KENNETH'S REVIEW: More executive director's Stanley Tong and Dang Tak-Wing's work is felt on this the third installment of Teresa Woo's series of films. That's surely because Woo still remained on the sidelines producing and writing in actuality, something that was the case for the first movie according to hkcinemagic's interview with action director Tony Leung. There's no need for a storyteller though, just a guiding hand to make sure this comes off as a mostly Thailand bound James Bond adventure. Gadgets and stock villains with their pets along with international flavour is evident, even down to the casting of a Caucasian member of the angel group called Computer. Still, it's the Hong Kong influence that reigns, leaving out potentially a varied character action assault but Moon Lee and Alex Fong carry the torch pretty well. Fong/stunt doubles take part in a dangerous car chase through a marketplace, a hard hitting kickboxing match and gets jetpacks to play with during the finale. The latter being quite the insane, wonderful moment to surprise with during the standard gunplay. Moon isn't by any stretch of the imagination doing reference work but jacks up the intensity level of the film via several bouts with multiple characters at once. She's curiously left out of the climax though, showing filmmakers thinking more of desire than logic.

Credited at the Hong Kong Movie Database as co-director, Godfrey Ho's presence is certainly felt in the casting of it all as a bunch of awkward Western performers come and go, some more familiar than others (Mark Houghton, Abbott among others). What Angel Enforcers clearly is however is afterburner fuel courtesy of Angel and a designed intro around our quartet of girls with guns (Sharon Yeung leading the pack) where they all get an op to pose leads into a cheap vehicle that merely wants to crush and punish. Scattered with not too much painful intervals of comedy and drama are some quite heavy duty, painful stunt work (I'm willing to bet Ridley Tsui took the jump from a bridge and then bounced off two cars) and lead Yeung fights ferociously as the tough cookie of a chick she is. A fair success then and some well-spent money (or not) on these insane stuntmen means we, as padding, have to endure the shenanigans of naughty, rich boy Charlie Cho who at one point is left in the caring hands of American gay porn stars! Dick Wei also appears as the brutal force he can be at the best of times but the narrative choice to focus on the righteous brotherhood between him and Phillip Ko's character actually switches sympathy attention away from where it's supposed to be. Very odd. Ha Chi-Jan (Eastern Condors), Wu Fung and Walter Tso also appear.

KENNETH'S REVIEW: Showcasing an arsenal early and eventually packing a decent punch in the action-stakes, Phillip Ko won't have anyone interested in experiencing his bare minimum plot at regular speed. No, the fast forward button is your friend in this story of friendships and connections on both sides of the law. Seeing Yukari Oshima actually speak Japanese for once is fun. As is a strange scene with Alfred Cheung demanding AIDS should not enter Japan but little makes sense but the pain, mayhem and hard hitting nature in the action. It makes for a watch that perhaps reaches 20 minutes at normal speed. Dick Wei and Ha Chi-Jan (Eastern Condors) also appear.

KENNETH'S REVIEW: Dire Moon Lee/Sibelle Hu actioner set in Malaysia. A simple delivery mission of a criminal and a computer disc goes wrong and the female duo from Hong Kong has to stick with the Malaysia setting. This mean some culture clashes and an unwilling bond via handcuffs with a thief (Benny Lai). Shame about the suckage in a way because director Cheung introduces an unusual hero early. I.e. an older, slightly obese kickass cop but as he's killed off, we put our hopes into Lee and Hu. Utilized very poorly and within choppy action, there's minor one-take wonders with Lee but remainder of Angel's Project bores. Laughable "highlights" include the world's slowest car chase, piss jokes and a jungle setting with sneaky traps bound to come out during the finale. Jimmy Lung as a crooked cop isn't even allowed to act up a storm.

