Category Archives: Reviews

Don’t Go Too Far (2021) Review

Director: Park Hyun-yong Cast: Son Jin-hwan, Son Byung-ho, Choi Jae-sup, Lee Sun-hee, Park Myung-shin, Lee Kyung-sung, Lee Do Yup, Ji Dae Han, Kang Tae Young Running Time: 77 min. By Paul Bramhall  While it’s not uncommon for movies to be based off stage plays, what is uncommon is for the actual theatre setting itself to be integrated into a production intended for the screen rather than the stage. Part of … Continue reading

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Double Crossers, The (1976) Review

"The Double Crossers" Theatrical Poster

Director: Jeong Chang Hwa Cast: Shin Il-ryong, Chan Sing, Chao Hsiung, Chan Wai-Man, Sammo Hung, Tutie Kirana Running Time: 90 min.  By Paul Bramhall When is a Korean movie not a Korean movie? The answer is when it’s a Hong Kong movie, and with the influx of Korean talent that was active in Hong Kong during the 1970’s, it’s hardly surprising that some of the territories output would come to … Continue reading

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Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024) Review

Director: Soi Cheang Pou So Cast: Louis Koo Tin-lok, Sammo Hung Kam Bo, Richie Ren Yin Chi, Raymond Lam, Philip Ng Wan-lung, Terrance Lau, Tony Wu, German Cheung, Aaron Kwok Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall  There’s been a few attempts to bring an adaptation of the manhua comic City of Darkness to the big screen over the years, probably the most well known being the version that was … Continue reading

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Death Stranding (2023) Review

Director: Danny Pang Cast: Wallace Chung, Francis Ng, Myolie Wu, Qiming Fei, Samuel Ku, Keru Wang Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall  Cinema is a funny thing. There are those movies that catch you off guard in ways that can be life affirming, give you an unexpected adrenaline rush, or even tear up. Then there are those movies that catch you off guard in ways which you leave you … Continue reading

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Thunderbird (2022) Review

Director: Lee Jae-Won Cast: Seo Hyun-Woo, Lee Myeong-Ro, Lee Seol, Kim Kyu-baek, Park Seung-tae, Choi Euna Running Time: 96 min. By Paul Bramhall I confess to being a fan of the “having a bad day” sub-genre, the kind which places a character (or characters) in an unenviable situation over the course of a short timeframe, and come with a narrative that’s usually built around the mantra of everything that can … Continue reading

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Bursting Point (2023) Review

Director: Calvin Tong Co-director: Dante Lam Cast: Nick Cheung Ka-Fai, William Chan Wai-Ting, Isabella Leung Lok-Sze, Shaun Tam Chun-Yin, Philip Keung Hiu-Man, Chrissie Chau Sau-Na Running Time: 139 min.  By Paul Bramhall Since helming 2016’s Operation Mekong Dante Lam has become China’s go-to man for bombastic big budget actioners that espouse the virtues of the country’s various military divisions, with the army, navy (2018’s Operation Red Sea) and Search & … Continue reading

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River (2023) Review

Director: Junta Yamaguchi Cast: Riko Fujitani, Yuki Torigoe, Yoshimasa Kondo, Haruki Nakagawa, Masahi Suwa Running Time: 86 min.  By Paul Bramhall Making a follow-up to a debut that relied heavily on a gimmick is always a tricky proposition, as several directors have found out over the years. In Japan the most obvious example is Shinichiro Ueda, who after his almost flawless debut with 2017’s  One Cut of the Dead has struggled to … Continue reading

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Roundup: Punishment, The (2024) Review

Director: Heo Myung-haeng Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Moo-Yul, Lee Dong-Hwi, Park Ji-Hwan, Lee Beom-Soo, Kim Min-Jae, Lee Ji-Hoon, Lee Joo-Bin, Park Bo-kyung, Derek Chouinard Running Time: 109 min.  By Paul Bramhall In a world where it’s perfectly normal to wait a couple of years for a sequel to land, The Roundup rebranded follow-ups to 2017’s The Outlaws have looked to buck the trend. Audiences only had to wait 11 months … Continue reading

