A sort of TOO MANY WAYS TO BE NO. 1 scenario, condensed. First we get a story about a hitman who is sent undercover, then a title card, then another version of the same story but twisted into an offbeat slapstick version.

It's basically a nod to the two sides of Kitano's career, the crime/Yakuza films he is best known for outside Japan and the wacky comedies he is or was best known for at home, maybe a reflection on the different paths his life and career could have taken.

It clocks in at just over an hour long so barely qualifies for feature film status - a fact it remarks on itself, along with its lack of budget.

There doesn't seem to be any particularly deep or profound message behind it, just a whimsical little project with a meta-narrative. Definitely not going to be of interest to anyone who isn't already a Kitano fan.

A swordsman returns to his village to see his family and discovers that notorious bandits from Shantung are planning to ambush a security escort there the next day. He decides to stop them.

There isn't much more to the plot than that, at least in the version I saw, which barely tops 80 minutes even ing for PAL frame rate. There's no back story, no conspiracies or hidden identities, no betrayals... just a swordsman and some bandits, a bunch of waiting and some fights.

A minimal plot can be interesting if the characters are worth spending time with ... which is not really the case here. Chang Yi was never a charismatic actor and he doesn't instil his character with much personality. Some of the minor characters are more interesting, but none are around for very long.

The film peaks by the middle when various groups converge at an inn and each adds tension, but once the inevitable fight that ensues has concluded the film seems to have exhausted its ideas and drifts along until the final showdown.

Action is alright, but much of it is shot in dark environments that are basically indecipherable on the DVD. An open-handed fight between Chang Yi and Sammo Hung is the most interesting, nodding towards the contemporary shift towards kung fu, but the remainder of the film is firmly wuxia.

I normally rate Huang Feng amongst the best directors of martial arts films in the 1970's, but this film doesn't contribute positively towards that opinion. It's not terrible, but it is completely insubstantial.

The 14 Amazons

The Master And The Kid clearly owes a debt to LONE WOLF & CUB, thematically and stylistically - though it is much less bloody. I had the sense from the name that this would be a cheapo chop-socky kind of film and put off watching it for literal decades, but it is actually surprisingly artfully shot.

The opening sequence is particularly striking - the narrative setup is conveyed with fast cuts and minimal exposition, dialogue used like punctuation. The film has a strong visual style with dramatic use of lighting and framing that is reminiscent of Japanese Samurai films, whilst showcasing Taiwan's natural beauty to great effect.

The film maintains quite a dark, serious tone - Yueh Hua's character is earnest and grim, and whilst there are some delightfully extravagant villains, they are still very menacing and the world is one of violence and brutality, where life is cheap.

Action from Leung Siu-Chung is in the "shapes" style but quite technical, with lots of intricate attacks and blocks leading to t dislocations and bone-breaking. It's quite grounded at first but gets more extravagant as the film progresses, leading to a pretty extravagant showdown at the end (perhaps not with who you expect!).

All told this is a very likeable film, and I kind of wish I'd watched it 20 years ago - though I'm probably better equipped to appreciate it now.

INVINCIBLE SWORDSMAN is a new adaptation of Jin Yong's Laughing Proud Wanderer (The Swordsman Trilogy) written & produced by Wong Jing and featuring the mighty Sammo Hung!

It basically covers the same events as SWORDSMAN II, though with a few key differences and not at quite as manic a pace. There are some deliberate callbacks to the 1992 film, particularly musically, but the style is completely different.

The film is beautiful in a technical way, and the action basically answers the question "What if Ching Siu-Tung had had modern CGI and too much money?" - whilst impressive in its own way, it lacks the wild creativity-on-a-shoestring-budget of 90's Hong Kong wuxia.

I wonder how it will seem to someone who hasn't seen SWORDMAN II (preferably at least 3 times to absorb the plot). Would Kitty Zhang convey the twisted tragedy of Invincible Asia more or less if she didn't stir memories of Brigitte Lin's masterful performance at every turn?

Full review at The 14 Amazons

Raising Arizona is chock full of outrageous ideas and delivered with delightful whimsy, playful and absurd but anchored with a folksy charm. The characters are dumb as rocks on the surface, but Cage's internal monologue points to someone struggling to reconcile what he was taught life would be like with the world he finds himself in. How does one live when nothing makes sense? You do what you can.

A low budget entry in the Gong Tau genre started - as far as I know - by the Shaw Brothers film BLACK MAGIC, which went through a spell of popularity in the early 1980's. It was directed by Wilson Tong - villain or henchman in any number of kung fu films and director of the unsung classic GHOSTLY BUS.

The film doesn't lean into exploitation as much as some of its peers - the ladies all keep their kit on throughout, but there is some gleeful gore towards the end.

Looking at the cast and crew you might be expecting a martial arts film. There is some supernaturally enhanced violence but it's more stunts than fights. Chin Yuet-Sang does some acrobatic rituals but this is no ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND. The film avoids humour (though Melvin Wong having a diploma in Esoteric Studies from M.I.T. is hilarious) and plays it straight as a horror.