Barely a blimp made locally and barely making a blimp as a movie, Angel Terminators main attraction, the action, takes a while to fully get going but by the end you'll have an image in your head of who the female equivalent of Jackie Chan would be. Namely Sharon Yeung. Clinging to cars while shooting guns, sliding down poles, performing a finale stunt worthy of the rewind button and in general kicking ass, surrounding her is some story strands about the take down of gangster Ken (a thoroughly evil Kenneth Tsang). Connecting Carrie Ng, her husband, cops Sharon Yeung and Kara Hui to all of this, add a key gambling debt, Tsang urinating on Carrie Ng, forced drug addiction and you indeed get a sense the dark detours the flick takes... thankfully. It's thoroughly compelling, adds an edge to the subsequent action and while the female duo's fight with Dick Wei is disappointingly a big nothing, mentioned finale is breathtaking and the film is another fine example of Hong Kong cinema not needing perfect pieces to add to a fine whole.

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Bearing no story connection to Angel Terminators, we're not really allowed to ponder that fact as we're thrown right into the action. No useless exposition or excuses to lead smoothly into the robbery scenario, directors Wong Jan-Yeung (Dreaming The Reality) and Chan Lau shows early where their focus will be at. Frequent and dependable fisticuffs interspersed with dependable, gory gunplay follows so Angel Terminators II has a slight edge over the average girls with guns-flick. However there is slightly interesting family- and relationship drama going on also, leading to some actual minor acting so the final package deal becomes a decent, little standout in the crowded genre. Starring Sibelle Hu, Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Jason Pai, Lo Lieh and Karel Wong.

Thoroughly lacking in inspiration and ambition, this Taiwanese kung-fu film slowy crawls towards its way too epic 90 minute running time. It actually does have ambition in the sense that it's a way too involved revenge story infested with an overabundance of characters. Despite attempts at making gritty fight scenes (one is set in rain) and Taiwanese favourites Lee I-Min and Lung Fei appearing, it's only the inevitable (it's signaled way beforehand) old man in a wheelchair fight at the end that sparks any feeling of creativity. The filmmakers may have only had that and decided to gamble all on that. It's a losing venture but at least it was a cool attempt.

One of the first ever released movies from the legendary Golden Harvest studios, on board from the getgo were cast & crew that came to create and participate in signature efforts from the studio. Director Wong Fung eventually got Hap Ki Do, Lady Whirlwind and When Taekwondo Strikes under his belt and leading lady Angela Mao continued to ignite the screen with ferocity in those efforts. With The Angry River, the sharp direction (and also writing) from Wong Fung creates an unexpected romp through conventions. Having Mao's character hunt for the black herb that is needed to cure her father, also looking for it are several swordsmen that more often than not won't conceal their shady behaviour. The titular river is one of many obstacles, a river literally on fire and it's this trek through hurdles that even brings in a creepy atmosphere to this particular world of martial arts. When monsters attack, we as a viewer feel surprised that it's THIS Golden Harvest churned out early on but we're on board. Maybe not for valid reasons but the way Wong Fung conducts himself later helps take The Angry River into classic status.

Injecting a true danger as many hunt for the herb in Mao's possession, a heroine drained of her powers and to boot a vulnerable heroine up for potentially being torn apart by the uncertainty of the world she's in, it's not high drama or too far from a genre vehicle but these features and tweaks of expectations are compelling aspects to the film. Not forgetting to spice things up with action, the latter third becomes a non-stop sword and gore exercise from action directors Sammo Hung and Han Ying-Chieh (both also appear in fighting roles). While prior duels have had the aura of actual danger and darkness, The Angry River isn't wrong in its judgment to travel a bit away from this atmosphere and even features forest duels not too distanced from A Touch Of Zen. Combination of danger and ride is pretty magical. Also with King Hu regular Pai Ying.

Although it has a 1979 copyright as well, that's presumably the date it was dubbed and released as Spirits Of Bruce Lee. Disappointingly though, little Bruceploitation-madness occur and the only spirits of Bruce Lee that gets evoked is via the Thailand setting from The Big Boss plus the often used half Jade-amulet plot. They don't even add Lee's war cries for Michael Chan in the dub. Instead, the film is an ordinary martial arts revenge story with no qualities to speak of. Partly, the aggravating dubbing of a consistently laughing character amuses.