw itself increasingly dabbling in the science fiction genre, with movies like 2001’s 2009 Lost Memories, 2002’s Yesterday, and 2003’s Natural City, and while they all had their moments of inspiration, … Continue reading →

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White Force (1988) Review

February 3, 2022 Paul Bramhall

Director: Eddie Romero Cast: Sam J. Jones, Kimberley Pistone, Tim Hughes, Raul Aragon, Jaime Fabregas, Vic Diaz, Ruben Rustia, Ken Metcalfe, Mike Monty, Tsing Tong Tsai, Anthony Ogunsanya, Eric Romero, John Falch, Mauricio Go Running Time: 90 min.  By Paul Bramhall The Philippines has always had a slightly different take on the action genre compared to its South East Asian counterparts. The western influence through being an American colony for … Continue reading →

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Guns of Dragon (1993) Review

January 31, 2022 Paul Bramhall

Director: Tony Leung Siu Hung Cast: Ray Lui, Bill Lui Cho Hung, Mark Cheng, Patrick Lung Kong, Yvonne Yung Hung, Jackson Lau, John Sham, Tse Ning, Alex Fong, Henry Fong Ping Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall During the early 90’s there was a spate of Hong Kong movies that were shot on location in either the US or Canada, perhaps an indication of directors assessing the feasibility of … Continue reading →

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Final Run (1989) Review

January 25, 2022 Paul Bramhall

Director: Philip Ko Fei Cast: Michael Miu, Cheung Kwok-Keung, Simon Yam, Phillip Ko Fei, Francis Ng, Daan Gwai-Chi, Yukari Oshima, Ridley Tsui, Dick Wei, Newton Lai, Ha Chi-Chun, Ricky Wong, Shum Wai, Mark Houghton, Suen Kwok-Ming Running Time: 79 min. By Paul Bramhall When discussing kung fu cinema, chances are it’ll never take too long before the name Philip Ko Fei comes up. One of the greatest screen fighters of … Continue reading →

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Action U.S.A. (1989) Review

January 19, 2022 Paul Bramhall

Director: John Stewart Cast: Gregory Scott Cummins, Cameron Mitchell, William Hubbard Knight, Ross Hagen, Barri Murphy, William Smith, Ross Hagen, Hoke Howell, Gary Beal, Rod Shaft Running Time: 97 min.  By Paul Bramhall As a fan of action, in the last 10 years it’s been immensely satisfying to witness the rise of the stuntman to fully fledged director. From Chad Stahelski’s John Wick flicks, to David Leitch’s Atomic Blonde (who … Continue reading →

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Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead, The (1991) Review

January 14, 2022 Paul Bramhall

Director: Tony Lou Chun-Ku Cast: Donnie Yen, Pauline Yeung, Ben Lam Kwok-Bun, Chui Hei-Man, Kathy Chow, Ken Lo, Robert Mak Tak-Law, Hsu Hsia, Sibelle Hu Hui-Chung, Lee Ho-Kwan Running Time: 92 min.  By Paul Bramhall When people ask what it is about Donnie Yen that sets him apart from his peers, you’re likely to get a multitude of answers. Some may refer to the way he’s stayed relevant as an … Continue reading →

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Hand Rolled Cigarette (2021) Review

January 10, 2022 Paul Bramhall

Director: Kelvin Chan Cast: Gordon Lam, Bipin Karma, Michael Ning, Singh Hartihan Bitto, Ben Yuen, Chin Siu-Ho, To Yin-Gor, Tony Ho Wah-Chiu, Tommy Chu Pak-Houg, Tai Bo Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall From an audience perspective, the Hong Kong crime genre has been extinct since at least the mid-2010’s, with the last production to truly deliver a slice of uncompromising (re: disregarding Mainland censorship requirements) HK cinema being … Continue reading →

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Matrix Resurrections, The (2021) Review

December 30, 2021 Paul Bramhall

Director: Lana Wachowski Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jada Pinkett Smith, Daniel Bernhardt, Christina Ricci, Michael X. Sommers Running Time: 148 min.  By Paul Bramhall Making a sequel to a trilogy that re-defined the Hollywood action aesthetic 18 years after the last entry was always going to be a tall order, however in 2021 The Matrix Resurrections landed … Continue reading →

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Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) Review

December 28, 2021 Ian Whittle

Director: Kazuki Omori Cast: Kosuke Toyohara, Anna Nakagawa, Megumi Odaka, Katsuhiko Sasaki, Akiji Kobayashi, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Robert Scott Field, Richard Berger, Wataru Fukuda Running Time: 103 min. By Ian Whittle To paraphrase the great Professor Farnsworth: “Never take lessons in not-changing-history from a man who is his own grandpa!” Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is the third film in the Heisei series, following on from The Return of Godzilla (1984) and … Continue reading →

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Dragon Blood | aka John Liu In Mexico (1982) Review

December 19, 2021 Paul Bramhall

Director: John Liu Cast: John Liu, Phillip Ko Fei, Roger Paschy, Cyrielle Claire, Guy Ignace, Godfrey Ho, Lucien Michaud Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall Dragon Blood can be considered to be superkicker John Liu’s last hurrah, both in front of the camera and behind it, pulling star and director duties for a third time after Zen Kwun Do Strikes in Paris and Ninja In the Claws of the … Continue reading →

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Ninja in the Claws of the CIA | aka Kung Fu Emanuelle (1981) Review

December 17, 2021 Paul Bramhall

AKA: Made in China Director: John Liu Cast: John Liu, Casanova Wong, Danny Lee, John Ladalski, Roger Paschy, Mirta Miller, Cheng Bik-Lin, Gam Biu, Raquel Evans, Jose Maria Blanco Running Time: 77 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s always interesting when kung fu stars decide to step into the director’s chair and helm their own starring vehicles, from the globe-trotting adventures of Bruce Le in the likes of Challenge of the Tiger … Continue reading →

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Challenge of the Tiger (1982) Review

December 15, 2021 Ian Whittle

AKA: Gymkata Killer Director: Bruce Le Starring: Bruce Le (Huang Kin Long), Richard Harrison, Nadiuska, Hwang Jang-lee, Kong Do, Bolo Yeung Sze, Brad Harris, Dick Randall, Pei Ju-Hua Running Time: 86 min. By Ian Whittle (Note: Every online source I’ve seen says this film is from 1980, which is contradicted by 1982 being mentioned in the dialogue, and a sequence taking place at an event that took place in that … Continue reading →

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Schemes in Antiques (2021) Review

December 13, 2021 Paul Bramhall

Director: Derek Kwok Cast: Lei Jiayin, Li Xian, Xin Zhilei, Ge You, Qin Yan, Qingxiang Wang, Yong Mei, Tao Guo Running Time: 123 min. By Paul Bramhall Movies about antiques may not necessarily sound like the most exciting proposition on paper, but if there’s one thing that 2003’s Ong Bak taught us, it’s that if the antique in question is a buddha’s head, then prepare for your expectations to be subverted. 18 years later, and China has released … Continue reading →

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