Despite the low budget, or perhaps even because of it, the film has style and atmosphere, with assured camera work that helps it overcome its other limitations - of which it has no shortage. A able enough time waster that fans of films like BOXER'S OMEN should moderately enjoy.

The Hurricane - also known as Gold Cyclone Whirlwind - is another early Golden Harvest wuxia film featuring Nora Miao and Patrick Tse, with Chin Chuan as a prominent third lead. Shek Kin and Stanley Fung play the most prominent villains, with director Lo Wei content to remain in his palace being served by beauties.

The script is pretty good, sticking to common themes but not entirely derivative or predictable. Nora Miao plays a hot-headed fighter akin to THE BLADE SPARES NONE, though her character here is not especially capable and she is definitely third fiddle to the male leads.

Action is less dramatic than in THE COMET STRIKES despite being choreographed by Chan Siu-Pang again. The fights are more grounded but the choreography is quite sophisticated - fighters are not just flailing their weapons around, but move with intention.

The film appears to be shot in Taiwan, based on a telltale appearance from Taroko Gorge. Cinematography from veteran Lam Kwok-Cheung is strong, making the film more artful than you might expect with Lo Wei in the director's chair.

Whilst the film doesn't have enough flair or a unique hook to rate amongst the classics of the genre, it is a film I can comfortably recommend to genre enthusiasts.

Full review at The 14 Amazons

Haven't seen this since the 90's, when it brought delight. Happy to affirm that it still does. The style owes much to Gilliam but it is deployed exquisitely, with that same precision and attention to detail. The over-the-top narrative is playfully absurd, but modulated by a genuinely touching human story riding it like a harmonic.

In the first ten minutes of the film Meiko Kaji manages to frame herself for murder, escape from prison and disappear to find the boyfriend who actually committed the crime. She discovers that he has returned to his home town, where his father is grooming him to take over his business so that he can pursue a career in politics.

Kaji's presence in the film is sporadic - she doesn't disappear completely but she's only glimpsed until the finale. Most of the film is spent with the small band of worn out hippies she belonged to and the hierarchy of corruption and small town conservatism that has taken her from them.

The group cling to their free-loving anti-authoritarian principles but it's clear that they are a dwindling anachronism, a smudge of colour that society seeks to exorcise in favour of a rigid structure of power and privilege. The hope and optimism that characterised the summer of love has almost vanished, replaced with a sense of resigned defeat.

Kaji's own story is minimal, she basically throws everything away for a hopeless love. Her friends don't really have any idea how to challenge entrenched power and violence with peace and love, and are ultimately left with nothing but stubborn defiance... oh, and a stash of dynamite.

Tatsuya Fuji brings some of the psychedelia and levity that he brought to the second film in the series, Wild Jumbo, but overall the mood is nihilistic. What hope of changing the world if you can't meaningfully challenge the authority of a handful of two-bit thugs in a provincial town?

The supernatural horror angle spices up The Comet Strikes and gives it more atmosphere than the average wuxia, whilst the busy plot and colourful characters keep it engaging between the plentiful fights.

Nora Miao is the lead, as in most of these early Golden Harvest films, with Patrick Tse as nominal co-lead but a less prominent role. A young Stanley Fung is the primary representative of the villain's side, though the main villain is eventually revealed to be the director himself.

It seems unlikely that Nora Miao's skills as a fighter had really improved as much as they appear to have in the four months since The Blade Spares None was released, so presumably Chan Siu-Pang just had better ideas for how to make her look like one. The choreography is quite frenetic, with a lot of wirework and plenty of undercranking, making the action exciting to watch. The finale is especially intense.

This is one of those rare films that makes you think "Wait - was Lo Wei good?", as it flows smoothly and has more style than he usually brings to the screen. It's clear he is in King Hu emulation mode though, taking liberal inspiration from both DRAGON INN and A Touch Of Zen. Of course, it is not on the same level as those classics.

For the first hour or so Mission Impossible has a standard wuxia plot, with a stolen sword serving as the McGuffin to send the heroes on a quest and to be attacked at every opportunity by groups of outlandish villains. The plot is pretty thin and not entirely coherent, but the action is plentiful.

If that's all the film was it would be a able time waster. The action is fun, featuring fanciful choreography with lots of trampolines and surprisingly dramatic undercranking for the period.

Things take a surprising turn in the final act though, with a twist so sharp as to constitute a change of genre. We are denied the conventional wuxia ending where the young heroes team up to mete out justice in a final showdown, but the villain still gets his comeuppance.

Ching Li gives the heroine a stately grace s quite different from the intensity of most contemporary swordswomen. Chen Hung-Lieh brings that elegant, smiling menace that he did so well to the chief villain, and is quite rightly billed as the co-star over Chiang Nam, who is a much less significant presence.

