Rating: 3.5

‘The Lady Hermit’ still manages to stand up well decades on as an extremely entertaining, if not extremely gory, example of the Shaw Brothers armed combat films in their prime.

Once it settles down and the MacGuffin doesn’t become the sole focus of the story, ‘The Legend and Hag of Shaolin’ becomes an enjoyable homage to early 90s Hong Kong cinema.

‘The Legend Is Born: Ip Man’ does not try to outdo the spectacle of its more lavish inspiration, though Herman Yau does try to give the viewers the ample Wing Chun action they crave.

‘The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires’ doesn’t exactly set the world alight in either of its attempted genres, but it does remain a fun curio for fans of both studios that certainly still sports some old-school charm.

‘The Legend Of The Owl’ is a positively insane, yet gloriously inventive production that boasts more hits than misses.

Although there’s the odd hole or inconsistency, the production mostly runs at a sustained pace that draws the viewer along with it.

There’s no doubt then that ‘The Log’ has qualities that recommend it, though it never reaches the heights that Chiu’s admirers would demand.

Eschewing any flashiness for a more old school and care given to character and pacing approach, Chong and Mak craft a beautifully shot and finely acted period piece.

Despite ‘The Lovers’ undoubted quality, it proves to be short of the magic that it often hints at. Parts of this film therefore prove to be greater than it as a whole.

‘The Magic Hour’ is a fun comedy, though not the classic it promises to be. It still has an enormous amount to recommend it though and is a good starting point for those looking into Japanese comedy.

‘The Mermaid’ has the feel-good factor and is probably as good a rom-com as you’re likely to see this year. Yet that somehow doesn’t seem enough from a film-maker like Chow.

Some may be disappointed that Kitmura’s kinetic style has been diluted somewhat by the Hollywood machine but it’s good to see him trying something different and at a more slow burn pace.