Genre: Triad

This is the ‘Citizen Kane’ of HK heroic bloodshed films and it never ages, even after repeat viewings.

What this film lacks in plot, it sure as hell makes up for in action and the finale of ‘A Better Tomorrow II’ is a brutal display of guns, grenades and swordplay.

‘Beast Cops’ is a powerfully shot and highly entertaining movie that raises some important issues regarding today’s society, which really need to be addressed.

Chan Wai-Man and Lau Kar-Wing do make a good Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw-type double-act. Only with more fighting ability.

It turns out to be an above average thriller which leaves the audience with more than just another high body count.

This film’s strength lies in its joy in beating you over the head with excessive 80s bloodshed and cheese.

Clocking in at around the 80 minute mark, ‘Jiang Hu’ is short and snappy, delving into a a specific moment in the characters lives making it neither overly complex or lacking in substance.

‘My Name is Nobody’ (due to its budgetary constraints and modest scale) doesn’t hold a candle to the greats of the sub-genre, but it harbours one saving grace – and it’s a nasty one.

The master stroke is of course the incorporation of Yuen Woo Ping as fight choreographer and he serves up some of the best fisticuffs of recent years.

‘Once Upon A Time In Triad Society’ is a great little movie, purely down to Francis Ng in what must be one of his greatest roles.

Despite the tantalising title, this flick has nothing to do with John Woo’s genre defining classics but is rather a cheap cash in from the relentless Wong Jing conveyor belt.

Not the best example of heroic bloodshed from the golden age but an entertaining footnote in the careers of heavy hitters Chow Yun-Fat and Andy Lau, and certainly worth checking out for completists.