Joseph Kuo's direction is too superficial to fully do justice to the film but he does bring a fun style and energy. The execution is a bit too sloppy to give it an unqualified recommendation, particularly in the first half, but it does have enough that is unique to make it worth a watch for fans of the genre.

Full review at The 14 Amazons

Not as good as I ed it, but a fun comedy with a tardy but rousing chunk of martial arts in the final act.

The most interesting thing about Golgo 13 is how thoroughly it commits to being filmed in Iran, with Ken Takakura being the only Japanese cast member. The Iranian locations are beautiful, dramatic and atmospheric.

Unfortunately the film itself is rather dull. Golgo 13 is not an interesting character, and the assassin vs crime syndicate is developed with all the urgency of an afternoon nap.

Yes there are shootouts and explosions, a sprinkling of misogyny and a frightening number of moustaches, but it still feels like nothing much happens because there's no narrative tension.

This was one of the first Golden Harvest films, coming out just a few months after The Invincible Eight and also starring fresh new faces Nora Miao and James Tien, with Patrick Tse as their co-lead. It was directed by Teddy Yip, who would go on to direct the wuxia classic The Black Tavern for Shaw Brothers the following year.

The film is closer in style to a Shaw Brothers production than the Taiwan-shot Invincible Eight, mostly filmed indoors on a range of studio sets that can be quite impressive, with quite a lot of outdoor scenes as well.

The story by I Kuang has a number of somewhat unique elements that make the otherwise generic wuxia tale interesting to follow and not entirely predictable. Character dynamics are a strong focus, with what almost seems like a love triangle forming between Miao, Tse and Tien.

I Miao saying she basically applied to Golden Harvest as a laugh, so being cast as the lead actress in their first two films must have been quite an intimidating experience - particularly in an action-heavy wuxia where her twin swords make comparisons with Cheng Pei-Pei inevitable.

She definitely seems to be channeling Golden Swallow's intensity and fierce stare here, and to her credit she mostly pulls it off.

Unfortunately she is not much of a fighter and I kind of wished she'd been doubled more, as she struggles to convince as an indomitable swordswoman. The film's action is not that great anyway. There are some imaginative moves in places though, and it builds to a final act that delivers plentiful carnage.

Whilst The Blade Spares None doesn't come close to the delights of The Black Tavern it is a clear step up from The Invincible Eight, and showed that Golden Harvest could go toe to toe with Shaw Brothers when it came to wuxia productions.

Full review at The 14 Amazons

Another film that works on so many levels, not least of which is just making stop motion look so damned natural you forget that's what you're watching half the time.

I guess I should have researched this before watching it, as apparently it is considered a seminal film with a lasting impact on Indian cinema.

Compared to later RGV films like Satya, Company and Rangeela it feels primitive though - there is some interesting camera work and visual panache, but the story is not that deep and there are too many "Oh come on!" moments to really sympathise with the characters.

This was a young director honing his skills though, and the film has quite an indie vibe.

The film draws a direct line from school bullies to organised crime to political corruption, and essentially challenges the viewer to act - if you tolerate any of this it will proliferate until it seems unchallengable.

It also makes the uncomfortable point that the persuasive power of violence is hard to ignore. Those who are willing to cross that line have an undeniable advantage over those who are constrained by it. This isnt necessarily glorifying violence, and the film does not gloss over the costs that come with it - it is an observation that needs to be reckoned with though.

Strange film. Not even sure how to engage with it - the disted narrative drags you along with the protaganist into a strange world where the rules are never explained and the stakes are never clear. He seems to land on his feet, but I was still mostly lost and bewildered when the end credits rolled.

WELL, that was certainly something else.

Monkey Man seems a bit muddled, not quite sure how it wants to depict its main character and switching between different archetypes and paradigms without ever really establishing a clear framing for his journey of vengeance.

It's nicely shot, with lots of colour, though it does fall back on a generic orange and teal palette quite often - I'd have preferred it if the bolder, more distinctive colour schemes that some scenes offer were the default.

The action is suitably kinetic and bloody, showing that Patel and team have studied the form carefully and are content to emulate rather than innovate - which is a pretty sensible choice for a debut when others have elevated the craft to such a high standard.

When the writer and director is also the star it can't help feeling a little egotistical when he is on screen in basically every shot, unfortunately!

I'd been looking forward to this one for a while - an Indian film that draws comparisons with The Raid wasn't something I ever expected to see, but that's what we have here.

Like The Raid, Kill is a remarkably tight action film, with a straightforward and minimal setup that serves as the pad from which an escalating series of confrontations are launched, starting with a set of precise and efficient takedowns that lead to a series of reprisals that become increasingly desparate and brutal as people become injured, tired, angry and/or terrified.

The location is used well, the narrow corridors of the moving train turning from hiding places into traps into hunting grounds into a slaughterhouse as getting off the train alive starts to seem ever less plausible for both sides. The pristine, ordered environment becomes increasingly messy, dirty and claustrophobic as its occupants become increasingly feral.

