Rating: 4.0

Although this didn’t set the Hong Kong box-office alight, it is still recommended viewing.

Suo can craft works that move the mind and the heart while entrancing the viewer along the way.

‘I Love Maria’ offers a very good 100 minutes of entertainment for those who are looking for something new within Hong Kong cinema.

Unpretentious, well crafted, a great central performance and some excellent action make ‘Ichi’ a hugely enjoyable experience and refreshing take on the samurai genre.

This gentle, emollient romantic drama is further proof of my never-ending mantra that, at their very best, no film-making industry can tap into the softer emotions better than Asian cinema.

Many of the fight sequences are powerful and realistic, and there is a good balance between cinematic choreography and outright simple bloodshed.

You really feel a lot of the hits in this film which is all in all, a hugely enjoyable action flick, jam-packed with trademark Woo Ping fight scenes, thankfully sans wires!

A good but not great film, as visually it works beautifully, but the pacing of the direction conflicts with the pace at which the story actually develops.

A palpable sense of all-consuming dread is maintained throughout the runtime and the makers never resort to jump scares just for the sake of them.

Hard hitting action reminiscent of old school Hong Kong actioners, solid performances and sleek direction makes ‘Invisible Target’ one of the years best action flicks.

If you’re an action fan you won’t be disappointed and for me, this is Donnie Yen’s best film to date from an acting perspective.

There’s weaknesses in some of the plot twists, but there’s also good action, fine performances and the kind of bold visual statements that linger in the mind.