Action choreographer on Hero, House Of Flying Daggers, The Warlords and far too many others to mention, Tony Ching Siu-tung is back in the director’s chair for the first time in five years – but is this the triumphant return we were hoping for…? (more…)
A naff title but this potentially very interesting release sees action choreographer Ching Siu-tung return to the directors chair after many years of collaborations with Zhang Yimou (Hero, House Of Flying Daggers, The Curse Of The Golden Flower) and Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer). (No sign of a DVD with English subs yet!) Kelly Chan, Leon Lai and Donnie Yen star…
A solid, good looking action film with great fight sequences by choreographer Corey Yuen, but plot inconsistencies and a baffling conclusion don’t make the best for Chris Nahon’s live-action adaption… (more…)
Just another early 80s wire-fu movie – or at least it would be if not for the performances of leads Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh and some fine action from Ching Siu-tung… (more…)
Since 1999 Hong Kong Legends had released remastered versions of classics (relatively) old and new that had gained them an international reputation. But that wasn’t enough to keep them in business – why? (more…)
Derek Yee’s follow up to One Night in Mongkok, Protégé, is released on DVD today by Liberation Entertainment. You can read out review here »
And there’s still a chance to enter our giveaway competition to win one of three copies – but hurry, there’s just a few more days to go! Enter here »
Osamu Tezuka’s (Astro Boy) Dororo gets the live-action makeover, from director Akihiko Shiota, starring Memories Of Matsuko’s Kou Shibasaki, but spoiled a little by wishy-washy CGI and under-par action from legendary Ching Siu-Tung… (more…)
Directed by Wong Ching Po (A Decade Of Love; Mob Sister) and starring Andy Lau (A World Without Thieves; House Of Flying Daggers; Infernal Affairs), Jacky Cheung (Bullet In The Head), Shawn Yue (Dragon Tiger Gate; Initial D – Drift Racer; the Infernal Affairs trilogy) and Edison Chen (The Dark Knight; the Infernal Affairs trilogy), JIANG HU is a stylish gangster thriller.
Andy Lau stars as Triad boss Hung Yan-jau, whose celebrations to mark the birth of his first son are overshadowed by his having to intervene in an internal power struggle amongst his men. Despite the possibility of the situation exploding into all-out gang warfare, Hung is reluctant to take the extreme action advised by his long-time friend and closest ally, Left Hand (Jacky Cheung), who recommends the assassination of not only the troublemakers, but of all members of their immediate families. Claiming to have Hung’s best interests at heart, Left Hand takes it upon himself to order the elimination of those who threaten Hung’s position.
Meanwhile, a parallel storyline is unfolding involving two ambitious young gangsters, one of whom is hoping to climb the ranks within the criminal underworld by accepting a seemingly suicidal mission to murder one of Hong Kong’s most powerful Triad leaders…
A powerhouse cast of Hong Kong cinema’s finest actors helps propel Wong Ching Po’s dynamic thriller to a superbly stylised showdown on the city’s rain drenched streets and a climactic twist that brings the movie’s two plots together in a pleasingly dramatic finale.
JIANG HU (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£15.99) by Palisades Tartan on 30th November 2009. Special Features include: “Making of” featurette; music video; trailer; 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby Digital and 5.1 DTS Surround audio options; optional English subtitles.
The new film by director Derek Yee (One Night In Mongkok) and starring Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs) and Daniel Wu (One Night In Mongkok, Purple Storm) is released on DVD in the UK on 8 September by Liberation Entertainment.
A beautiful tale of romance and bitter betrayal, Zhang Yimou’s follow-up to Hero is even better… (more…)
Peter Chan’s take on the historical wuxia drama is far grittier and more grounded than we’re used to, with a fine performance by Jet Li that will surprise his critics – but do we really need another film like this? (more…)
One of the first films from the newly relaunched Palisades Tartan label – reborn from the legendary Tartan Films label, which went bust last year – is A World Without Thieves. Written and directed by Xiaogang Feng (Assembly; The Banquet), one of the most successful film directors in China, and starring Andy Lau (Three Kingdoms; House Of Flying Daggers; Infernal Affairs), Rene Liu (Double Vision; The Personals), You Ge (If You Are The One; Legend Of The Black Scorpion), Baoqiang Wang (Assembly; Blind Shaft) and Bingbing Li (The Forbidden Kingdom; The Knot), the film is billed as a thrilling crime caper with plenty of action and more than a hint of romance to spice things up.