The film does a surprisingly good job of showing the situation from both sides, with the extended family of bandits being more than just a numberless set of disposable thugs that a righteous hero can erase from the world without a thought. They have their own factions, and their deaths are mourned.

Making a (very) violent action movie to say that violence is bad could be a case of wanting to have one's cake and eat it, but the film actually remains quite neutral - the protagonist is ultimately neither celebrated nor condemned, really. It acknowledges the fact he has been responsible for a lot of death and trauma, at least some of which could probably have been avoided, in a way that action films rarely do.

The action is very well staged and filmed, making good use of the mechanics of bodies and the opportunities and obstacles provided by the environment.

Lead actor Lakshya does a great job and I look forward to seeing more of him - especially if he stays with interesting, ambiguous roles like this rather than the usual macho hero types.

Yeah, I liked this film a lot. It definitely feels like a landmark in Indian cinema, and it will be interesting to see if it remains an unusual outlier or opens new cinematic territory.

The fourth entry in the Stray Cat Rock series is another independent story with new characters, though the template is now familiar. The equilibrium of the city's low-level criminal underworld is disrupted by new arrivals, and the realignment causes instability that leads to collapse.

Yasuharu Hasebe directs again, but the style and directorial flair seems to toned down compared to SEX HUNTER - though the wardrobe department at least gives Meiko Kaji's iconic black hat a reprise.

Tatsuya Fuji plays a different sort of character this time, one of the relatively meek new arrivals, leaving the role of suave Yakuza boss open for Eiji Gō - whose distinctive looks and swagger fill it better, to be honest.

The story plays out without any major surprises. It has a clear setup, development and denouement but is more concerned with depicting a particular environment than narrative arc (I think this is a common feature of Japanese cinema).

If the series has a theme it's probably that the hedonistic attitude of the post-war youth in Japan is naive and prepares them poorly for life, which is rather nihilistic - but there is always the sense that the world would be a better place if it wasn't the case.

Review at The 14 Amazons

A fun little action movie. I haven't seen the original*, but I don't think it's massively necessary - this one gives you the context you need, and I don't imagine it was a particularly complex film.

The premise is pretty simple and not entirely coherent, but hangs together well enough to provide Scott Adkins with a series of unusual assassins who are trying to kill someone he must protect, though they seem more motivated by the opportunity to face off against him anyway.

It's reminiscent of a number of old school kung fu films where the hero must face a series of opponents with distinctive fighting styles. The choreography is more modern, naturally, and has a "made by professionals" feel - technical, competent and built around the performers' abilities.

The comedy mostly consists of irreverent banter with a bit of slapstick. The protectee is insufferably annoying, which I guess makes him more interesting than a damsel in distress or angelic beauty... but also very annoying.

Not a film that sets out to change the world, but an easy to watch chunk of well-executed action that will probably prove just as easy to forget.

* unless I have and completely forgot it.

Ballerina gets off to a bad start with a fight in a grocery store that features exceedingly erratic camera work and incoherent editing, and I was prepared for a film to be endured rather than enjoyed, but by the end it had won me over to a surprising degree.

First and foremost it is beautifully filmed, with gorgeous cinematography and lighting. Next the story is quite good - not original or profound, but handled very elegantly. It firmly believes in showing not telling.

Finally, the film redeems itself on the action front with a finale that is far more coherent and legible than the opener, and far more brutal and intense. It's much more important to end on a high than to start with one, as that's the experience you take home with you, and I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than let down when the end credits roll.

In a less crowded genre the film might merit a higher score, but it's competing with some heavy hitters.

On the other hand it's also a film I could comfortably recommend even to people who aren't action junkies as it is quite well-rounded, and clocks in at just 90 minutes (sans credits) so it's easy to digest.

The third film in the Stray Cat Rock series is another stand-alone entry, but with director Yasuharu Hasebe returning it feels closer in style to the original Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss than the intermediate Wild Jumbo.

Once again a stranger rolls into town and gets caught up in the affairs of a group of female delinquents led by Meiko Kaji, though it is not the same group and Meiko Kaji again plays a different character.

This time around their delinquency is at a higher level, with the girls involved in more serious crime and their Yakuza peers being more organised and ruthless. Rather than an androgynous biker it is a mixed race man who rolls/strolls into town and lights the fuse of trouble.

Tatsuya Fuji plays a suave Yakuza boss who has had issues with the American presence in Japan since soldiers raped his sister when he was a child. He sees Meiko Kaji as naturally being "his girl", so when she shows interest in the mixed race Kazuma his xenophobia ratchets up a notch and his gang start trying to force anyone whose blood is not "pure" to leave town.

Kazuma is a gentle man who just wants to find his sister, but his tolerance just makes him more attractive to Mako, and therefore even more intolerable to the Yakuza - involuntarily setting everyone on a path towards tragedy.

Sex Hunter is a cut above both the earlier films, with a sharper script and higher production values. The cinematography and editing is stylish, closer to what you might expect from Japanese cinema of the early 1970's based on films like Female Convict Scorpion.

