Herman Yau

A vigilante killer is on the loose. After striking ten years earlier and immediately going into hiding, the killer has returned. He sends little notes to people listing the date of their death. The police can't let him go about his business, especially since he's also targeting the police force.

There are minor Saw-like elements present, but Yau never ventures into true horror territory. Instead, he mixes thriller, crime, action, and mystery elements to create a true HK police flick. He even found several familiar faces (Simon Yam and Francis Ng are there) to pump up the nostalgia. Good fun.

Near the Chinese border, the mountain patrol is brought in to prevent a big shipment of cocaine from entering the country. Some robbers are also hoping to seize the dope, while torrential rains are making everybody's lives a lot harder. It'll be a tough fight, and not everyone will return to base.

The setup is pretty standard and there have been quite a few similar films, even in recent years. It's the constant rain that adds an extra dimension and makes the film a lot more tense and nervous. Not one of Yau's absolute best, but if you're looking for a nerve-wrecking action/crime flick, it's an absolute blast.

A Hong Kong undercover cop infiltrates a Thai drug cartel. The Thai run a smooth operation and manage to smuggle drugs to Hong Kong, but international police are on their tail and they've got their eye on the undercover cop. The cop develops a strong bond with one of the criminals, which further complicates his situation.

Comradery, betrayal, an exotic setting, and plenty of gunfire. It's true heroic bloodshed cinema brought to the 21st century. The cast is pretty great, the action scenes are impressive and Yau's direction is solid. A bit too long maybe, but if you love a good Hong Kong action flick and you're feeling let down by the country's recent output, give this one a go.

The first Shock Wave was a pretty solid bomb squad action thriller that did pretty well in theaters, so it's really no surprise that a sequel was on the way. Yau managed to secure an even bigger cast (Andy Lau is back, while Sean Lau and Ni Ni join the primary cast) and an even bigger budget to blow things up (even if just digitally).

The plot's a fraction better than your average blockbuster, thanks to Andy Lau's character who travels darker paths than usually the case, but once the finale gets closer the film folds back into a predictable good guy/bad guy structure and works up to a smashing finale, appropriate for this type of film. Good fun.

After a 10-year relationship, Adam and Eve decide to split up. Eve is fed up with Adam's lack of responsibility and moves back to live with her mom. By chance, Adam finds Eve's diary, which holds 77 stories of instances when Adam messed up and Eve forgave him. Reading back, Adam realizes he didn't always treat Eve's love with the proper respect.

The performances are laudable (Pakho Chow in particular is a revelation), the romance feels realistic, and Yau bends genre clichés to great effect. Like most of his films, there is a stronger signature lacking to make this an actual masterpiece, but people who like romance with a little extra grit would do well to seek out this film. Very good.

Three unrelated people get mixed up in a fatal traffic accident. A drunk taxi driver, a man on the brink of tying the knot and a depressed woman all end up dead. Their funerals reunite the surviving family members, but the ghosts of the deceased aren't quite ready to leave the mortal world behind. And so they return to haunt the living.

The quality is there, what lacks is the spark to turn this into something truly notable. Performances are decent, the cinematography is polished enough, the shorts are amusing, but the film never really goes beyond. That's pretty much what most of Yau's oeuvre is like though. He's a great filler director, but he lacks that extra bit of class to make his films stand out.

The film focuses on Cheung, a respected member of the bomb disposal squad. He infiltrates a gang and thwarts their evil plan. The leader of the gang escapes and disappears. Exactly one year later he returns and contacts Cheung. With his latest plan he manages to take the whole of Hong Kong hostage, it's up to Cheung to stop him.

Grand Hong Kong blockbuster action done well is always amusing. Andy Lau is the perfect good guy, Wen Jiang a lovely bad guy, the action scenes are pretty tense and the budget is put to good use. It's not a very remarkable film, but if you're looking for some expensive, well-made amusement then this film won't disappoint.

A man suffering from sleep deprivation slowly turns into a veritable psychopath. His sister sees the danger and seeks the help of a sleep specialist. When he is taken in for a medical examination, the doctor begin to suspect there may be a supernatural cause for his symptoms. A vengeful spirit is supposedly keeping the man from falling asleep.

Yau is notorious for subverting genre clichés, or at least giving his endings a notable twist, and The Sleep Curse is a pretty fine example. The first 75 minutes or so are decent but somewhat predictable genre fare, after that both Yau and Wong crank up the intensity and horror, leaving me with my jaw on the floor. A fine recommend for those who appreciated their previous collaborations.

