Newest Comments
Andrew Hernandez on Mortal Kombat II (2026) ReviewIt’s good to see this being talked about here. The 6.5 is a fair rating, sinc…
Dal on B-B-B-B-B-Benny the Jet! The Keanu Reeves-produced Benny “The Jet” Urquidez documentary currently filmingReally looking forward to this!
Throwdown on Hop right to it! New Bruce Lee doc, ‘Mr. Vampire’ reboot and more arriving from veteran Hong Kong producer Bey LoganGreat commentaries on the old DVDs, Bey. Question, since you're working with…
Ska Martes on Most posters ever award goes to THE FURIOUS! The highly anticipated martial arts thriller hitting theaters FridaySo its a Iqiyi type effort but theatrical and "elevated"? Is it better than X…
KayKay on Most posters ever award goes to THE FURIOUS! The highly anticipated martial arts thriller hitting theaters FridayI caught this at a special screening* in my neck of the woods. So…I caveat th…
Ska Martes on Blades of the Guardians (2026) ReviewI kind of agree. It starts off really rough. Maybe I went in with too high ex…
Typo on City on Fire (1987) ReviewOverrated, far from Lam's best movies (School on fire, Prison on fire and "It…
Typo on Duel to the Death (1982) ReviewIn my top ten, easily.
Typo on City War (1988) ReviewVery average. Not my cup of tea anymore, or, more likely, I can't say anymore…
Typo on Master, The | aka The Final Master (2015) ReviewThat guy rules. He's the best. My favorite martial arts movies since, what...…
Typo on ‘Blades of the Guardians’ hits digital on June 30 and arrives on physical media on August 25 with a new overly long titleI'll take it, first day!
Dal on ⚠️ Tornado Warning! ⚠️ John Maclean’s samurai-Western actioner ‘Tornado’ hits 4K Ultra HD in JulyI’d like to hear your thoughts
D3SH on Blades of the Guardians (2026) ReviewHonestly thought the film was the wuxia equivalent of Marvel slop. Entertaini…
Ningen on The Japanese ‘Rocky’? Perhaps. But it’s every bit its equal! Shuji Terayama’s ‘The Boxer’ arrives on Blu-ray in JulyIf you like it, check out Ashita no Joe on Crunchyroll.
dakuan on Most posters ever award goes to THE FURIOUS! The highly anticipated martial arts thriller hitting theaters Fridayyou sound like Michael Jackson on that old South Park episode. "That's ignora…
JJ Bona on ⚠️ Tornado Warning! ⚠️ John Maclean’s samurai-Western actioner ‘Tornado’ hits 4K Ultra HD in JulyThanks for elaborating. Good to know. I'll give it a chance if it convenientl…
Dal on ⚠️ Tornado Warning! ⚠️ John Maclean’s samurai-Western actioner ‘Tornado’ hits 4K Ultra HD in JulyNo, it wasn’t just the lack of action pieces, l was disappointed with the who…
Ningen on Shaolin Soccer (2001) ReviewLooks like it's the dubbed version. *Sigh*. https://www.academymuseum.org/pro…
Ningen on GET OVER HERE! Watch a fight clip from ‘Mortal Kombat II’ starring Karl Urban, Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki SanadaFirst ten minutes free. https://youtu.be/Uwq3EzDCVqA?si=_c5WWbNAS00qtj6Z
Ningen on Shaolin Soccer (2001) ReviewAcademy screening this Sunday. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZVN8r5APMX/?ut…
JJ Bona on ⚠️ Tornado Warning! ⚠️ John Maclean’s samurai-Western actioner ‘Tornado’ hits 4K Ultra HD in JulyHmmm... Sounds like the common complaint is for the lack of any interesting a…
Dal on ⚠️ Tornado Warning! ⚠️ John Maclean’s samurai-Western actioner ‘Tornado’ hits 4K Ultra HD in JulyI went in expecting to love Tornado but left the cinema really disappointed!…
JJ Bona on THE FURIOUS PART II? A sequel to ‘The Furious’ already in the works as producer promises a bigger follow upWould definitely be interesting to see Bren Foster in a HK flick. They'd get…
Steve Marger on Martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock teams up with Tim Scanlon for SRS Cinema’s Blu-ray for ‘Ryan Carson’You don't know the budget and/or the time constraints that came with this mov…
Anonymous on Most posters ever award goes to THE FURIOUS! The highly anticipated martial arts thriller hitting theaters FridayEverything is inspired by things that came before. Hong Kong cinema itself wa…
-
Disclaimer: cityonfire.com does not own any of the photos contained in the blog. cityonfire.com was made merely to pay homage to these films, directors, talent, etc. and not for any profit or commercial reasons. No copyright infringement intended. The photos are copyrighted and courtesy by their respective owners.
