KENNETH'S REVIEW: Very much bombastic it seems as the flick sends out Asian soldiers into war during the last months of the Vietnam conflict. Politics, melodrama and feeble romance take center stage and are elements this production simply isn't good at. No, it's thrashy and gory elements for the exploitation crowd that reigns supreme here but these tremendous sequences are far too few. What we get however, in this narrative that really is all over the place, are torture sequences involving acid poured into a brain with the poor fella on the receiving end subsequently jumping out of his skin and stomachs being slowly sawed to pieces (all mostly thanks to Fan Mei-Sheng's character). It's nothing less than a triumphant, jaw-dropping experience at points. But swinging back to the hopelessness of the time portrayed in the film, Last Breath continues to remain clueless. Extract the highlights instead and it'll end up playing favourably. Starring Chin Han while Dorian Tan and Chan Sing also appear. The Jungle Heat edit of the movie (prepared at the same time) contains footage with Sam Jones (Flash Gordon) and Christopher Doyle. Compromising mostly of training sequences featuring the Asian cast as well, the director credit is here Jobic Wong.

Having escaped the burned city of Hsianyang, the Princess, her bodyguard Chen (Tien Yeh) and his daughter enlist the help of two conmen/swordsmen (one being actor Suen Yet) to get safely through the sneaky lands covered with enemy forces. Since the Princess carries with her a case of gold, the conmen sees an opportunity but it's not easy to be sneaky around apt bodyguard Chen. With a tense style and refined skill, director Lin Fu-Di does the Taiwan tradition of Wuxia filmmaking proud. The Last Day Of Hsianyang thankfully treats its story small despite being set against a larger backdrop and the various settings (such as thick forests) are admirably stylish and atmospheric. Central performance from Tien Yeh comes with fine weight too as a theme of sacrifice for country begins to ring true in a valid way and while the film can be a slow trek, it has quite a distressing emotional effect on you. Much due to the human characters and the action being brutal. An effect achieved thanks to fine build up before any swords are drawn.

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Suen (Alex Man) is framed by born to be supremely über evil cop Ken (Karel Wong) and is blessed with a 3 year prison sentence. Upon his release, Suen tries to steer his life in the right direction when moving in with an old friend (Dicky Cheung, playing it dramatically straight which some of us aren't used to. It's a welcome change from the drooling idiot from The Black Panther Warriors) and newly found girlfriend with a shadowy secret. Prone to violence, Suen's hopes and dreams will obviously be crushed by Ken, who also happens to be the boyfriend of Suen's neighbour (Rosamund Kwan)...

From a relatively inexperienced main film crew, The Last Duel doesn't benefit from its overwrought drama, Rosamund Kwan in a flower vase role or the low-budget. However Alex Man comes through with an affecting performance that despite its melodramatic excursions is worthwhile. All this of course is at best fair dramatic cinema, a springboard for hysteric action and that Lau Chi-Ho graciously gives the production. Distressing and brutal prior to the final reel, the team comes through with what seems like a modest display of firepower due to the sparse number of characters involved in the scenarios but it definitely has raw power that has carried over from Man's performance. Plus Karel Wong is a great deal of fun in one of those 223% unsympathetic bad guy roles. Tommy Wong appears in support.

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On New Year's Eve 1999, the GV Broadway cinema is closing down. A few last visitors come but are refused exit privileges as the ghosts decide to make a stand against the ill-treatment of their beloved cinema. A cute statement...

It's kind of criminal that deep inside Billy Chung's Last Ghost Standing manages to somehow work. Directing with a hyperactive sense and "borrowing" scenes very literally from the likes of Evil Dead II, Alien and Trainspotting, it's not so much unique Hong Kong cinema madness on display (the elephant poop monster resides in that department though) but the familiarity and surprising visuals are entertaining strengths put forth by Billy. Fans of the works heavily referenced normally should be offended but the all round, low-budget combo becomes not only strangely appealing in its b-movie ways but also inoffensive. He does ask us to take the limp romance between Simon Loui (whose novel apparently this is an adaptation of) and Sherming Yiu very seriously though but amidst the sights that takes place around these two characters, Chung should tick the "failed" box of this main plot.