Jasmine is in love with Fong, but he has no intention of marrying her. After a final attempt Jasmine decides she'll answer Vincent's proposal instead. On her way home, she is kidnapped, raped and held in containment before the criminal finally releases her again. She's too scared to tell her story, so Jasmine decides she'll just continue her life with Vincent.

The film has some overlap with more notorious Cat III work, but Yau makes sure to keep it classy. The cinematography is polished, the soundtrack stylish and the performances are laudable. The only thing that bugged me endlessly was the Monty Hill concept the film introduces. Trust me: save yourself a headache and don't try to understand it. Other than that, a very nice film.

When the godfather of a Triad organization finds out his health is deteriorating, and he only has one more year to live, he knows it is time to find a successor for his position. He appoints two men from his organization. It doesn't take long before the first gang members end up dead and wild speculations are doing the rounds.

Anthony Wong has a lot of fun playing the godfather, Philip King is the other standout in the cast. The action is quite bloody, the plot has a few welcome twists, and the crime elements are executed well. There's just nothing to really set it apart from so many other films in the genre. In other words, very good filler, but not a Hong Kong essential.

The plot is little more than an excuse for the comedy, if you're looking for a riveting whodunit better tone down your expectations. A wealthy family is prepping a birthday party, when a cop calls and notifies them of a girl's suicide. Nobody admits any involvement, but it's clear that not everyone is telling the truth.

An Inspector Calls is based on a film from the 50s, other than that I don't see any obvious link (and I have no clue why Yau wanted to remake this particular film). Koo is solid, Yau makes an effort to elevate the film, if ever so slightly, and there are a bunch of fun cameos. In the end, it's all about how resistant you are to this type of humor. I liked it quite a bit, but your mileage may vary.

Sara is a spirited journalist, but when she delivers a deep dive article that outs a lot of important political figures, her editor refuses to publish it in fear of retribution. Sara quits her job and moves to Thailand, where she meets Dok-my, a child prostitute. Sara is moved by her story and is willing to make a difference for the young girl.

It's nice to see Charlene Choi successfully rebranding herself, Simon Yam is his usual quality self. There's good chemistry between the two, and they handle the drama pretty well (not always a given with popular Hong Kong actors). The cinematography is pleasant, the message comes through loud and clear and the film isn't too preachy. A fine effort.

After the war Ip Man is looking for an easy retirement, but he is about to face another big challenge. He is summoned to perform some routine martial arts demonstrations, but before he knows it he finds himself knee-deep into Triad business, and he has no alternative to take on a gang of dangerous criminals yet again.

If anything, this film gives you Anthony Wong battling it out with Eric Tsang, which is something I could never have dreamed up. The performances are decent, the martial arts scenes are solid and the somewhat shorter runtime a blessing. It's decent enough action filler, but it's difficult not to compare it to its illustrious predecessors, and Yau doesn't come out a winner.

Li Li is a talented weight lifter, but her sports career takes a big tumble when she is diagnosed with diabetes. She meets Shek, a divorced bar owner, and the two hook up right away. Shek sees Li Li still pines for the time she excelled doing what she loved, so he devises a plan to get her back into the weight lifting game.

Love Lifting is a solid piece of feel-good fluff. Whatever troubles are thrown at the characters are solved pretty much that very same scene, with Yau focusing hard on the romcom bits. The twist halfway through is a pretty big upset, but not one that carries through until the end. I was pretty baffled by this film, but I'm still not sure if it was for all the right reasons.

Hao Dong suffers from sleep deprivation. While he's awake one night, he sees a woman living across the street being murdered in her apartment. When Dong goes to check on her, he finds an empty place and no sign of a corpse. His girlfriend tells him it's just a hallucination, but when it happens again Dong begins to suspect it's an old trauma rearing it's head.

Nightmare is built on mood. It's certainly not the scariest film you've ever seen, not the most surprising or memorable one either. But Yau's direction does feel very accomplished. The cinematography is polished, the soundtrack moody and the performances are on point. Very solid genre material in other words. I had plenty of fun with this one.

Undercover cop Laughing ends up in prison for a lifelong sentence. There he meets Fok, a professor and trained psychologist who considers himself smart and slick enough to subvert the law. Both show interest in Chit, but if Laughing wants to get to him, he'll have to get past Fok first. And so a duel of wits begins.

