Action Member: Ching Siu-Tung

‘The Blacksheep Affair’ is an exhilarating action film that firmly puts Vincent Zhao on the map as a possible successor to Jet Li.

With a clearly impressive budget and a star-studded cast, it is to be expected that the film is padded out and not always as engrossing as it should have been.

‘The East Is Red’ ends the popular series with a visual bang that pummels the viewer relentlessly. Unfortunately the exercise is very much one of style over substance and the overall effect is a bewildering one.

This is an average comedy film with little to make it stand out and viewers would be better advised watching ‘Diary Of A Big Man’ if they want to see one of Chow Yun-Fat’s comic roles.

‘The Fun, The Luck And The Tycoon’ is not hilarious or particularly side-splitting, but the humour is such that it hits the mark in a subtle manner.

It’s amazingly stylish with a brilliantly constructed story and some superb shoot-outs. If you call yourself an action movie fan then this one is going to be right up your alley!

In what could be described as a mixture of Indiana Jones and well-known Hong Kong film traits, ‘The Raid’ is a very entertaining 100 minutes of action/comedy.

Fairly tame fun that will easily appease the ADD generation who are hooked on special effects. Go into it with that frame of mind and it’s likely that you’ll find an adequate time filler.

During a period where comedy punctuated every kung-fu flick of the time, director Patrick Tam creates a very sombre martial arts drama and never allows the tension to drop.

The set pieces in general are nice, while the cinematography and the musical score do stand out but again, as a whole the film just doesn’t do what it says on the tin.

This is not a flashy costume drama or a CGI enhanced flight of fancy but rather a gritty, grimy and quite often, an in your face epic.

While it’s no great shakes ‘Wonder Seven’ will provide some nostalgia tinged enjoyment for those who miss the golden days of stunt filled Hong Kong action cinema.