To the best of my knowledge this is where Meiko Kaji can first be seen in the iconic floppy-brimmed hat that became an essential part of her image following the Scorpion films - paired here with a sharp waistcoat that makes her seem infinitely more stylish than anyone else in her orbit. Her laconic attitude helps to cement the impression of a cool and aloof character whose commanding presence never the less leaves no doubt who is in charge.

Later films would amplify Meiko Kaji's stature and status enormously, we see here the first shoots of the legend begin to sprout.

Review at The 14 Amazons

Finally relented and resubscribed to Netflix (temporarily) so that I can watch Timo's latest. The Shadow Strays feels like a logical progression from The Night Comes For Us and The Big 4, with a Highly Trained Professional vs. psychopathic gangsters plot that isn't original but does to develop its characters, through a succession of action sequences that escalate in scale and ambition throughout the course of the film.

The copious action brings the technical skill and visceral vision you'd expect, putting its young star and the ing cast through an intense ordeal, soaked in blood and brutality. Things get damn savage.

Whilst the film could be described as dark it does soften the violence with some levity, mainly from its sometimes ludicrous villains and the gleefully extravagant moments of gore.

My only complaint is that the film is too long, though it can't be said it overstays its welcome or gets even slightly boring - indeed the time flew by faster than it has with a number of much shorter films I've watched recently. It's just that I am hoping that the era of 2h20m films is coming to an end because it is hard to find the time for them, and this could have been two great films instead!

A group of largely aimless delinquents who call themselves The Pelican Club hang about having fun and being kind of stupid, until a mysterious and wealthy woman seduces one of them and proposes a plan.

Wild Jumbo is the second film in the Stray Cat Rock series, but it is not strongly connected to the first. Meiko Kaji and Bunjaku Han return as new characters, whilst Akiko Wada gets a "guest appearance" credit but only appears in recycled footage from Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss.

The film seems as lacking in purpose as the characters it depicts for much of the runtime, drifting between a series of random vignettes and escapades which see the gang being more or less harmless but happy, despite occasional scuffles with a rival gang. It is well past the half way mark when the "plot" is finally introduced, and the previous escapades turn out not to be entirely random in hindsight.

The third act is pretty fatalistic, showing that once the gang are given a goal their carefree enjoyment of life evaporates and they are propelled down a path that is doomed to end in tragedy.

No doubt there is social commentary here, reflecting the disollution of the free-spirited hedonism of the 1960's post-Woodstock. This little collective are badly prepared for their encounters with the wider world, their naivety and hope providing little protection against the harsh realities of modern life. It is not a point strongly made though.

Meiko Kaji's character is a bit peripheral to events, and it seems odd that none of the group show any acknowledgement of the fact she is the gang's only female member - I wonder if the character was originally written as male, and only loosely adapted when she was cast and the film became a Stray Cat Rock "sequel"?

As a little document of the era, Wild Jumbo is fine... the characters are likeable enough for hanging out with them for 84 minutes to be pleasant, and the ending creates some sense that there was a point to the experience. It's not particularly essential - but it does have Meiko Kaji in a bikini, and I suspect that for many that will be enough.

Review at The 14 Amazons

It's quite hard to keep track of all the "Girl Boss" films Japan produced in the early 1970's, but quite easy to that the Stray Cat Rock films are the ones with Meiko Kaji in. This is the first one, and is co-headlined by Akiko Wada, who probably gets the better character and story.

The film is quite staid compared to films that would come out in the following years such as FEMALE PRISONER 701: SCORPION, but it has some groovy period style and colourful characters. The scenes where they are just hanging out in the nightclub while some geeky young bands play music are kind of the highlight.

Whilst the story is quite dramatic on paper, something about the execution means that the film itself is not - there isn't much tension, even in situations that seem like they ought to be tense. It's perhaps because it flits between characters, never letting the viewer fully bond with any of them, so we feel like detached observers as events spiral out of control.

Couldn't possibly exaggerate how much my social group at high school idolised Christian Slater after seeing this.

The Secret Rivals 2 continues with the "low budget, minimal star power, lots of action" formula, swapping out Wong Tao for Tino Wong (a more or less neutral move) and using the "twin brother" trick to bring Hwang Jang-Lee back as the main villain again.

This film can basically be summarised as "a bunch of guys fight each other for some reason". Ng See-Yuen tosses a few plot-shaped crumbs our way, but if it was just somebody saying "I don't like the look of your face" every time two parties encountered each other the film wouldn't be substantially different.

The fighting is fierce and showcases the different styles and strengths of the participants, most notably John Liu's mighty kicks once more. There's nothing overly flashy or over the top, relying on the performers' natural talents.

I've heard this film mentioned many times over the years, usually in the context of "films that are a bit much". Indeed it is! The cast spend much of the film naked and abused. It is an uncomfortable look at the dehumanising ordeals that people with no legal status can be subjected to.

The film can reasonably be accused of exploitation, with many gratuitous shots of nudity (mostly but not exclusively female), but there is nothing erotic about it. Instead, the nudity serves to vividly show the dehumanisation the characters are subjected to. They have no more rights or status than animals in the eyes of their captors.