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Virtual Recall (2010) Review

Director: Larry Cheung Cast: Stephen Fung, Cherrie Ying Choi Yi, Tang Yi Fei, Samuel Pang King Chi, Sammul Chan Kin Fung, Lemon Zhang Meng, Mandy Chiang Nga Man, Simon Lui Yue Yeung, Astrid Chan Chi Ching, Tin Kai Man, Li Hui Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall Back in the late 2000’s it kind of felt like director Roy Chow’s 2009 production Murderer placed an exclamation mark on the … Continue reading

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Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2 | aka Digital Warriors (2000) Review

AKA: Digital Warriors  Director: Philip Ko Fei Cast: Darren Shahlavi, Lee Kwang-su, Yukari Oshima, Zoren Legaspi, Jimmy Ko, Man-Kei Lin, James Jim-Si Ha, Philip Ko Fei, Winston Ellis, Thorsten Nickel Running Time: 93 min. By Paul Bramhall Let’s address the elephant in the room – I’m convinced nobody was clamouring for a sequel to the 1997 sci-fi action mashup Techno Warriors. Philip Ko Fei’s incomprehensible Philippines shot action flick gave … Continue reading

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Lama Avenger, The | aka The Three Avengers (1979) Review

Director: Wong Wa-Kei Cast: Bruce Li (Ho Chung Tao), Chin Yuet Sang, Michael Winston, Chui Fat, Lee Hoi San, Baan Yun Sang, Ching Chu, Sham Chin Bo, Austin Wai  Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall Looking back at the careers of the Bruceploitation genres big three – Bruce Li, Bruce Le, and Dragon Lee – eventually all of them would step out of the Little Dragon’s shadow, admirably pushing … Continue reading

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King Kong Escapes (1967) Review

Director: Honda Ishiro Cast: Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Mie Hama, Akira Takarada, Hideyo Amamoto, Yoshifumi Tajima, Yoshifumi Tajima, Andrew Hughes, Shoichi Hirose, Ryuji Kita Running Time: 96/104 min. By Ian Whittle Following the colossal success of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Toho did not rush to bring back the giant ape in a hurry – the cost of licensing the character from RKO was high, and Toho had been left holding … Continue reading

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Game of Killers (1982) Review

Director: Hui Sing-Yue Cast: Barry Chan Wai Ji Wan, Lung Chan, Chu Shao-Hwa, Chun-Eah Lung, Su Kuo-Liang, Tu Kuei-Hua, Lin Wan-Chang, Lin Kuang-Yung Running Time: 81/90 min. By Will McGuire Recently I reviewed Dark Forces’ kung fu double feature Shadow Fist Hunter and Deadly Kung Fu Factor those of you who were shopping discs on Black Friday last year may recall that at the exact same time those discs who … Continue reading

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Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, The (2023) Review

Director: Wong Ching-Po Cast: Ethan Juan, Li Li-Ren, Ben Yuen, Ivan Chen, Gingle Wang, Chen Yi-wen, Lee Lee-zen Running Time: 134 min. By Paul Bramhall  One of the biggest tragedies of the increasingly restrictive policies Mainland China has placed on the film industry has been the fact that some of the newer creative talents from Hong Kong have simply disappeared off the radar. Filmmakers like Pang Ho-Cheung and Lee Ka-Wing, … Continue reading

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Monkey Man (2024) Review

Director: Dev Patel Cast: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Adithi Kalkunte, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Makarand Deshpande Running Time: 121 min. By Will McGuire Monkey Man is Dev Patel’s love letter to Southeast Asian action cinema from 8 Diagram Pole Fighter right up to The Night Comes For Us. It is what a lot of action fans have been clamoring for: a mid budget, carefully produced … Continue reading

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