Michael Tse, Chapman To and Francis Ng have a lot of fun with their characters, the film looks slick and is well-paced and even though the ending takes itself a bit too serious, there's not much time to get too worked up about it. A very nice Hong Kong police procedural with a little twist. Well recommend for anyone who can't get enough of these films.

As a young man, Yip Man joins the Wing Chun school of Chan Wah-Shun. When he dies, Ng Chung-So takes over and finishes Man's education. In Hong Kong, Man finds a third master who further refines his skills, but this raises a conflict with Ng. In order to settle this conflict, Man is forced to take on his adopted brother, who carries with him a dark secret.

With Sammo Hung And Biao Yuen on board there's plenty of martial arts savvy, the action is solid, the performances are on point. The Legend is Born also looks polished enough, but it's impossible not to compare this to Wilson Yip's films, and then Yau comes up short. Nothing to be ashamed of, but make sure you watch the other Yip Man films first.

Jimmy is a respected Triad boss, who has his trusted bodyguard Po to protect him. On the one night Po takes some time off, he gets stabbed and ends up in the hospital. With his direct successors unavailable, Jimmy's seat is given to Po. He cares nothing about the function, but others clearly do and Po becomes their target. To safe his life, he needs to find out who was behind the attack on his boss.

There are a lot of characters and a lot of changing dynamics. Even though the film feels quite chaotic, it's never too complex or difficult to follow. The performances are solid, with a standout role for Shawn Yue, and the short time span covered also plays to the film's advantage. An entertaining little genre flick.

Xiao calls a cab and asks the driver to get him to an abandoned hotel. He is a little surprised the driver knows the way, as the location is quite obscure. Thirty years ago a dramatic event burned the hotel down, the mystery was never cleared up. Xiao wants to get to the bottom of it once and for all, but it will be a dangerous mission.

With Hong Kong directors slowly moving to China, Yau saw an opportunity to direct genre films on slightly bigger budgets. He used them to hone his skills, but the films themselves are actually pretty entertaining too. The First 7th Night is nothing too special or memorable, but it is a fun and atmospheric mystery that neatly ticks all the genre boxes.

Laughing has infiltrated the Triads, but another cop is on his trail, suspecting him of drug trafficking. Laughing will have to fend for himself as his mission is a complete secret, but when the cop starts to suspect Laughing is on an undercover mission, he isn't entirely convinced about Laughing's true intentions, suspecting him of double-crossing the police.

Anthony Wong is always a delight, Francis Ng proves once again that he is a versatile actor. Other than that, Turning Point is all about that crime/Triad goodness. Yau has the genre elements down to a 't, the actors know what's expected of them, and the plot keeps you guessing until the finale. Surely not the greatest film of its kind, but definitely good fun.

Ah Chat is a seasoned contract killer. He started out when he was just seven years old and has been honing his skills ever since. Twenty years later he gets recognized on a mission, and he has to escape to Taiwan, where he knows a guy. There he bonds with a betel nut seller, but the booze and women drive a wedge between the friendship with his pal, and once again, Chat has to fear for his life.

This is another one of those films where Yau was able to gain experience and familiarize himself with the genre. The kills are a bit more brutal and some relations are a tad more developed, but it's really just a very basic genre film that's perfect for people who are looking for quality filler after completing the more accomplished films in this niche.

Fresh out of school, Paul starts to work in a cocktail bar. It quickly dawns on others that Paul can predict people's favorite drink with great accuracy, and he becomes somewhat of a cult figure, with people flocking to him. He has his own complexes to deal with, but through his conversations with the clientele he is able to work through them.

The setting is pretty sexy, the actors do a good job and the light drama is very pleasant. The quality of the film dips every time a little extra sentiment is inserted, but those moments are few and far between. This certainly isn't the most memorable Yau film, but if you want to see him do a decent drama, you can't really go wrong with this film.

The Trans-Siberian railway between China and Moscow has become the terrain of a bold gang of robbers. They look for wealthy businessmen and rob them along the way. A Chinese team of detectives is put on the case, their mission is to catch the robbers and make the railway safe again.

Hanyu Zhang and Andy Lau are the main attraction, apart from the bold and explosive action scenes. The plot is pretty basic and the ending is predictable, the film is also too long for being such a simple affair, but if you like a decent action flick then you can't really go wrong with Yau's latest. Decent genre filler.

