Bodyguards and Assassins (2009)
Although the story of how Sun Yat-sen led a republican uprising which would eventually see the end of dynastic rule in China is quite well known, this highly romanticised and emotive film has been...
View ArticleGorgeous (1999)
Still sailing from the phenomenal success of his first major American hit (Rush Hour), Jackie Chan’s return to Hong Kong is an instantly forgettable rom-com designed as a cash cow for a Chinese New...
View ArticleCrime Story (1993)
Based on the true story of a businessman who was kidnapped twice and held for a $6m ransom, Jackie Chan (in a role initially offered to Jet Li) plays an impulsive cop sniffing out corruption in the...
View ArticleIp Man 2 (2010)
This sequel, which quickly follows on from the 2008 original and reunites much of the same cast and crew, is a seething post-war potboiler which substitutes the original film’s Japanese aggressors with...
View ArticleProfile: Jimmy Wang Yu
Date of birth: March 28, 1943 (Shanghai, China) Occupation: Actor, director, producer, screen writer Real name: Wang Zheng-quan Other names: Wang Yu, Wang Yue, Wong Yu-lung, Wong Jing-Kuen, Jimmy Wong...
View ArticleBig Trouble in Little China (1986)
Colourful cult excitement from fantasy maestro John Carpenter. Jack Burton (Russell) wants his truck back. It has been nabbed by a clan of creepy Chinese kung fu magicians deep in the heart of San...
View ArticleThe Black Sheep Affair (1998)
Pseudo political thriller that references both the Tiananmen Square protests and the Tokyo gas attacks of 1995, this disjointed escapade skims over any serious social commentary in favour of smoke and...
View ArticleBlade (1998)
Judging by the hyper violence, the tortured antihero and the gruesome horror, it is abundantly clear that the story of vampire hunter Blade came from a comic book. What’s on offer here, however, is...
View ArticleTaoism Drunkard (1984)
In the absence of Yuen Woo-ping, his brother Yuen Cheung-yan steps up to direct this third installment in the Yuen clan’s nutty Miracle Fighters series. The film retains the admirable insanity of the...
View ArticleBlade II (2002)
Incredibly silly and perfunctory sequel. This exchanges the substance of the original film with bigger, faster thrills – more gore, more CGI, more kung fu. Most of it seems completely unnecessary, and...
View ArticleThe Dragon, the Hero (1979)
“Dying time”, exclaims Phillip Ko in a ridiculously deep overdub as he rotates mini egg timers before pounding the life out of an unfortunate adversary. It’s all in the name of progress, apparently;...
View ArticleShanghai Knights (2003)
Shanghai Noon was the surprise comedy hit of 2000, which teamed the slapstick athletics of Jackie Chan with the dry wit of deadpan comedian Owen Wilson to remarkably good effect. A sequel was...
View ArticleSatan Returns (1996)
A misty, brooding horror comedy which deals – somewhat opaquely – with the creeping fear of Hong Kong’s impending Chinese takeover, depicting an unsettled police force tackling an alien presence...
View ArticleThe Holy Virgin vs. the Evil Dead (1991)
This perverted supernatural thriller is far too hyperactive to ever be suspenseful, despite leanings towards Sam Raimi’s schlock horror classic The Evil Dead, most notably in the film’s use of handheld...
View ArticleHeroes of the East (1978)
A light, domestic drama turns into a battle for national pride in this masterpiece from Lau Kar-leung – a wry, empathetic study into Chinese and Japanese fighting systems. Privileged kung fu student Ah...
View ArticleThe Blade (1995)
Tsui Hark’s bleak take on the 1967 Shaw Brothers classic, One Armed Swordsman. The savage beating of a Buddhist monk at the hands of a group of bandits acts as the film’s first foray into unpleasant...
View ArticleBlade of Fury (1993)
Blistering historical action from Sammo Hung who also cameos as a burly bodyguard. There’s a great tournament sequence, plenty of theatrics, political corruption and rapid-fire sword fights as Ti Lung...
View ArticleRush Hour 2 (2001)
This blockbuster sequel kicks off in Hong Kong, before flying back to Los Angeles and staging a grand finale in a Vegas casino. Lee (Jackie Chan) and Carter (Chris Tucker) return to their usual...
View ArticleThe Medallion (2003)
If you leave your brain ticking during this action romp then you’re heading for trouble. The story to this supernatural twaddle is completely unfathomable. Jackie Chan‘s talents are misused once again...
View ArticleNew Police Story (2004)
A calculated move from Jackie Chan, returning to the seminal franchise which made his name internationally in an attempt to regroup his initial fandom scarred – if only slightly – by a lackluster...
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