Author: Andrew Saroch

Her adventures may not have attracted the crowds on its Korean release, but this is still a comedy with style and confidence in spades.

This is an unassuming, yet entertaining film that may not set the world alight, but develops its touching theme quite effectively.

‘Sad Movie’ is professionally executed with slick, expertly-lit photography and that Korean ability to use common emotional triggers without being quite so conniving as expected.

‘Sacrifice’ is not going to find itself among Chen Kaige’s most revered films, yet it is still a classy almost operatic historical film that holds the attention.

‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is resolutely pulp entertainment though and while it is unlikely to be mentioned in the same breath as ‘Yojimbo’ in years to come, it hits enough of its targets to satisfy.

This is a slickly made thriller that achieves most of the objectives it sets out to accomplish.

This is as much about relationships than anything else and by the end of the film it develops into an unusual variant on the buddy genre.

Some of the more eccentric moments do inspire a wry smile, but nothing to fully salvage the end product.

‘Run Papa Run’ is a story we may have seen before with style that may initially be jarring, yet is ultimately delivered with aplomb.

Part two is lavish and colourful, but simply not as absorbing as it needed to be. A steadier hand at the helm may have rectified this.

Added to the humour is the furious action orchestrated by Ching Siu-Tung that makes this much more than the average comedy film.

It may be a routine swordplay flick that ambles along with little revolutionary, but ‘Roving Swordsman’ is nonetheless watchable enough to warrant a purchase.