Pak-ho Chau and Charlene Choi return as Adam and Eve, a couple that separated after a 10-year relationship. Adam wants Eve back, but she isn't sure that he really became a different man. When Adam receives a link to a website that helps with wooing girls, he figures there's no harm in trying.

The comedy is pretty dreadful and the soundtrack is way too cheesy. Performances are decent (with Chau still being a stand-out) and the drama isn't that bad, the little twists at the end were appreciated too, but this did feel less distinct than the first film. Maybe he should give part 3 to someone who is a bit more skilled in doing a straight-forward romcom.

There is a semblance of a plot here, but there is no reason to care too much about it. The plot is merely an excuse to introduce a slew of cameos and have some sketch-like fun. The story about a princess sent out to learn the tricks of the trade is completely inconsequential, so I'm not even going to bother with it any further.

There are many notable cameos, the comedy is cheesy but varied, the effects aren't all that bad and the pacing is positively zany. Yau struggles a little with the project's commercial scope and relies a bit too heavily on his B-film past, but if you're looking for quality film making you won't find it here anyway. Silly but solid fun, like most of these films.

A cop apprehends a thief. On their way to the station they end up on Crow's land. Crow and his gang take the two men hostage, suspecting that one of them is a cop. Unsure of their identities, he decides to execute them both. But then one of his gang members steps forward, claiming to know a way out of his conundrum.

With very little Yau succeeds in creating a pretty tight and claustrophobic post-apocalyptic setting. The actors do a decent job, the CG is good enough and the plot is intriguing. The lack of budget ultimately fails the film as Yau is not the man to keep on innovating on a shoestring budget, but if you're looking for something slightly different, this is certainly worth a shot.

A serial killer is on the loose, and he's going after cops. He doesn't just kill them either, instead, he uses ancient Oriental voodoo rituals to get rid of the policemen. Rockman, a hardened cop, is put on the case. He suspects that Lam Chiu is behind the killings, a criminal Rockman once shot through the head and left without feeling.

No ghosts here, which is somewhat of a relief. Yau is perfect for a bit of nasty voodoo horror, and Lam Suet is always a joy to watch. Gong Tau is perfect B-filler, but the extra drama feels a bit unnecessary, and this was made when Yau's work wasn't quite as polished as it is today. I had a lot of fun with it, but great cinema this is not.

Don't be misled (or tempted) by the film's Cat III rating, this is a straightforward drama set in an oldskool Hong Kong bordello. Yau follows the lives of the people involved, from prostitutes and social workers, to the two women who run the business. There isn't too much added drama, instead the film offers a closer look at the characters' daily trials and tribulations.

It's nice to see a film like this without all the added drama (the ending excluded). It gives the film a more realistic feel, and it gives the actual message a little extra weight. The performances are decent, the styling proper but somewhat unremarkable. I'm not sure if Yau is the ideal guy for a film like this, but as nobody else is making them over there, it's a fine addition to his oeuvre.

Harry Sin has been an undercover cop for 8 years straight. When his operation finally comes to an end, the major bosses of the Triad gang he infiltrated are apprehended and Harry can go back to his normal life. After so much time living and working in the criminal underworld, the switch is quite a bit harder than Harry imagined.

The 00s were a transitional decade for Yau. He transformed from a dedicated, edgy B-film director to someone who could also do bigger, more commercial genre projects. Like most Hong Kong directors, Yau learned the tricks of the trade on the job, and so he made quite a few decent but unremarkable genre films to get the hang of them. On the Edge is one of those films. Solid, but forgettable filler.

Lin flees from her abusive husband, together with her daughter. She finds a pretty spacious apartment for a low price and is certain luck is finally on her side. Soon after, she finds her daughter talking to herself and Lin begins to suspect her flat is haunted. When a woman appears before her at night, she'll have to fight to keep her daughter alive.

The cinematography and score are moody and there are some pretty effective scares. But it's nothing you haven't seen before and there are many films who've executed the exact same material a lot better. It's decent filler for people who can't get enough of these films, but it's hardly a stand-out.

Anthony Wong plays one of the vilest and most disagreeable characters ever. He is a cook who doesn't care too much about anything. After a dispute with his bosses he murders them and flees to South-Africa. After raping a girl there he gets infected with the Ebola virus. There is no cure for him, so all he can do is infect as many others as possible.

