TNT Jackson (1974)
Diana ‘TNT’ Jackson (“she’ll put you in traction”) flies to Hong Kong on the hunt for her missing brother who was killed by a squabbling gang of multicultural drug pushers. “I’m gonna find them, and...
View ArticleThe Man from Hong Kong (1975)
Nationally celebrated as the first Australian martial arts film, this was also the first Australian-Hong Kong co-production, produced at the height of the international kung fu boom and during a mass...
View ArticleInfernal Street (1973)
Taiwanese chopsocky which owes a debt to Fist of Fury and follows a similar anti-Japanese hysteria in which plucky Chinese boxers battle against an intimidating foreign force. The Japanese are intent...
View ArticleBlack Mask (1996)
The 701 Squad are a team of emotionless super killers equipped in the latest fashion accessories and martial mod cons. Their shady leader plans to use the assassins to wipe out every drug baron in Hong...
View ArticleThe Raid 2 (2014)
Gareth Evans’ expansive, delirious and captivating sequel to The Raid: Redemption is undoubtedly one of the best fight films of modern times. Instead of simply rehashing the unique gimmicks and quirks...
View ArticleLethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Detective Sergeants Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover) return to the familiar buddy cop formula determined to prove they’re “not too old for this shit” by tracking down a ruthless pact of Chinese...
View ArticleChinese Heroes (2001)
Primitive chopsocky, the sort of mangled narrative and small budget slapdashery you would expect from a film of a different era. A crucial government paper, a revenge motive, a beggar with expert kung...
View ArticleThe Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Filmed back-to-back with the second sequel, Revolutions, and with a combined budget of $300 million, this high concept follow up is like looking at the first film through a magnifying glass, or a pair...
View ArticleWriting Kung Fu (1979)
Bolo Yeung‘s first and only film as director is a messianic allegory, a deep, unsettling study on the rich-poor divide, and a testament to faith in a world corrupted by wealth and power. There is a...
View ArticleThe Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
The Mummy franchise limps over the finishing line with a heave and a groan, much like the walking dead these films helped to popularise. The second sequel runs out of steam long before it even gets...
View ArticleBorn to Defence (1986)
Jet Li‘s first and (so far) only film as director and star is a muddled Second World War drama which sees the young hero return from the front line – where he has been killing Japanese soldiers in a...
View ArticleDragon Fight (1989)
A great 80s Jet Li curiosity with chunky mobile phones, big jackets and synthesised mood music. Filmed in San Francisco (the Golden Gate Bridge is crow-barred into nearly every shot) but produced the...
View ArticleX-Men (2000)
An exciting fantasy film based on the popular Marvel comic books and its subsequent cartoon spin off. Aficionados may cast a critical eye over this big budget adaptation but for the most part it is...
View ArticleX2 (2003)
This X-Men sequel kicks off with an assassination attempt on the US President. A blue-skinned teleporter high kicks his way through the walls and ceilings of the White House only to be denied at the...
View ArticleX-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
With Bryan Singer’s absence, Brett Rush Hour Ratner steers this exciting franchise off course. The film promises much but delivers a flat script and a succession of disappointing conclusions. In...
View ArticleRed Heroine (1929)
Between 1927 and 1931, around 400 silent martial arts films were made in Shanghai. This is the only one that remains. As a result, there is a distinct possibility this may be the oldest surviving...
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Interview: Leon Hunt
In 2003, Leon Hunt published Kung Fu Cult Masters: From Bruce Lee to Crouching Tiger, his definitive study on a much maligned film genre. Over a decade later and the ‘cult’ surrounding the kung fu film...
View ArticleX-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Wolverine’s past is riddled with grief, conflict and insecurity. Born a 19th century mutant boy named Jimmy with extendable blades protruding from his knuckles, he kills his real father when he loses...
View ArticleThe Story of Wong Fei-hung Volume 1: The Whip that Smacks the Candle (1949)
The long-running series of black and white Wong Fei-hung films starts here; perhaps the first traditional kung fu movies in terms of genuine martial arts study and focus, in contrast to the...
View ArticleThe Story of a Discharged Prisoner (1967)
A feisty, swinging 60s crime film from Hong Kong, the inspiration for the John Woo classic A Better Tomorrow. Patrick Tse plays a cool safe cracker struggling to readjust to civilian life after 15...
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