Author: Andrew Saroch

‘Undercover Hidden Dragon’ is better than the past few Ronald Cheng films, but not as consistently entertaining as ‘Super Model’, perhaps the benchmark for his comedy.

‘Unbowed’ allows the suspense and fascination connected to the case to grow organically, helped immeasurably by the outstanding performances of Ahn Sung-Ki and Park Won-Sang.

‘Ultracop 2000’ is a risible film which attempts to be an action, comedy, fantasy film, but fails miserably on all counts.

Sammo completists or very forgiving genre fans may want to exert the effort to find this relatively rare film, but even they will come away disappointed.

What starts off in a very prosaic and none too exciting manner quickly develops into another winning entry in the Venoms’ pantheon.

‘Twins Mission’ is a messy affair with a few bright spots to help the 90 minute running time ease past.

As Donnie Yen says at the film’s conclusion “The future is in the hands of these young people” – on the evidence of ‘Twins Effect II’, this isn’t a comforting thought.

Nominated for an Academy Award and sweeping the board at the Japanese equivalent of ‘The Oscars’, Yoji Yamada’s lyrically, tenderly woven tale of dignity is a triumph of substance over action.

Strong performances, intelligently filmed action and an all round aura of quality mean that this comfortably hits a four star rating.

Perhaps the greatest flaw found within this well-made, yet uninspiring swordplay film is its reliance on theatrical melodrama rather than tension or real emotion.

The simple fact is that ‘The Tuxedo’ would probably have been just as enjoyable with any other star in the lead role – there’s nothing to say that this is ‘a Jackie Chan film’.

Miki Satoshi has created something unforgettable, a comedy that is bonkers in that reassuring Japanese way. A cinematic experience not to be missed!