I wouldn't call Wong's performance great, but he is insanely memorable, and he really commits to his role. The film looks and sounds pretty terrible, the plot is nonsensical and Yau makes some very odd choices (like the mid-film safari), but ultimately these just add to the fun. If you want to know where Yau/Wong got their reputation from, just watch this film.

Siu-Chun is a small-time crook in a local Triad gang. He has a big mouth, but isn't so badass when he needs to fight against other gangs. All that changes when he bumps into Hong Fei, who used to be one of the big bosses of the famous Hung Hing group. He takes Siu-Chun as his pupil and shows him the ropes when old Hung Hing enemies pop up.

The chemistry between Jordan Chan and Tony Leung is great, apart from that this is a pretty typical Young and Dangerous film. Lots of street fights, loudmouth characters and Triad conflicts. Yau fares pretty well, but his input is pretty limited. He simply sticks to the familiar formula and delivers a film that is sure to please fans of the franchise.

Based on a true story, Wong plays a nefarious butcher who serves human meat in his restaurant. When the cops find discarded body parts in the river, they manage to trace it back to his restaurant. They begin to suspect the owner of stalking and murdering his victims only to make a few extra bucks by saving on buying pork meat.

It's a perfect setup for a Wong/Yau collaboration and the two have lots of fun with the material. Wong's character is utterly unlikable, Yau seeks out every opportunity to gross out his audience. The technical qualities are pretty limited and the police procedural elements can get in the way, but it's one of those films you simply have to see once in your life.

When Lucy discovers a little pot buried in the ground, her life is about to change forever. When she opens the pot an insect crawls out, from that moment on Lucy starts getting visions and a ghost starts haunting her. Her parents believe the sudden troubles are related to a past secret they have kept hidden from Lucy.

Because it's Yau there are some nasty scenes that do hit home, but like many other Asian horror films, The Second Coming doesn't build up to a crescendo. Instead, the finale turns more dramatic and spends a lot of time explaining the drama that lies at the core of the hauntings. The CG and performances aren't that great either, which leaves you with a film that starts well enough, but slowly fades away.

The film follows two young women who decide that prostitution is the best and easiest way for them to make money. They go to work in the Sham Shui Po district, which is famous for their sex workers. One girl is a drug addict and hopes to finance her addiction, the other a pregnant Chinese woman who is looking for a higher living standard for her and her soon-to-be-born child.

Hong Kong is capable of doing a drama like this right, but then you need the right director and cast. The lead actresses aren't that great, Anthony Wong feels a little off, and Yau's direction comes up short when doing a straightforward drama like this. It's not a terrible film, but it doesn't really live up to its full potential.

Young offenders are sent to prison and are locked up under a special order. There is no immediate sentence, and sometimes they are just held indefinitely, with no prospect of ever coming out. A young lawyer makes it her life's work to fight for these kids, hoping she can change these barbaric laws.

You can feel Yau really cares about the topic, it's equally clear that the Hong Kong film industry wasn't very willing to spend a lot of money on a film like this. The performances are mediocre, and the cinematography is cheap, luckily Yau knows how to deal with that and still delivers a decent film.

A masked hero is roaming through the streets of Hong Kong. He is out to catch the bad guys, no matter what their crime is. He beats them to a pulp and delivers them to the police station. The police are quite happy with the extra help, but since the actions of the masked hero aren't exactly legal, they are forced to track him down.

A film like this needs a big budget, which simply wasn't there. The film looks pretty cheap, the soundtrack is dreadful, even the performances aren't all that great. That last bit's a tad more surprising, as actors like Louis Koo and Jordan Chan are capable of doing better, even on a budget. But it is quite entertaining, and Yau makes sure he doesn't take thing too seriously. Decent filler.

When Ma goes missing, the police doesn't spend too much time on his disappearance. After he has been gone for 2 whole month they are forced to take action, but they don't have many leads. Until a guy turns himself in and confesses the murder on Ma. The only problem is that he has no hard evidence to back up his claims.

The film offers a mix of comedy, thriller and crime elements, but the shift between them isn't very subtle. It takes a long time before Yau breaks out the more gruesome scenes, it just isn't going to be enough to please anyone coming here for the gory bits. The backstory is pretty amusing, though that's hardly the main selling point here.

Where the first few films felt more like anthologies connected by only a tiny sliver of plot, this sixth instalment plays more like a straightforward narrative, broken down in chapters that aren't as clearly separated. It's also a much more serious film compared to the earlier ones, which suffered from bad acting and a complete failure to be scary.

