Blog Archives

The Three Swordsmen (1994)

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Posted on March 25, 2007 by Alison

Terrible. Just terrible. Impossible to understand, unless you think the massive conspiracy mentioned in the synopsis sabotaged the film-making. Even for a fan of Brigitte and Andy and Elvis, this one was really hard-going. Don’t risk it.… (read more)

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New Police Story (2004)

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Posted on March 11, 2007 by Alison

See Jackie laugh! See Jackie cry! See Jackie get drunk and throw up in the gutter!

New Police Story opens in a very unconventional way: the camera pans slowly, in loving and almost surgical close-up, over the stubbly, tear-stained face of the waking Inspector Wong. We know straight away that this is not going to be a humorous waking. There’ll be no knuckles in the mouth, horrified memories of the night before: “Did I really strip down to my underwear … (read more)

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The Last Blood (1991)

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Posted on March 11, 2007 by Alison

Fairly ordinary action piece with a less than credible premise, made more interesting by the presence of Andy Lau. Director Wong Jing does some terrible things to young Andy, including throwing him through a plate glass window, blowing things up near him, and generally treating him as he oughtn’ta be treated. Worth it for curiosity value only.… (read more)

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Initial D – The Movie (2005)

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Posted on March 11, 2007 by John Snadden

In the opening minutes of Initial D, we watch as a street legal sports car “drifts” down a narrow mountain road – the driver accelerating into the tight corners, then gliding around the glasslike hairpin bends. All shot under moonlight, this short sequence captures the sublime and surreal beauty of pure auto power.

Initial D was originally slated for Tsui Hark to direct, but early in the production he left the project and was replaced by Infernal Affairs directing … (read more)

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Dragon Tiger Gate (2006)

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Posted on March 11, 2007 by Eugene

‘BIF! KA-POW! CRASH!’

This is the comic book aesthetic viewed so fondly in retrospectives of those formative, younger years. Colourful garb and improbable science dominated those moments in the school yard in between those regularly scheduled beatings from the schoolyard bullies.

Such sentimental attachment brings a welling of emotion from within whenever there is a cinematic realisation of scenes previously locked in poses by the constraints of paper and ink — even in adaptations of source material that is otherwise … (read more)

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The Ghost (2004)

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Posted on March 11, 2007 by Ben Jennings

The Ghost, also known in English speaking parts as Dead Friend (its Korean title is Ryeong) isn’t just unimaginative in title: it’s an arrestingly shameless combination of Ring and Dark Water, with a cheesy M. Night Shyamalan ending tacked on for good measure. The “references” to Ring in particular are as unsubtle as the ones in Scary Movie except it seems to be played straight. You almost have to admire that.

You also have to admire that … (read more)

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Beast Cops (1998)

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Posted on March 3, 2007 by Mark Morrison

Modern cop drama with Anthony Wong playing the mildly corrupt cop who keeps a lid on things, Michael Wong as the uptight straight cop who’ll gun down a criminal regardless of the danger to the hostage, and Sam Lee as the skinny cop who always gets the goss. Most of Beast Cops is concerned with the interaction between the three cops, and the conflict between their way of walking the beat. Roy Cheung plays the local Big Brother who has … (read more)

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15 (2003)

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Posted on March 3, 2007 by Eugene

The general impression of Singapore is of an over-bearing, authoritarian city-state, whose citizens sacrafice certain civil liberties in return for an efficient and spotless metropolis

Like Hero, minor sacrafices for the greater good.

Unlike Hero, there is no nobility or glory in being an unwilling sacrifice.

15 is a film about being amongst those sacrifices. The juveniles unable or unwilling to fit in and be productive members of society are the central protagonists, operating in pairs, occasionally with … (read more)

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