“Copyright Disclaimer, Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statue that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, education or personal use tops the balance in favor of fair use.”
Category Archives: Reviews
Helios | aka Equator (2015) Review
Director: Sunny Luk Co-director: Longman Leung Cast: Jacky Cheung, Nick Cheung, Chang Chen, Shawn Yue, Janice Man, Wang Xue Qi, Ji Jin-Hee, Choi Si-Won, Yoon Jin-Yi, Lee Tae-Ran, Kim Hae-Sook, Mike Leeder Running Time: 119 min. By Paul Bramhall Directors Sunny Luk and Longman Leung team up once more for their sophomore effort, Helios. Looking to match the success of their surprisingly taut 2012 bureaucratic thriller Cold War, here they’re … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Chang Chen, Jacky Cheung Hok Yau, Janice Man, Longman Leung, Mike Leeder, Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Shawn Yue, Sunny Luk, Wang Xue Qi
Rurouni Kenshin (2012) Review
Director: Keishi Ohtomo Cast: Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei, Koji Kikkawa, Yu Aoi, Munetaka Aoki, Gou Ayano, Genki Sudo, Taketo Tanaka, Eiji Okuda, Yosuke Eguchi, Teruyuki Kagawa Running Time: 134 min. By Martin Sandison One of the most successful and critically acclaimed manga and anime’s of all time, Rurouni Kenshin’s fans were understandably worried about a live action version. Thankfully, those fans were in for a treat, and it works just … Continue reading
Retaliation (1968) Review
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe Writer: Yoshihiro Ishimatsu, Keiji Kubota Cast: Joe Shishido, Meiko Kaji, Hideaki Nitani, Tamio Kawachi, Eiji Go, Tatsuya Fuji, Jiro Okazaki, Shoki Fukae, Shoki Fukae, Kaku Takashina Running Time: 94 min. By Kyle Warner There are two primary types of yakuza film. The genre began with films about chivalrous gangsters. These classics depicted yakuza as outlaws, yes, but they lived by a code, they were often romantic, and … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Kobayashi, Jo Shishido, Meiko Kaji, Tatsuya Fuji, Yasuharu Hasebe
Invincible Armour (1977) Review
Director: Ng See Yuen Producer: Chor Yuen Cast: John Liu Chung Liang, Hwang Jang Lee, Tino Wong Cheung, Lee Hoi San, Philip Ko Fei, Corey Yuen Kwai, Yuen Shun Yee, Yuen Biao, Hsu Hsia Running Time: 101 min. By Matthew Le-feuvre The collaborative effort in reuniting two of the world’s most celebrated kicking technicians was no light work for independent producer, Ng See Yuen. His previous trendsetter The Secret Rivals … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Chieh Yuan, Corey Yuen, Hsu Hsia, Hwang Jang Lee, John Liu, Lee Hoi-Sang, Ng See-Yuen, Philip Ko Fei, Tino Wong Cheung, Yuen Biao
Shadowguard | aka The Blood Bond (2011) Review
AKA: The Blood Bond Director: Michael Biehn Co-director: Bey Logan Cast: Michael Biehn, Simon Yam, Phoenix Chou, Emma Pei, Jennifer Blanc, Xiao Keng Ye, Thomas Ho, Kenny Lo, Ridwan Amir, Michael Wong Mun-Tak Running Time: 86 min. By Paul Bramhall With the dawn of the DVD era, Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan quickly became known for his informative and knowledgeable audio commentaries, recorded for the Hong Kong Legends and … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bey Logan, Michael Biehn, Michael Wong Man Tak, Simon Yam
Postman Strikes Back, The (1982) Review
AKA: The Postman Fights Back Director: Ronny Yu Cast: Leung Kar Yan, Chow Yun Fat, Yuen Yat Chor, Fan Mei Sheng, Cherie Chung, Eddie Ko Hung, Brandy Yuen Jan Yeung, Chiang Cheng, Lee Fat Yuen Running Time: 88 min. By Paul Bramhall Postman Strikes Back is a unique entry in the Hong Kong action genre for a number of reasons. Set in 1913, it’s a movie which brings together elements … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, News, Reviews
Tagged Brandy Yuen Chun-Yeung, Cherie Chung, Chow Yun-fat, Eddy Ko Hung, Fan Mei Sheng, Leung Kar-Yan (Beardy), Ronny Yu