Wayne Lai steals the show as the on edge and eccentric usher while Pauline Suen, Amanda Lee, Angela Tong, Pinky Cheung, Francis Ng and Chin Kar-Lok also appear. The latter doning a role that is a rather cheap send-up of Jackie Chan.

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It's at times quite amusing to watch Jet Li (who at the time had walked away from the Once Upon A Time In China series after a falling out with Tsui Hark) as the stoic Wong Fei-Hung trying to deal with his goofy environment. Mostly however, it's tireless Wong Jing-esque comedy (that expression he won't get into an official dictionary anytime soon) on display, in combination with Yuen Woo-Ping's action-directing talents.

With its fun and extensive action, including a mad climax where Wong Fei Hung in a rooster suit takes on a group of fighters in centipede armour, Yuen secures the entertainment value of Last Hero In China. No doubt, the action choices will and should turn off viewers but if director Wong Jing wanted a sense of fun to this kind of new wave martial arts movie, with the help of Yuen Woo-Ping he succeeds. Gordon Lau takes on the villainous role in popular monk mode while Leung Kar Yan, Anita Yuen, Chong Fat, Dicky Cheung, Sharla Cheung and Nat Chan (as Mass Tar Wong, proprietor of the nearby brothel Wong Fei Hung's clinic Po Chi Lam happen to end up living beside) also appear.

Also known as Claws Of Steel and released in various versions of varying length (edit entitled Deadly China Hero is cut), of note is the UK dvd with an anamorphic transfer. Sadly the newly done subtitles are straight copies of the error riddled English cinema subs prepared for the Hong Kong print.

Yonfan's Rose was also known as Lost Romance, which would be more applicable to his 1988 drama in actuality. A tumultuous, splendid looking Jingle Ma photographed story of friendship, love, status and much in between, compared to the largely empty Rose, Last Romance scores competence points at least. Although told way too fragmented (by choice) at points, the all throughout beautifully photographed leads Cherie Chung and Maggie Cheung gives Yonfan's otherwise emotionally empty direction (his attempt at subtlety nails that verdict) some more resonance. Starting out with the quick meeting and quickly established friendship between So So (Chung) and Nancy (Cheung), their giddy crush on Japanese-Chinese Sung (Tsurumi Shingo) becomes a centerpoint brought up often in the epic narrative. Neither girl gets romantically engaged at their tender age but fairly immersing passages follow, concerning each character path. So So seems to be spiraling out of control as she's at one point a prostitute but gains marriage status before her best friend does. Nancy goes into fashion design and seems left out of any bliss so it's a classic thing of how you define your status. It's interesting therefore that both characters suffer, So So from being addicted to wealth and Nancy from being addicted to a friendship that needs to be there, regardless of how old the characters become. When focusing on the two, Yonfan gets the most of his story- and visual combo, although his ways rarely affects us truly. The asides, our subplots registers little however, including that of Sung's obsession with his girlFRIENDS So So and Nancy. Drawing comparisons to the spiral life development represents, issues of declining finance for Nancy's parents (father played by Lau Siu-Ming) merely takes up time rather than involves. Last Romance is definitely close to being pretentious drivel, driven only by an image thinker but the images are wonderful and compared to Rose, Yonfan manages to reach out a little anyway. Also with Stuart Ong, Michael Lai, and Kenneth Tsang.

KENNETH'S REVIEW: Unashamedly designed around half a dozen or so songs by Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui combined, the former plays successful singer Louie that cares little for consequence or responsibility. Although giving one of his dancers Anita (Mui) a chance at stardom, Louie's world does begin to break when his flirt Julia (Joey Wong) turns out to be his father's (Paul Chu) girlfriend. Louise takes refuge to Paris and at his most definite low, Vietnamese refugee Yu-Shieh (Cecilia Yip) picks him up...

