Rating: 3.0

This is a lustrous production that flatters to deceive, aiming for the intellect, but eventually preferring to show empty spectacle and supposed depth.

There are moments of entertainment here, but the flat denouement sums up the lack of real polish that the preceding 100 minutes had provided.

Alongside this familiar narrative is the constantly disarming duo of Samuel Hui and Karl Maka and they of course continue to show great comic timing and interplay in the familiar roles of Sam and Kodijack.

The film boasts a truly stellar cast and good production values, but sadly the saga had run out of steam.

When the main story takes centre stage, the viewer’s interest is likely to be lost and the plot-holes difficult to reconcile.

It’s such a shame that one of Lam’s more appealing roles is hamstrung by unusually poor direction from Tsui Hark.

Despite the weakness of its central performance, ‘All The Wrong Spies’ does incorporate the zest of the Cinema City films that dominated the early 80s.

It has to be admitted that there are some decent moments within the film and it certainly brings more smiles to the face than many a Chinese New Year comedy of the past.

‘An Empress And The Warriors’ is enticing enough to divert the attention, but without anything substantial within the duration it is quickly forgotten.

‘And I Hate You So’ could and should have been much better; instead the viewer is left with a good film that simply didn’t realise its full potential.

While it is far from being a bad film, ‘Angry Ranger’ is just too average and uninspiring to be worthy of all the acclaim it has garnered.

It’s doubtful whether even non-action audiences will be fully satisfied by this entertaining, but insubstantial production