Admiral: Roaring Currents, The (2014) Review
AKA: Roaring Currents Director: Kim Han-min Cast: Choi Min-Sik, Ryu Seung-Ryong, Jo Jin-Woong, Kim Myung-Gon, Jin Gu, Lee Jung-Hyun, Kwon Yul, Ryohei Otani, Lee Seung-Jun, Kim Gang-Il, Jo Ha-Suk Running Time: 127 min. By Kelly Warner Admiral Yi Sun-shin is remembered as one of Korea’s greatest heroes. In the 1590s, Japan invaded Korea with the intention of conquering the country and expanding its empire. By 1597, the Japanese were winning … Continue reading
Wolf Warrior (2015) Review
Director: Wu Jing Cast: Wu Jing, Yu Nan, Scott Adkins, Kyle Shapiro, Ni Dahong, Zhou Xiaoou, Shi Zhaoqi, Deng Ziyi, Tian Miaomiao, Ma Qiang, Chris Collins, Shan Jiachen Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall After the lukewarm reception of Wu Jing’s 2008 directorial debut Legendary Assassin, 7 years on and 2015 sees him returning to the directors chair for his second feature, Wolf Warrior. While Legendary Assassin was very much … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Chris Collins, Scott Adkins, Wu Jing (Jacky Wu), Yu Nan
Rainy Dog (1997) Review
Director: Takashi Miike Writer: Seigo Inoue Cast: Show Aikawa, Blackie Ko, Xianmei Chen, Zhang Shi, Jianqin He, Tomorowo Taguchi Running Time: 95 min. By Martin Sandison Part of director Takashi Miike’s Triad society trilogy, Rainy Dog is a revelation; a quiet, slow moving meditation on innocence and the consequences of violence. Miike is of course synonymous with extreme cinema, especially his masterpieces Ichi The Killer and Audition. As much as … Continue reading
Saviour Monk, The (1975) Review
Director: Leung Chit Foo Producer: Chang Yan-Tao Cast: Doris Lung Chung Erh, Tong Wai, Philip Ko Fei, Chin Chi Min, Ma Cheung, Yuen Sam, Lee Ying, Tit Mang Chau Running Time: 87 min. By Paul Bramhall The Saviour Monk is a tricky movie to review – it looks, feels, and sounds like an old school kung fu movie. It has a cast which includes familiar old school faces like Doris … Continue reading
I Am Steve McQueen (2014) Review
Director: Jeff Renfroe Writer: David Ray Cast: Robert Downey Jr. (voice), Kristin Kreuk (voice), Chad McQueen, Gary Oldman, Zoe Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Randy Couture, Katherine Haber, Norman Jewison, Pat Johnson, Ali MacGraw Running Time: 90 min. By Kyle Warner “You never know with a Hollywood star whether you’re seeing the real person. You know, everyone said that John Wayne was a great hero but the reality is that John Wayne played great … Continue reading
Posted in Documentary, News, Reviews
Tagged Chad McQueen, Gary Oldman, Kristin Kreuk, Pat Johnson, Pierce Brosnan, Randy Couture, Robert Downey Jr., Steve McQueen, Zoe Bell
Typhoon (2005) Review
Director: Gwak Gyeong-Taek Writer: Gwak Gyeong-Taek Cast: Jang Dong-Gun, Lee Jeong-Jae, Lee Mi-Yeon, David McInnis, Chatthapong Pantanaunkul Running Time: 124 min. By HKFanatic From the opening of Typhoon, it’s clear that Korea is screwed. A rogue pirate named Sin (Dong-gun Jang) with a grudge against both the North and the South has amassed some weapons-grade plutonium. His big plan is to release it during a typhoon, when the high velocity … Continue reading
Posted in Korean, News, Reviews
Tagged Chatthapong Pantanaunkul, Jang Dong Gun, Kwak Kyung-Taek, Lee Jung-jae
Tiger Over Wall (1980) Review
Director: Tony Liu Jun Guk Producer: Alex Gouw Cast: Philip Ko Fei, Kong Do, Chu Tiet Wo, Hwang Jang Lee, Cheung Lik, Candy Wen, Chan Lau Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall There’s a certain familiarity to watching an old school kung fu movie, in that you tend to know exactly what you’re going to get. A villain has killed a teacher, and the student vows to get revenge. … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Cheung Lik, Chu Tiet Wo, Hwang Jang Lee, Kong Do, Philip Ko Fei, Tony Liu Jun Guk























6 Comments