Genre: Drama

If you manage to remain interested while the film establishes a story and can tolerate the odd sense of the macabre, then ‘Gonin’ does provide a few flashes of excellence.

I walked into it expecting ‘Godzilla’ given a British spin on a Dr Who episode budget, instead it is a great, colourful thriller of a bygone age.

‘Grandmaster Of Shaolin Kung Fu’ is a two star film in every department, but that’s half a star more than a Godfrey Ho production can usually expect.

This is a beautifully told story that is wonderfully presented and extremely touching, making it hugely accessible to any audience.

The excellent acting, especially from star Han Suk-kyu, and the easy going approach give ‘Green Fish’ a style all of its own and it’s certainly worth seeking out as it is a lesser known Korean drama.

Certainly a product of its time and now rather dated, ‘Guns of Dragon’ is still worth a watch for those in the mood for unpretentious and gratuitous gun blazing nonsense.

This is a film that hides within its subtle execution a powerful social critique that pulls apart the sad misogyny and blame culture that is still far too influence in the modern world.

‘Hana And Alice’ is an interesting film rather than a fully involving one. At over two hours long, it is in desperate need of more judicious editing as too many minor scenes carry on beyond their logical conclusion.

Although not a masterpiece, ‘Hand Of Death’ is a good example of how quality quickly shines through and stands out in a crowded genre.

A simple storyline that is backed up by an ample supply of martial arts sequences; this is a film that makes no bones about being a showcase for the impressive fighting skills of its lead actors.

‘Happy Flight’ benefits from the versatility of Haruka Ayase – as good in a comedy as she has been in action flicks like ‘Ichi’ – and a variety of low-key characters who give the story a charm of its own.

This version of ‘Hara-Kiri’ just simply pales in comparison to Kobayashi’s version and while it’s certainly good for a majority of its run time, you still may be wondering what’s the point of it.