Louis Koo is still around and takes up the lead, though his character is pretty basic, and he doesn't have much to work with. The color palette is moody, the soundtrack quite effective and there are a few memorable horror moments. While a clear upgrade from episodes 3 to 5, part 6 still struggles to impress as a real horror flick. It's decent filler, but nothing more.

Chow is a young, talented cop who can't wait to make the world a better place. He is also quite reckless, and the Hong Kong underground is a dangerous place. In order to help him, he is coupled with a more experienced cop, but when the two are sent after some jewelry robbers, the situation still spirals out of control.

The leads aren't too charismatic, the formula offers nothing new and Yau isn't the greatest director, but once the film finds its groove and dives into the Hong Kong nightlife, it gets pretty entertaining. City Cop is self-aware shelf filler material, but it's certainly not the worst of its kind. Perfect for when you've seen all the bigger names in the genre.

The film follows two rookie cops who manage to impress their superiors, which earns them a promotion. As CID detectives, they have a lot more to prove, and navigating the streets turns out to be a lot trickier than expected. Especially when they get into a feud with a local gang, which puts them, their superiors and their friends in danger.

Fearless Match is simple genre fodder, and having seen a boatload of similar films can surely take the edge off of it. It's not a terrible film, and those with an interest in Yau's work will certainly find something to like. Tony Leung Ka-Fai's part is pretty memorable for one. Pretty decent, just not a film that will leave a strong impression.

Prince has been trained to become a contract killer from a very young age. His dad is his teacher, with the help of his son he wants to get rid or his arch enemy once and for all. But Prince falls in love with a girl and when he finds out his dad isn't really the man he claimed to be, he has to make some tough decisions about his future.

Jacky Cheung isn't too bad and Yau/Wong do nail the action scenes, though people expecting their usual grit might be a bit disappointed. This felt more like a little experiment for the two directors to cover more commercial ground. The result isn't terrible, but unless you love these types of films, it's hard to actively recommend.

When Mandy celebrates her wedding anniversary, she falls asleep in the middle of her party. When she wakes up, everyone is gone, and on the way home her cab is involved in a traffic incident. Mandy regains consciousness in the hospital 10 days later. She doesn't recognize anybody, and everyone calls her Fiona.

The setup is more than sufficient, but Yau really struggles to make an impact. The cinematography is dull, the soundtrack is underused and the film is terribly predictable. It's not a very long one and the pacing is okay, I'm certain a modern-day Yau would do much better with the same premise, but back then this type of film simply wasn't for him.

Seven friends get together for a little vacation. They've rented a house on a remote little island, but they soon realize that something else brought them there. When they start dying one by one, the survivors try to get away from the island as quickly as possible. That's not an easy thing to do when the killer hides amongst your best friends.

Like most of Yau's poorer films, the core problem is budget. Though it's obvious he made an actual effort here, the bland special effects, the lack of gore/tension and the subpar performances all stand in the way of enjoying this pretty generic horror affair. Not the worst of its kind, but far from great.

The lead actors do a decent job, but the rest of the cast is well below par. Loudness and overacting are often confused for comedy, the soundtrack feels like a complete afterthought and the cinematography is plain and uninteresting. If you ever wondered what Hong Kong filler looks like, look no further.

The plot itself is slightly amusing though. It's not great, but at least it kept my attention until the end of the film. It's definitely not enough to actively recommend Happy Family, but I've sat through worse films. At least it's short and mildly amusing, at the same time it's also wildly plain and forgettable.

When Jing is hit by a bullet that goes straight through his head, he ends up in a coma. Two years later he awakes out of the blue, with a sixth sense that allows him to communicate with ghosts. Together with the nurse who took care of him all these years, he will use his newfound skills to solve a case that has been plaguing the hospital for quite some time.

The start of the film is overly dramatic, the horror elements feel quit uninspired when they finally arrive and mediocre performances hold the film back even further. It's one of those films that comes off as simple shelf filler, made to seduce genre fans with a nice cover and a flashy quote. Difficult to recommend, unless you really crave some Hong Kong horror.

After seven failed engagements, Alfred's mother is tired of her son's bad judgment. She finds him a wife and sends the two of them on a luxury cruise. They don't really get along that well, but Alfred decides to power through. Until he meets Sandy, a girl of poor descent.

