An uneasy mix of straining comedy, annoying character dubbing and often times cruel, Chang Cheh-esque violence populates this largely youth cast kung fu comedy. These kids can definitely move and some even adapt well to on-screen fighting. Attributes that add up to only rare glimpses into good choreography and despite director Tong filling the short running time with lots of action, many participants look awkward in probably their first and only major film role. The Little Hero of Shaolin Temple is easy to get through for sure but when during the climax the monks turn into suicide bombers, you can't help by feeling a little disturbed afterwards.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com

A group of acrobatic and kung fu gifted kids, led by a select few adults, are on the run from forces hell bent on seeing them brought... to their death presumably. Probably. Key. Enter Fok (Chin Kar-Lok) who is on his way to collect a debt and meet his designated wife but he gets entangled in this unintelligible mess. In fact, Chin Kar-Lok and the whole production in terms of its fight action-aspect surprises early on with some extended, energetic brawls and as Chin shows off his quick self, something might just turn out to be underrated in this rather medium sized production. But epic brawls turns out to be a recipe Little Hero On The Run can't build upon and instead the little yet still unintelligible plot gives way to heavy-duty comedic shenanigans with even more puzzling results. When predictably going big on us with the fighting finale, high concept from the action director can't be translated into viewable flow. Much is too quick-cut and despite the more than sporadic flashes of Chin Kar-Lok's and also Ben Lam's brilliance, it's unfortunately easy to forget their contribution. Very easy. Co-directed by Tenky Tin who played Iron Shirt in Shaolin Soccer.

Under the producing- and writing skills of Ann Hui and John Chan, Allen Fong returned after a 7 year absence, shooting A Little-Life Opera in China. And much feels familiar as Fong's static camera tells a whole lot but it gets him into a little into trouble this time around as it takes a while for even the low-key storytelling to ignite. When it does, we're treated to quite a compelling view on the aspects of opera within a poor performing troupe. Childhood love blossoms again between characters of now different financial status and Fong confidently captures how the decline of traditional Peking opera makes the older generation hesitant to pass the talent onto the young. If you've appreciated what Allen stylistically put into his prior movies, A Little-Life Opera won't disappoint. It's not as perfect, that's its problem. With Winston Chao and Yeung Kwai Mi.

Buy the VCD at:
Yesasia.com

KENNETH'S REVIEW: Something new, something light, something different, something safe made by Zhang Yuan in the form of Little Red Flowers? In the end, he chooses to keep up appearances by keeping his train of thoughts of thinking for yourself, oppose systems and not become a robot. The theme is represented by a daycare consisting of Government Official children in post-revolution Beijing and its free thinker is new arrival Qiang (a brilliant Bowen Dong) who is immediately at odds with the strict system that has its "rewards" in the form of little red flowers. Zhang Yuan does step back from a loose, documentary style often associated with his works (and he was a documentarian once to boot) to deliver a slick frame but nothing at the expense of losing who he is. No, style is amped to suitable degree instead, mostly through the usage of low angles to represent the world view of the children. Some of them being very well immersed in the well-oiled machine of the daycare where basically robots are bred. It's not even thinking outside of the box that is Zhang's concern, it's the about the option to think period! If you don't, you get the privilege of being totally stressed out, publicly humiliated and sporadically you see total apathy/evil grow in the kids thanks to the system. The kids don't know, the adults barely either. It's a system.

In a very sparsely plotted movie, we do wonder if Zhang is going to have Qiang perform his revolution, bring some with him or is it just a snapshot of a kid not possessing tuned decision-making but at least have one tuned instinct? It IS complex, it is rather dark and uncompromising the Zhang Yuan-way. Only now his subjects open up a more breezy, comedic tone that still has its reason for transforming the way it does come end time.

Possibly the worst Brigitte Lin movies from her Taiwan days, this is neither romantic or melodramatic. It's a farce comedy and it clearly shouldn't have been attempted by this cast & crew not skilled at conveying the comedic language of misunderstandings and charades. In short, among others Lin and male lead O Chun-Hung are drawn into lies about characters being pregnant and Lin posing as his wife due to his real life being a mad busy one triggers all sorts of paths where this charade gets longer and more tiresome as the movie goes on.

Buy the VCD at:
Yesasia.com

Liu Jai (Home for the Intimate Ghosts) was one of the Cat III efforts that followed in the wake of the success of Erotic Ghost Story (that based its plot on the same collection of stories as Liu Jai), a production that not so much exuded quality in itself but was understandably commercially viable. While it doesn't have the babe factor of said effort, Liu Jai (Home for the Intimate Ghosts) ends up, quality-wise, alongside it.

