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Heroes Shed No Tears (1986)
Made in 1983, this was shelved, then released in 1986 to cash in on the success of A Better Tomorrow. For about one minute it’s a good film. Unfortunately, there’s 84 more minutes, none of them remotely good.
This is regarded as Woo’s first stumbling step in the Heroic Bloodshed genre, and he’s disowned this because the studio added soft core sex and extra gore without his approval. If it were mine, I’d disown it out of sheer embarrassment. … (read more)
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The Grudge 2 (2003)
It’s said that misery loves company: so, apparently, do dead people. There’s no other reason I can think of for their burning desire to kill off as many bystanders as possible, with a plethora of dramatic effects.
I can imagine it’s not a bundle of laughs hanging around in the afterworld when you can’t stand up, there’s no alcohol, and you’re dressed for all eternity in your shift. And while I can share the selfish notion that if I’m miserable, … (read more)
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Full Alert (1997)
This sensational heist flick comes your way from the fevered brain of director Ringo Lam. In my opinion, he never quite topped his 1987 grand slam of City on Fire, School on Fire and Prison on Fire — that is, until this picture.
Lam leaves aside the more pyrotechnic aspects of the Hong Kong crime genre to weave a claustrophobic account of a policeman’s (Lau Ching Wan) obsession to catch a thief (Francis Ng). Lam brings off not only … (read more)
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Expect the Unexpected (1998)
This is one of the bleak new wave of post-Handover HK crime films which include Full Alert, Beast Cops and A True Mob Story. Like those films, the characters here are very Hong Kong, but in a Hong Kong the place sense rather than a Hong Kong the movie myth sense. The opening is dynamite. Three inept Mainland robbers botch a jewel store holdup. One of them flees into a nearby apartment building, inadvertently leading the police to … (read more)
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Fong Sai Yuk (1993)
Some generally splendid movies have one incredibly creative fight scene that will firmly lodge itself in the memory of those who view them. With Wing Chun, it’s that which has Michelle Yeoh defending a tray of tofu against a male chauvinist pig of an opponent and sending it where no tray of tofu has ever gone before or since. With Dragon Inn, it’s the duel that starts off with Maggie Cheung interrupting Brigitte Lin’s bathing and involves Ms. … (read more)
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Dr Wai in the Scripture With No Words (1995)
This is a delight, as you’d expect from Ching Siu Tung, the director of Swordsman 2 and all three Chinese Ghost Story films.
The film is neatly split between fantasy and reality. In the real world, pulp writer Chau (Jet Li) is morose at his impending divorce with Monica (Rosamund Kwan). His idea box is empty, but he has a deadline to finish the latest thrilling instalment of Doc Wai, the Adventure King. He writes for a bit, but gives … (read more)
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Drive (2002)
Sabu deserves to be much more famous than he is: he’s a master of coincidence comedy, he has a soft spot for the underdog, and his storylines go where no storyline has gone before.
We’re introduced to our uptight hero straight up, via his doctor explaining the cause of his headaches. Yet another Sabu salaryman, whose parents suicided and left him, whose job is unfulfilling, and whose personal life is non-existent, is the victim of tension headaches. No, really? His … (read more)
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The Death Curse (2003)
Let’s not beat around the bush. This film is a Star vehicle for our lovely little Canto-pop stars, Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung aka Twins so that alone lends itself to somewhat low expectations. Which is odd because their two previous cinematic outings together, Just One Look and The Twins Effect, have actually been quite a bit of fun to watch. So is The Death Curse third time unlucky?
Well no, not really. Like The Twins Effect we have … (read more)
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