Rating: 4.0

A gripping and often uncompromising look at the Hong Kong drug trade from the seller’s and user’s side, Derek Yee’s ‘Protégé’ is one of the finest dramas to come out of Hong Kong in recent years.

A stylish and moody piece from one of the masters of style and mood, ‘PTU’ is a dark journey into the equally dark heart of Hong Kong where the cops are almost as corrupt as the criminals.

If you’re not expecting a deep examination into Asia’s politics then ‘Purple Storm’ is an absorbing and emotionally charged action-thriller that does more than just pass the time.

A laudable film with a mixture of the heart-warming and the heart-wrenching, ‘Quill’ is well worth 100 minutes of anyone’s time.

It may be familiar material and it may be a two-man show, but ‘Radio Star’ delivers its quota of entertainment, humour and even poignancy with some to spare.

A bit of ‘Heat’ mixed with Chan’s own ‘Invisible Target’, ‘Raging Fire’ hits hard in both the action and drama, the much-missed director delivering one of his finest.

Despite the slick visual look, kooky set up and a little too much reliance on wirework and CGI enhancement come the last third, ‘Raging Phoenix’ is really what we loved about the fight flicks from Hong Kong’s golden age.

It may be a little too simplistic in its narrative for some and others may find the one-man-army slant pushed to its limits but ‘Re:Born’ is a triumph for all involved.

Despite having no conclusion of its own, all of the groundwork of the characterisation and story make the next chapter an exciting prospect.

Fast, fresh, funny and full of character and tension, this is wuxia done well and should be seen by fans of the genre at their earliest convenience.

Beneath the simple premise is a dissection of friendship and finding one’s place in society that is about as good as cinema has ever shown.

There’s therefore much to recommend this superior sequel, a film that takes the best elements of the original and invites viewers to contemplate a message beyond the common expectations of the genre.