Apart from a few familiar faces in the roster of bad guys much of the cast seem to be one-time actors... I can see how the experience would not particularly lead one to think "this is something I'd like to do regularly". Or once, really... I wonder if they really knew what they were getting in to.

Review at The 14 Amazons

A semi-official entry in the MIRACLE FIGHTERS pseudo-series, which has slightly less in common with the other films than they have with each other - most notably, it was directed by Chen Chi-Hwa rather than one of the Yuen Clan (though they provide the action choreography) and Yuen Cheung-Yan's Granny character is nowhere to be seen.

Other than that it ticks most of the boxes - Yuen Yat-Choh is learning Taoist kung fu and generally annoying his seniors. He meets Hilda Liu on an unauthorised excursion, and gets sucked into her conflict with an Evil Clan whose leader is learning kung fu magic to dominate the martial world.

That side of the plot probably only exists because it's conventional to have an antagonist and the trope is as good as any - with the added bonus of a bit of a romance angle. Most of the film is just one misadventure or another until the inevitable showdown.

From the title I was expecting this to be a kid's film, but it turns out to be no more so than any of the other films... perhaps even marginally less so. It never quite reaches the surreal heights of Taoism Drunkard and co., but it does have some pretty inventive set pieces. It perhaps shares the middle ground between those feats of lunacy and Taiwanese wuxia such as Thrilling Bloody Sword.

As an excuse to explore creative action design and interesting cinematic tricks, and to generally have a bit of fun, the film is a success.

Review at The 14 Amazons

Quirky dark comedy about a couple of perpetual losers who inadvertently learn something about their boss's private life that they would really rather not know, and for good reason.

It's a very slow film, in absolutely no hurry to deliver a denouement, just letting itself be carried along on the vibes.

It pulls off a delicate balance between expressing sympathy for the plight of the disposessed of a social underclass and contempt for the ruling class without falling into "nobility of poverty" tropes, with faintly sketched but well rounded characters.

One of those films I've had for over 20 years and never quite got around to watching. Not sure why, I like Bigas Luna and I like Piano Magic so it shouldn't be a hard sell. I think I had it mixed up with THE SEA INSIDE for a while, which sounds kind of depressing (still haven't seen that either).

Actually I can't if I discovered Piano Magic via the film or vice versa, but either way I listened to the soundtrack long before watching the film.

Anyway, on to the film itself... I don't have much to say about it. It's of its era, takes itself a bit too seriously, never really confronts the central detail of its plot and has a fair amount of knobbing.

I can't really get behind these ion tales, it's all a bit egoistical. Just... grow up, get over yourselves.

There are few things in life that leave me as cold as football, but few things in life that bring me as much joy as Yuen Biao in a film by the Yuen Clan, so THE CHAMPIONS presented something of a dilemma. Thankfully a fresh faced Moon Lee tips the scales enough to make watching the film seem conceivable. Well, that and the fact that SHAOLIN SOCCER is one of the greatest films I've ever seen, and this is clearly in the same, err, ballpark.

I've been apprehensive about watching it for decades, but people assured me that liking football isn't a prerequisite for enjoying it. In fact there's a lot of fun to be had here, on and off the pitch. It's pretty goofy and generally good-natured, despite some egregious cheating, bullying and violence. The tone stays up-beat and the film plays up Yuen Biao's impish charm.

Cheung Kwok-Keung is a good sidekick for him, and Dick Wei an excellent foil. Moon Lee's role in the film is a bit nebulous - after a prominent contribution early on she fades into the background and has no real presence in the second half of the film.

The plot basically follows the rules, delivering the appropriate rises and falls in fortune that are expected in a sports film, with appropriate messages about teamwork and fair play or what have you - well, maybe they're just implicit in the genre.

The football matches are entertaining, featuring some of the kind of kung-fu inspired ball play you might expect but mostly sticking to what I take to be authentic football. The highlight of the film is actually a kung-fu inspired Tango, with Dick Wei and Cheung Kwok-Keung engaging in surreptitious competition on the dance floor.

Reviewed at The 14 Amazons

THE INVINCIBLE EIGHT is mostly noteworthy for being the first Golden Harvest production, an ambitious venture by the fledgeling studio to challenge Shaw Brothers dominance of the lucrative wuxia genre. You can tell they didn't have Shaw's resources to work with - in fact it feels closer to the Taiwanese wuxia from Union Films... mostly because it was clearly filmed in Taiwan using sets and cast seen in many of their films.

It's tempting to describe the cast as "all-star", but many of them only rose to prominence later. It was the debut for Nora Miao and perhaps Angela Mao, and James Tien had only really been in bit parts previously, so it's more like a launching pad for the new slate of talent Golden Harvest had signed.

Lo Wei is in the director's chair, which is never a good sign, and the film suffers from his typical weaknesses - lack of distinctive style, generally a bit slapdash. I guess he was reliably mediocre at least, and since the company was new they probably put a on reliability.

