Cast Member: Yeung Chi-Hing

It entertains, titillates and amuses, as well as throws in a hint of social commentary as afterthought, but it’s a giddy, gaudy way to spend some time, providing of course that the subject matter itself doesn’t offend one’s sensibilities to begin with.

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

Lau Wing may not be an accomplished screen fighter, but it is his portrayal of Lu Xiaofeng that earns this a moderate rating that it otherwise would not deserve.

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’.

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

Chor Yuen is once again painstaking in his vision of the visual ambience of the martial world, while he also gets fine performances out of his cast.

‘The Shadow Boxer’ is a fairly standard affair as offered by the Shaw Brother’s studio and is unable to elevate itself to compete with the likes of the classic ‘Boxer from Shantung’ and the exceptional ‘The Water Margin’.

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

There are definitely better films out there than ‘Vengeance’ but Chang Cheh’s experienced editing and camera work do still make it an interesting watch.