Andy Lau aces his part, the rest of the cast isn't nearly as good. The wealthy background of the lead allows Yau to play with expensive locations and excessive displays of romance, but the underlying emotions are flat, and I didn't really end up caring for the core romance. Not great, then again, I think few people would expect it to be.

Chicken is a petty criminal who is hired as the getaway driver for a heist. On his first job things go terribly wrong and Chicken ends up in a coma, while Tommy, the cop who caught him, is paralyzed for life. Tommy hears of a ritual to take over someone else's body, his plan is to get rid of Chicken and claim his body instead.

Would Yau make this film today, it would no doubt be a lot better. Back in the late 90s, with the Hong Kong movie industry in shambles and budgets barely covering the costs of a bare-bones film, there was no way a film like this was going to turn out well in Yau's hands. Fans of Hong Kong genre benders might get something out of it, others can safely skip this one.

Chiu is a respected street racer. When he bumps into Lion King things get a little tense. A race between the two will have to decide who is the better man. Also on the line: 10.000 dollars and Carman. She is the real reason Chiu wants to race. He wins the bet, but Lion King isn't going to yield that easily.

Don't worry too much about the fact that this is a sequel. I hadn't seen the first film either, but these films are so generic that it doesn't really matter. The races are decent (though never very realistic), the plot is predictable, the performances not quite there. I had a decent amount of fun with Highway Man, but good cinema it is not.

Sing is a simple traffic cop. He is a major fan of American action films and hopes to become just as brave as his big screen heroes. By chance, he one day notices a bank heist in progress, so he makes sure to involve himself. It doesn't take too long before Sing realizes real life isn't like the movies, but by then he's already knee-deep in the case.

Wong is decent, and the action scenes are pretty fun. There are some successful jokes too, but the film feels too cheap and rushed to leave a big impression. The Hong Kong movie industry crumbled quickly in the mid 90s and Image Cop is one of those films where the decay was already visible. Somewhat decent filler for genre fans, but nothing more.

Wong plays a sweet and caring businessman. He has a family which he loves dearly. His life is turned upside down when a careless taxi driver hits his pregnant wife, leaving Wong to fend for himself. When he hears about another incident with a cab driver, he figures it's time to teach them a lesson. He gets a little crazy and goes on a murderous rampage.

Wong's performance is nice, comedy fans will also be interested to see Man-tat Ng in a very memorable role. All the ingredient were there to make this a memorable little genre flick, but it's just not as crazy or out there as it could've been. Yau fans should definitely give this film a shot, it's just that I expected more.

Nancy shows a lot of promise playing volleyball. She enlists in a prestigious sports college, hoping to break into the big leagues. At first, she doesn't feel at home, but then she runs into Tom. His good looks and dashing personality convince Nancy to continue, but she isn't the only one who wants to hook up with Tom.

The plot is incredibly bland, the performances are weak and Yau's signature is completely absent. It's the simplest genre fodder you can imagine, and that just highlights Yau's weaknesses. The film is pretty short and the pacing is decent, which keeps it from scoring even worse, but I wouldn't recommend this unless you really love sporty romcoms.

Luk is a talented comic book artist, but he's not having too much success with his work. His editor suggests more action and death, but Luk doesn't feel comfortable writing about these subjects. To meet them in the middle, he starts looking around for interesting conflicts and imagines how they could have fatal outcomes.

This film could've been a nice and entertaining mix of comedy and horror, but it doesn't succeed in either genre. The performances are terrible, the horror elements are spineless, and the comedy isn't too successful either. I'm not really sure what motivated Yau to make this film, but it's pretty clear that his heart wasn't really in it.

Ying is a single parent who struggles to raise his teen daughter Ellen. She doesn't respect her dad no matter what he tries. Things get worse for Ying when he swaps bodies with a famous gangster. He turns out to be way more popular with Ellen and her classmates, while Ying gets a couple of vengeful criminals on his tail.

With actors like Tony Leung, Charlene Choi and Eric Tsang around, it should've been possible to turn this into a funny comedy, but the jokes are lame, the actors underperform, the added crime and drama elements feel out of place and the styling is cheap and uninviting. This is one for Yau completists only, one of the lesser films in his oeuvre.

Tsui's wife is found dead. The police assumes a suicide, but Tsui suspects a rich businessman who supposedly had an affair with his wife. Tsui wants revenge and kidnaps the mistress of the businessman. Things get more complicated when Tsui starts an affair with her, and they come up with a scheme to run off with the money together.