Han Ying-Chieh and Sammo Hung share the action choreographer credits, also a reliable pair but at this point Sammo was clearly the junior partner and perhaps hadn't really begun to formulate his ideas for refreshing the approach to filming martial arts in a more impactful way.

The film doesn't have much going for it other than historical signficance - It's a pretty bog-standard wuxia, far below the best of the genre, a little more robust than the worst examples. Apparently this film helped convince Bruce Lee to sign with Golden Harvest instead of Shaw Brothers, so it certainly cast a long shadow despite its lack of substance.

There is no reason to see the film unless you're interested in it from this angle, or just really want to watch anything with Angela Mao in it (fair).

There aren't many kung fu films where the hero defeats the bad guy in the first 10 minutes, but Mar's Villa dares to do it. Unfortunately it's all downhill from there on - for him, at least. His disappointed wife chastises him for not adhering to the values of patience and tolerance that she married him for and then some upstart young punk turns up wanting to challenge his famous magic kick.

This is very much an indie kung fu film after all, but the story was seemingly more of a focus than is usually the case and it takes some interesting turns, which makes the stakes feel that much higher when it does come down to the many brawls and duels in familiar settings.

The action is high calibre too, choreographed by Tung Wai, who co-stars alongside John Liu and (to a lesser extent) Philip Ko. These dudes knew what they were doing, and keen to demonstrate it.

The film serves as a strong example of what indie kung fu films could do well, and also of their limitations. There are no lavish sets and costumes, no fancy camera work or artistic flair, the resources clearly weren't available for it even if the ambition was (which is in itself unlikely). These dudes were here to throw down, but they did at least that a fight scene works so much better if the audience is invested in the outcome.

The bluray from TVP is really good - great picture quality and original Mandarin audio, with at least able English subs.

This is a film I've always wished I liked more - on paper it should be a banger, Jet Li at the peak of his career with Chin Siu-Ho and Michelle Yeo, and Yuen Wo-Ping directing. On screen, not so much.

I think the main problem is that the character is a poor fit for Jet, and you can tell he doesn't really know how to play him. As a result he never really feels like a person, and it's hard to have any emotional connection with him. This reaches a nadir in the "crazy" section which is positively cringe, and makes it hard to stay engaged with the film.

To be fair none of the other characters are anything other than paper-thin, so I guess the writer and director are at fault too. Yuen Wo-Ping certainly can't escape taking blame here as the direction is pretty weak all around, with no real style or panache.

This is a problem for the action, which features some imaginative choreography that leans hard on gimicky wirework, as it is filmed and edited in a rather lifeless way that makes it feel insubstantial.

Poor dubbing, even in the original Cantonese, hurts the film too - frequently out of sync with the actors performances, which adds an extra barrier to establishing any kind of connection with the characters.

That's not to say there's no fun to be had here, the action is pretty wild in that early 90's Hong Kong "anything goes" way, and there is plenty of it. There are plenty of worse examples - it's just that the talent involved sets expectations high, and it falls short by that standard.

The first half of this is pretty good, a sordid little story with some interesting characterisation, but it seems to go off track in the second half, becoming more episodic and expository.

This love letter to the golden era of Hong Kong action cinema has been highly anticipated. The early 1980's setting harkens back to the days when Hong Kong was truly top of the world when it came to action films thanks to the dedication and determination of a generation of film-makers who loved the genre.

Times have changed and the industry is a shadow of its former self, releasing maybe a couple of films a year that generate a buzz. Obviously much has changed socially and economically as well.

In TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS the legendary status of an older generation casts a long shadow on the present day, their mythical antics still provide the framework by which people understand their world. But nothing lasts forever.

"Look while you still can. Hong Kong changes in the blink of an eye"

The film acknowledges that the past is gone, those days are never coming back - but maybe something new can rise in its place.

The film doesn't try to recreate 1980's Hong Kong cinema but tries to capture something the same spirit. The action is over the top and hyper-kinetic but it embraces modern cinematic techniques.

The result is a mixed bag with some shots that are spectacular and some that fall flat. Overall it is pretty thrilling though.

It's great to see Sammo on screen again even if he is not able to participate in the action much, and I have no complaints about the younger cast . I guess I've accepted that Louis Koo has to be in everything for some reason, but what on earth is Richie Jen doing here? An actual action star like Yuen Biao, Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen would have been better - or perhaps Kara Hui as a twist.

Maybe this is just me being stuck in the past though, which - as the film tried to tell me - is not going to bring it back. Focus instead on the new potential action stars, and look forward to seeing where life takes them.

Full review at The 14 Amazons

HITMAN was Jet Li's last Hong Kong film before moving to the USA, and is noteworthy for being shot in sync sound - making it the first time local audiences had heard Jet's real voice. He was typically dubbed not so much because he couldn't speak Cantonese as because his mainland accent sounded rural and uncultured to Hong Kong ears, not fitting for the hero types he usually played. It was, however, just what his character here needed.

