Wai-Keung Lau

Mao Zedong as the savior of the revolution. The CCP is facing some tough uphill battles, then Mao has the bright idea to involve the farmers in his political battle. A neglected group that is pretty sizeable, which means the potential is there to flip the balance. With the new manpower, they try to get a hold of Nanchang, a strategic stronghold.

I'm usually not a big fan of war cinema, but I was properly impressed by Lau's direction. Epic in scope, sporting superb cinematography and with some very impressive settings to boot, there's lots to love here. The story is cheesy though and it's obvious that the larger-than-life narrative isn't a proper representation of what actually happened all those years ago. I liked it as a generic war flick and just ignored the rest.

The start of the film is somewhat reminiscent of Lau's Young & Dangerous series, with two brothers joining a criminal gang and working themselves up in the ranks. A failed romance breaks up their brotherly bond and they find themselves on opposite sides of each other, with the police close on their tails. A pretty typical crime plot in other words.

The second half of the film is quite a bit darker and grimmer than I expected, which certainly helped with the overall appeal. Performances are somewhat decent (with the exception of Eugenia Yuan, who shines bright here), and the presentation is okay but a little by the numbers. There's not enough here to make the film stand out, and where it does go off the beaten path is probably where fans of Hollywood and Hong Kong cinema may struggle. Good film though.

Emperor Yong Zheng founded a special team of extremely skilled fighters. He uses them to eliminate his strongest opponents with surgical precision. The Guillotines are feared warriors, but when a new Emperor takes over they are made obsolete. Their group isn't disbanded, but the missions they get are way below their level of competence.

The film takes a flying start, with some superb action sequences that drive up the tension right from the beginning. As things progress Lau tries to sneak in more drama, sadly the plot and cast really aren't fit for this. The presentation remains lush and the finale delivers, but by then it's a case of too little, too late. Still, if you love a good Hong Kong blockbuster, this is an easy recommendation.

Fujiwara used to be a tofu deliverer for his father. To meet the delivery deadlines, he became quite the driver. Fujiwara develops an affinity for the racing sport, and after winning his first race, he feels determined to make it his ultimate life goal. He directs his focus on drift racing, but becoming the best will require more than just technical skill.

It's a bit odd characters kept their Japanese names, but the solid cast is sure to make you forget about that quickly. Jay Chou, Anne Suzuki, and Jordan Chan are perfectly cast. The races are lovingly shot and edited, the drama is a little light but it doesn't annoy and the pacing is on point. Quite a bit better than I expected going in, Lau did well.

The plot is a simple twist on the first film. A young police offer infiltrates as a mole in a dangerous Triad gang. The Triad gang is playing a similar game and sends one of their guys to infiltrate the police force. Fate has it that both will need to work together when they are facing a common enemy, a second Triad gang that is marking its territory.

Andy Lau and Tony Leung are gone, but Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang are just as good (if not a tiny bit better still). The editing is a little slicker, the music a bit more fitting, and the plot just a tad edgier. The finale has a few too many reveals, which drives up the runtime, but other than that this was a perfectly fine crime thriller. Hong Kong and Lau know how to hone their skills.

Chicken is part of San Luen, a Taiwanese Triad gang. He is chosen to marry Nanako, the daughter of a Yakuza leader. It's an important marriage for both gangs, but then the leader of the San Luen gang is murdered. Everyone suspects Chicken is the culprit, a hit to further his own career within the gang. Chicken will have to prove his innocence if he wants to survive.

Characters are introduced, gangs get cozy with each other, and then the backstabbing begins. Born to Be King is a straightforward crime flick, this time focusing on Chicken's characters. It's best seen when you've already familiarized yourself with the Y&D cast, but even as a stand-alone film, this works well enough. Solid genre work.

Yeh is a skilled sword master who decides to make a little comeback. He wants to fight Snow, a famous master who lives in the Palace. The fight is planned for New Year's eve, but in the run-up to the fight strange events take place around the castle. Yeh is the obvious suspect, so he'll have to clear his name before he can concentrate on his actual goal.

Having actors like Andy Lau and Zhao Wei on board is always a bonus, even when your film relies quite heavily on fantastical fights to impress its audience. Think Storm Warriors or Zu Warriors, with a little goofy comedy on the side. The effects can be a little flaky and the ending is a bit too serious, but other than that, I had a really good time with this one.

When Hero becomes the pupil of a famed sword master he couldn't be happier. When he comes home he finds his parents murdered in cold blood. After he avenges his parents, Hero feels devastated and moves to the USA. Sixteen years later his son wants to make up for lost time with his dad, and tries to seek him out.

The CG isn't the greatest and it's not the be t martial arts action you'll see in your life, but that's not what you should expect from a Lau film. A capable cast, slick pacing, and proper production values make this an enjoyable ride, showcasing his talent to adapt to whatever genre he is working in. Not the greatest, but this was a fun and amusing action filler.

Cloud and Storm are two brothers who are raised by an evil lord. He murdered their parents when they were just infants and took them in, hoping to use their special powers in his quest to conquer the world. His plan fails when he drives the brothers apart and they find out about his intentions. Storm and Cloud vow to revenge their parents and stop the lord in his tracks.

The practical effects and action look great, the CG is a real eyesore though. Luckily, the fights get crazier and zanier as the film progresses, so at least the CG is pretty functional. The cast is top notch and the pacing is slick even though the runtime is quite long. Solid blockbuster entertainment is Lau's strong suit, The Storm Riders is a perfect example.

That's pretty much what you're getting here. A very plain story about an undercover cop who starts to doubt his loyalty to his job. It's all pretty cliché, Jacky Cheung isn't really the man for the job either, but it goes through all the motions and it's clear that Lau took a few pointers from this film.

There are a few decent action scenes and some moody moments, I'm pretty sure core genre fans probably won't be disappointed by this film either, it's just that Hong Kong/Andrew Lau made way better action thrillers. To Live and Die in Tsimshatsui is decent but generic genre work, nothing more, nothing less.

Unless you've been living in a cave for the past two years, you're probably already familiar with the plot, even when this film isn't very interested in giving a proper, historically correct recount of the events. Early 2020 the corona virus suddenly hits Wuhan, a state of emergency is declared, and the hospitals do their very best to get a grip on the pandemic.

There's hardly a coherent plot, characters merely exist to symbolize the Chinese spirit, the way China handled the beginning of the pandemic is described as some kind of incredible success story and there's not a single ounce of critique or self-reflection. A film like this is really in bad taste, I generally don't care too much about a little extra heroism in films, but this was just utterly insane and completely tone-deaf.