Genre: Drama

Samson Chiu can be congratulated for taking a bold step in a new direction while still retaining much of the gentle punch that is associated with the brand.

It’s always good to see a film about children with enough depth and maturity to appeal to everyone.

Chang Cheh delivers a multi-layered kung-fu drama that is ripe with excellent characterisation and well-choreographed action.

Each of the protagonists has their own trial to overcome, each has a solid character arc, and each contributes to the infectious enthusiasm created herein.

‘Merantau’ is a good-looking film, but in every other department it is just a touch too average to stand out from the crowd.

Despite a few hints of quality from the action/stunt team, the film is a shambolically constructed mess that is rarely fun to watch.

‘Messengers’ takes time to gain momentum, but when it does the two-hour running time flies by effortlessly.

Definitely a film of two halves, ‘Midnight Fly’ is a brave, uncompromising, yet not always successful Jacob Cheung feature.

‘Minari’ is beautifully shot – Terence Malik would be proud – and directed with such assuredness that you quickly realise that you are watching something special.

This is a film that begins with optimism only to quickly revert to the old formula that had been so over-used.

The bottom line is that ‘Monkey Kung Fu’ is a highly recommended gem with a cast that doesn’t feature the genres big names, but still outshines many better known films.

‘Monster’ has a few elements that could make for a decent thriller, but the overall picture is sadly spoiled by a number of idiotic characters making even more idiotic decisions.