Chor Yuen displays little fire that was evident in his glorious days at Shaw Brothers and this overwrought melodrama/commercial exercise is a pretty banal affair. Basically a musing on appreciating life, Chor Yuen rushes (and I mean sprints like a motherf*cker) through so many stages of it that he probably could've done an afterlife and reincarnation segment too if 5 minutes more was added. This means affection is nowhere near the flick, just basic filmmaking that turns the most embarrassing during a lengthy montage of loooovvvveee set to one of the songs. The late great Leslie and Anita have catchy tunes to share but are not coming off as genuine cinema icons just yet at this point. A little flick called Rouge took care of that. Charlie Cho and Hui Siu-Hung also appear.

Notable for being the first Cinema City production and founders Dean Shek, Karl Maka and Raymond Wong didn't waste any time acknowledging one profile that many Hong Kong cinema profiles have been inspired by; the one and only Charlie Chaplin. Unfortunately here essayed by the one and only Dean Shek.

Directed by John Woo, it features the better gimmick of his comedies and for some stretches of film isn't the biggest insult disguised as an homage. Woo goes for the under cranked motion, classic silent comedy routines and even obnoxious Dean Shek keeps somewhat in character. Whether or not the entire film has routines "stolen" from Charlie Chaplin I don't know but there's really only novelty value for a few minutes in this Woo film. Barely amusing, not much of a laughing time and more than a little overlong becomes the verdict ultimately. Somewhat fun to spot typical Woo inclusions though, this time involving religious imagery and an early Hong Kong screen image of one of Woo's idols, Alain Delon. Wu Ma, Wong Wai and Karl Maka co-stars.

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Partly a musical, largely a loud Hong Kong period farce generating NO laughter, Mo Chun (Sam Hui) returns to re-connect with his brother Mo Tai Long (Ng Man-Tat). Intruding greatly and having a bit of a drinking problem, Tai Long and wife Poon Gam Lin (Teresa Mo) do their best to get rid of their talkative guest. Otherwise also being con artists, their next con involves playboy Simon Hing (Ricky Hui). Trying to fool him into seducing Tai Long and then blackmailing him, the con goes beyond that and then some, even involving healer Ms. Wong (Lydia Shum) who with the power of Christ rips sick body parts out of ill folks...

A setup with enough craziness to entertain, in front of the camera Clifton Ko instead gathers up folks to appeal to the common man and woman rather than creating something genuinely witty or funny. So shout, act all waaaaacky, sing, reference modern aspects such as English language, triads, cigarettes and the deal is done apparently. For those of us actually after basic entertainment, not even the elaborate parody of the novel Jin Ping Mei (with Ricky Hui as Ximen Qing and this novel was the subject for The Forbidden Legend Sex & Chopsticks movies by Cash Chin as well) amuses. Teresa Mo is incredibly cute and the synch sound is a plus though. Also with James Wong, Raymond Wong, Tommy Wong and Frankie Ng.

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There's differences in the way Danny Lee approaches the portrayal of justice. You'll get something like Twist that advocates all kinds of torture and you get The Law Enforcer from this period that is way more tuned and balanced. Although not particularly memorable, Lee's take on the vigilante tale is handled straight at least. Lung Ming-Yan (A Better Tomorrow II) plays Kent, a former cop diagnosed with epilepsy but is looking to make it back into the only profession he knows. He can't stop his urges to stop justice in front of him though and the police has to face pressure from superiors and public about the person out there "interfering". In the eyes of Anna (Betty Mak) he is a saviour though...

The concerns are largely Public Service Announcement-like in nature, designed to favour the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and while this is valid, director Lee has a problem creating well-paced cinema from it. Possessing good opportunities to be elite material, the story of Kent is handled well and only after half an hour Lee's character knows who he is but stands by him as a loyal brother, hoping he'll get his reinstatement. Structurally he's got to prove himself though and the robbery plot headed by Ricky Yi and Shing Fui-On's brutal characters does play into the uncertain hands of the film. Compared to the vague subplot of Kent and Anna, to have the character go these expected ways is more favourable. While possessing edge, tension and bloodshed during it's fairly long climax, The Law Enforcer is effective as an idea but won't ever enlighten truly. See Law With Two Phases or No Compromise instead for the elite material. Parkman Wong, Ken Lo and Ben Lam also appears.