Cast Member: Ti Lung

This is a kung-fu film with enough substance and genuine quality to please even the most demanding or cynical movie fan – an assured recommendation.

The film stands out as one of the hidden gems of the 90’s new-wave kung fu movement and provides superb entertainment for even the most discerning viewer.

‘The Blood Brothers’ was not a disappointment in any way and this classic Chang Cheh tale of loyalty, love and revenge is an consistently engaging martial arts drama.

The three films are of course better if viewed as one long film, but that is partially the undoing of this third instalment due to it’s comparatively slow pacing following the hectic earlier instalments.

‘The Convict Killer’ is held together by the confidence of the man behind the lens and the excellent cast gathered together.

Despite being made in the early 80s, the choreography lacks the invention and energy common to this era. This, for many viewers, may be the main problem that hinders ‘The Emperor And His Brother’.

For anyone who wants a change from the late-70s kung fu comedy cycle, ‘The Heroes’ is a film that is heartily recommended.

Chang Cheh’s ‘The Heroic Ones’ is an ambitious and sumptuous martial arts epic that set a benchmark for Shaw Brothers at its time of release.

Director Frankie Chan does, to his credit, use some intriguing environments and fully capitalises on the grandeur of the wild landscape. However he pays little intention to any logical development of plot or characters.

Even fans of the convoluted martial world of the swordplay genre may find ‘Jade Tiger’ a tiresome 90 minutes.

‘The Kid’ offers very little that’s new or different. Nonetheless it commands the attention with some earnest acting and straight-forward directing.

‘The Kung Fu Instructor’ may lack the incisive bite of the great Sun Chung works, but the director is still clearly comfortable crafting a confident work from basic ingredients.