The Hong Kong film industry was struggling in 1998, having lost a lot of talent and with investment hard to find in an uncertain economic environment following the handover. Hitman feels like a deliberate effort to produce a high quality film to prove that it could still be done.

It starts with a well written script featuring a balance of humour and pathos and strong characterisation. Production values are high and it comes together quite nicely. It's not too action-heavy but there are a number of scenes that showcase a variety of action styles with thoughtful choreography and staging.

The assassination sequences seem to be reclaiming some of the debt that LEON owed to Hong Kong cinema - a fact tacitly acknowledged by Jet's brief appearance dressed as Leon when trying on outfits at a tailor.

Tung Wai can hardly be accused of copycatting with his credentials though, which include co-choreographer of A BETTER TOMORROW. Taking inspiration from good work is perfectly respectable, and he adds plenty of his own ideas and style.

Eric Tsang was going through a strong spell as a dramatic actor in the late 90's. He imbues his character with a balance of bravado, weasly dishonesty and reluctant sincerity that makes him a great match for Jet Li's simpler character. Gigi Leung provides strong and a dash of glamour.

There is a lot to like about Hitman but it is missing a certain something to place it amongst Jet Li's classics. Possibly because it's quite an understated film. That oughtn't be a negative, but it means it doesn't leave quite as much of an impression as the more extravagant films of the early 90's.

(full review at The 14 Amazons

Shaw Brothers films, ranked by how much I liked them

1. Heroes of the East
2. Come Drink with Me
3. Clans of Intrigue
4. Human Lanterns
5. The 14 Amazons
6. The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter
7. Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan
8. The One-Armed Swordsman
9. Five Fingers of Death
10. Clan of the White Lotus

...plus 259 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Takashi Miike films, ordered by how important it is you should watch them.

1. MPD Psycho
2. Gozu
3. Audition
4. Visitor Q
5. The City of Lost Souls
6. Rainy Dog
7. Zebraman
8. Blues Harp
9. Dead or Alive
10. Dead or Alive 2: Birds

...plus 62 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Films released in 2022 that I particularly enjoyed

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once
2. RRR
3. The Big 4
4. The Princess
5. Athena
6. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
7. Alienoid

Eternally mystified why Sabu isn't as well known as Miike, Kitano or Tsukamoto outside Japan, and why his films are so hard to find ( has the most releases, often with English subs).

1. Drive
2. Monday
3. Miss ZOMBIE
4. Postman Blues
5. Dancing Mary
6. Chasuke's Journey
7. Mr. Long
8. Happiness
9. Bunny Drop
10. Jam

...plus 7 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My nominations for the ten greatest films of all time, as of 2022. Films that advanced the medium, redefining what cinema could be.

1. Fireworks
2. My Sassy Girl
3. Once Upon a Time in China
4. Shaolin Soccer
5. Encounters of the Spooky Kind
6. Swallowtail Butterfly
7. The Machine Girl
8. The City of Lost Children
9. Duel to the Death
10. The Raid

A list of the best examples of the martial arts genre.

1. The Blade

   Tsui Hark reinvents the martial arts genre... again

2. Fist of Legend

   The fight choreography and execution are unmatched for a grounded martial arts film

3. Once Upon a Time in China

   The ladder fight redefined the genre, but the fight in the rain is the one I have the most love for.

4. The Prodigal Son

   Sammo Hung took the traditional martial arts film about as far as it could go.

5. Heroes of the East

   The pinnacle of traditional martial arts films, a flawless showcase of skill.

6. The Raid

   The brutal fights in this film were a system shock that spawned a wave of imitators.

7. Ong Bak

   Hong Kong had all but stopped making martial arts films in the early 2000's, so Thailand stepped up and kick started a new wave of gritty fight films.

8. Drunken Master II
9. Duel to the Death

   Delerious and delicious fun, if there was any doubt the New Wave was a real thing, this film put it to rest.

10. The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter

    A ferocious Swan Song for Shaw Brothers and the old school kung fu genre.

...plus 22 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Having watched or rewatched all his films in the past 12 months (ish), here's where they fall for me.

1. Volver
2. All About My Mother
3. The Skin I Live In
4. Law of Desire
5. Pain and Glory
6. What Have I Done to Deserve This?
7. Matador
8. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
9. Live Flesh
10. High Heels

...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My Top 50 films that have less than 500 views logged on Letterboxd at the time of writing.

1. Odd Couple
2. Drive
3. Zakhm
4. The 14 Amazons
5. Clans of Intrigue
6. Enemy At The Dead End
7. Bangkok Loco
8. Have Sword, Will Travel
9. The Rebel
10. Saviour of the Soul

...plus 40 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Films directed by Wong Kar-Wai, ranked.

1. Ashes of Time
2. Chungking Express
3. Fallen Angels
4. Days of Being Wild
5. As Tears Go By
6. Happy Together
7. In the Mood for Love
8. 2046
9. The Grandmaster