It's a simple enough setup, with some obvious twists in the second part. Half-hearted attempts to keep the plot interesting, nothing more. The performances aren't great, Yau's direction is disappointing, and the film lacks the usual Hong Kong genre slickness. You're probably better off watching the American counterparts, at least they had bigger budgets.

When Dee's father tries to stop a robber, he inadvertently hits Dee's younger brother, who doesn't survive the hit. This shocks Dee so much that he decides to become a cop in order to combat crime. Years later Dee is part of the PDU, but when he gets involved with the daughter of a Triad boss his life suddenly becomes a lot more complicated.

Jack Cheung isn't strong enough to carry the film, Sammi Cheng is still very young and Man-tat Ng is a bit awkward in a more serious role. The genre elements are a tad sloppy too, but at least the pacing is nice, and it never gets too dull or boring. That's the only thing this film has going for it, which isn't an awful lot.

Hero Wah is part of the Triads, Kit is an insurance broker. When Kit learns that he has a brain tumor, he wants to turn his life around for the time that he has left on this Earth, and so he switches lives with Hero. In their new realities they both find romance, but taking over someone else's life isn't as easy as they had imagined.

With guys like Andy Lau, Tony Leung and Anthony Wong around, expectations may rise, but don't bother. Like Yau, they are stuck in a bland and unadventurous comedy that fails to be funny, but tries to get by with increased pacing and noisy situational comedy. It's a good thing Yau left this type of films behind soon after, as he couldn't really excel or make a difference directing simple pulp like this.

Mr. Brian is a slick businessman who hears about a secret medicine that cures all ailments, which is property of a long-lasting ninja clan. He gets his hands on the box that contains the medicine, but he is unable to open it. For that he needs a guy called Copy, but he is suffering from memory loss. Still, Copy is the key to unlocking the box.

There are some half-decent action scenes here, but that's about it. The costumes are terrible, the performances painful to watch, the ninja skills not worth discussing. Apparently this was a pretty troubled production, for once it can be seen in the resulting film. This one is for hardcore Yau completists only.

Master Q and his friends are running around Hong Kong, looking for a job. When they get a bit too frantic, they cause an accident that involves Fred and Mandy. They lose their memories and become enemies. Master Q feels bad, and he'll do anything to right his wrongs and bring the two back together. This of course is easier said than done.

The CG is very poor, the actors are about as subtle as their CG colleagues (Tse and Cheung can definitely do better) and the comedy is extremely basic. Everything here screams simple filler, hoping to make a buck on the franchise's legacy. It's a bit sad for everyone involved, if you're unfamiliar with Master Q there is no doubt better material available.

Like all the other films in the series, you get three unrelated horror shorts that our bound together by a somewhat random wrap-around segment. This time we get a cab driver who wants to escape his gambling debts and ends up in an old house with his young son. At night his boy won't stop crying, of course the house is haunted.

While these are clear horror stories on paper, the execution just isn't what you'd expect from a proper horror film. These films are never scary, the acting is highly exaggerated, and there's often some out of place comedy to lighten the mood. Yau is capable of doing solid horror films, but when he lowers himself to the Hong Kong baseline, it's just as bland as any other film in the genre.

This third film doesn't change anything to the formula. We get three short films that are tangentially related to a simple wrap-around segment. This time the film centers on a mortuary, a perfect setting for some horror-related tales (even though the shorts don't really make good use of the setting's full potential).

A young Louis Koo is about the only reason to watch these films, even when his performance is pretty poor too. Hysterical acting, an unbalanced mix of genres, a complete lack of tension, terrible make-up and effects. Nothing works, the only thing that saves the film from complete disaster is the anthology setup, which at least keeps hope alive that something better might come along. It never does though.

This time we're going to The Philippines, because it makes for a nice change of setting. There's a story of a delivery boy who has to take back the ashes of a young girl to her hometown, another about a couple who are in for a good scare after a night of partying. But there's really no substance here, just an excuse for some quick horror/comedy thrills.

The most surprising thing is that Louis Koo features consistently throughout these early installments, we all have to start our career somewhere I guess. The mix of comedy and horror doesn't work, the film looks cheap, and there are no real redeeming qualities. But hey, if you like Yau and/or Koo and you want to see everything they've done, at least these films are relatively short.