It's all dangerously stage play-esque for the longest of time and really lacks a full on narrative all up till the reveal of the ghost angle. Not even that is expanded upon further outside of the quest for humanity through sex for these demons but do you need anything else if you've decided to look up this movie? Answer is clearly no and with large amount of sex, nudity, a little bit of torture, a little bit of graphic violence, dopey comedy and a hokey special effects climax, Liu Jai (Home For The Intimate Ghosts) is a success within the realms of its genre. Starring Lam Man-Yuen, Elsie Chan, Charlie Cho (as a rather mediocre demon hunter) and Chong Fat.

The quest for money after falling down hard, with a pretty repulsive character in the lead, Long & Winding Road may have spoken to its local audience more but most other viewers will indeed find it to be a long road. Lam Chiu-Wing (Leslie Cheung) loses his job as an insurance agent after scamming people for money, tries to establish a new business using his friend's (characters played by Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Dayo Wong and Michael Wong) money but ultimately causing more hurt. Using sly tactics, he gets a job in the real estate business though where encounters with employee Winnie (Rosamund Kwan) and money hungry boss (Kenneth Tsang) will get Lam to a point where a real estate deal will cause harm to his friends again...

Slight morality tale and despite Leslie Cheung playing such an unlikeable character, the Gordon Chan co-penned script is clear in structure. Problem is neither of what's at the top, middle and end has any points of interest, even when wisely focusing on essentially only the two male leads who provides decent energy at times. When Long & Winding Road also runs for a way to generous 104 minutes, it's hard to look past shortcomings as you desperately want to get past the movie.

Buy the DVD at:
Yesasia.com

The Hong Kong police comes up with a new tactic in catching brutal gangs and that is to bring in a trio of Mainlanders (Elvis Tsui, Ben Lam and Yuen Yat-Chor) to go undercover alongside cop Biggy (Alex Man)...

Watching edited highlights from the seminal Long Arm Of The Law right at the very beginning, that is the sole connection which is risky and unnecessary because quality has dropped quite a bit compared to Johnny Mak's original. Even with writer Phillip Chan on board again, no underlying politics or character depth manages to come alive to an acceptable extent and we're left with a standard effort. However the piece flows fine and Chin Yuet-Sang's directed violence is tough and bloody. Out of the actors Elvis Tsui and Alex Man bring good presence to the table, making notions of lowly status as an undercover cop and Mainlander respectively take on an actual meaning. Kong Lung, Ng Hoi-Tin (also in the original) Pauline Wong, Wong Chi-Keung and another Wong Chi-Keung with the English name Kirk (acclaimed director of Organized Crime & Triad Bureau and Gunmen and here logging one of his patented rascal performances) also appear.

This is what you get when scraping the bottom of the Category III, softcore porn barrel... 80 minutes of waste, almost toxic. Opening with a shower scene for no apparent reason other than making doubtful viewers stay for one extra minute, Long Hot Summer (aka Love Must be Crazy) in a very boring way subsequently gives us the world's most off-putting striptease, throws in some nonsense plot about a rival model company stealing a commercial ad script and nothing gets better from this point. No pace, no means to spice up the frame with at least editing or suitable music (prepare to be stunned when you hear the lowest of the low stock music chosen here). Crummy locations means crummy, long sex scenes with not even a hint of steam, Charlie Cho gets his obligatory chance to perform in a rape scene, Shum Wai and Ku Feng cashes a very minor check and the most thankful you are as a viewer comes during a 10 minutes period when the English subtitles go missing. It's an excuse to fast-forward! Also with Tsui Man-Wah who despite a wonderful performance in Temptation Summary II looks as lost as everyone else here.

Buy the DVD at:
Yesasia.com

Outside of a jet ski chase and some very slight gunplay, there's nothing to suggest that this lighthearted caper comes from the usually dark mind of Ringo Lam, returning to comedy for the first time since the 1980s. I welcome versatility but when there's only the occasional glimpse of inspired comedy and action, one can almost imagine the mainstream minded Johnnie To (who produced) himself in the directing chair and the result would've been equally stale. What it really boils down to is a select bunch of good to so-so actors (Shu Qi, Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Hui Siu-Hung, Ruby Wong) and some not so talented (Andy On, Raymond Wong, Chapman To) enjoying the Malaysian sun and acting relatively silly. While semi-amusing at times and giving us some wild characteristics for Simon Yam's flamboyant villain, the proceedings are in the end rather unimpressive and disposable. Which is not a grade I'd want to lay on a Hong Kong film by Ringo Lam.

Buy the DVD at:
Yesasia.com