Lau and Liu star as a master pickpocket from Hong Kong and a femme fatale grafter from Taiwan, respectively. Partners in crime and passion, they swindle their way across China until one day she suddenly decides to call it quits, both to her egregious lifestyle and to her entanglement with her lover. It is at this crossroads in their lives that they run into a humble peasant with a very large consignment of cash. It’s an encounter that will alter their fates forever…
A World Without Thieves (cert. 18) is released today on DVD (£17.99) by Palisades Tartan.
Director/action choreographer Ching Siu-tung’s solid if slightly disappointing movie An Empress and The Warriors is released on UK DVD today.
Starring an under-utilised Donnie Yen, Leon Li and Kelly Chen, it’s an historical melodrama. Yep, another one. And sadly it doesn’t delight in the way you might hope from the director of Hong Kong 80s and 90s classics like the Chinese Ghost Story and Swordsman series of films, or from his collaborations with Zhang Yimou – Hero, House Of Flying Daggers and Curse Of The Golden Flower.
You can read our full review of An Empress and The Warriors here »
Chen Kaige’s The Promise finally crawls its way on to UK DVD and Blu-Ray, courtesy of Momentum Pictures. Originally released way back in December 2005 and reviewed by us shortly afterwards, it failed to spark any interest from UK distributors despite being given a limited release in the US, France, Germany, Greece, Russia – in fact just about everywhere else! Unsurprisingly Chen’s attempt to follow rival Zhang Yimou into wu xia territory met with mixed reactions. Indeed the core story itself holds a neat fable with beautifully baroque costume design (pre-empting Yimou’s Curse Of The Golden Flower), but relies perhaps a little too heavily on CGI to make it all happen.
Sadly, this is a ‘bonus feature lite’ DVD release, and worse still, it’s the edited US release, running some 20 minutes shorter. Mind you, guess better to have it than not at all (?)
Also out today, Afro Samurai: Resurrection on DVD from Manga Entertainment.
Peter Chan’s The Warlords, starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kineshiro, is released in the UK on two-disc DVD and Blu-ray today by Metronome.
A worthy successor to director Derek Yee’s One Night In Mongkok with a fantastic performance by Andy Lau, but a lack of true menace in the film stops this just short of being a classic… (more…)
Protégé, the latest film by One Night In Mongkok and 2 Young director Derek Yee, is released on DVD by Liberation Entertainment on 8 September. To celebrate its release we have THREE copies to giveaway…! (more…)
Yet another historical drama, over blown, over acted and over long – but it’s still easily the best thing John Woo has done in a long time…! (more…)
Say what? Another two hours to find out how the Battle of Red Cliff actually goes? Is it worth it? Oh yes, all you John Woo fans out there, it really is… (more…)
Out today, Akihiko Shiota’s entertaining live-action update of the Dororo manga, by Astro Boy creator Osamu Tezuka – and there’s still a chance to win a copy on DVD…! (more…)
The latest Tsui Hark movie is more than a decent stab at a ‘wuxia’ movie in the wake of Zhang Yimou’s Hero and House of Flying Daggers – but does it fall short of being the epic he intended?… (more…)
A nicely played and well-directed swordplay film – but haven’t we seen it all before? (more…)
Director Zhang Yimou’s latest swordplay inspired movie is a visual delight, but this one won’t please the martial arts fans… (more…)
First Zhang Yimou made a film about the same subject as Chen Kaige had, now Kaige has followed Yimou by making a CGI led ‘wuxia pian’ movie – will these guys ever stop treading on each others toes?… (more…)
Peter Chan’s The Warlords, starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kineshiro, is on limited release in London and around the UK by Metrodome.
Ah, David, what’s all this White Crane business? Don’t you know you’ll always be Grasshopper to us…? (more…)
Palisades Tartan, the reborn imprint of the Tartan Films label, are offering a chance for two to attend their UK premiere of Park Chan-wook’s Thirst and meet the director in person… (more…)
We have three copies of the live-action version of Osamu Tezuka’s (Astro Boy) Dororo to give away on DVD… (more…)
