This thriller about police corruption with cop Lui (Simon Yam) stuck in the middle hasn't got anything surprising to tell but gains a decent amount of momentum thanks to Raymond Lee's neat stylish flourishes, with a noir twist. A nice little insight into his train of thought when not under the watchful eye of Tsui Hark. Also starring Linda Wong, Carrie Ng and Zhang Feng Yi.

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A successful buddy cop comedy pairing of Richard Ng and John Shum that would extend to 4 movies, the Sammo Hung produced effort can't pride itself on being very involving but being scattershot makes it survive somewhat still. A very thin plot about gang boss Sha (Peter Chan Lung) chasing a ledger with incriminating evidence, a murder is largely hidden under the various sketch scenarios the duo takes part in. Ranging from scamming people for money, food, being largely incompetent as police officers (except the opening scene) trying to score with the opposite sex, there's nothing wrong with the energy of Ng and Shum but they rarely generate the gut busting laughters either. Much better when dealing with more darkly comical sections (like mistakenly interrogating the relative of a murder victim but thinking she's a rape victim) and physical comedy, the final 20 pick up the pace in that department including the action ending vs. the thugs. Featuring surprisingly violent sections but also concepts suited for the comedy performers, it's a lasting highlight. Also with Deannie Yip as Ng's love interest, Chung Faat, Tai Bo, Phillip Chan and Dick Wei. Blink and you'll miss them, Sammo Hung, Charlie Chin, Stanley Fung, Mars, Lam Ching-Ying and Jackie Chan turn up in cameos.

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Unrelated to the Pom Pom films starring Richard Ng and John Shum, Joe Cheung returns to the directing chair but makes the worst of the two movies contained within Pom Pom And Hot Hot, giving us off the wall humour (or rather off the plot humour) that interacts little to not at all with the minute gangster plot. Filler like mahjong playing, urine throwing, and limp romance logically actually fills the time, albeit in a devastatingly, boring manner while the pairing of Jacky Cheung and Stephen Tung is a failed one. Cheung is briefly a good energizer bunny to Tung's straight man and if Pom Pom And Hot Hot could've stuck to a strict buddy cop-formula, it wouldn't have been as much of a chore.

However action directors Stephen Tung and Benz Kong takes over at select points and the ending, thus creating a fine reference material for the heroic bloodshed genre. It turns into fantasy scenarios, evident in the incredible acrobatics of the Lam Ching Ying character but the 90s cannon of gunplay Hong Kong action benefited from these ventures, even in Wong Jing's films. No one will blame you for skipping the first 80 minutes of this one though. Also with Alfred Cheung and Rachel Lee in a supporting double act not too distanced from Her Fatal Ways, only with Cheung in command this time. Austin Wai and Bonnie Fu appears as well.

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The ghosts are angry at past sins so as per usual, the next generation has to deal with what once was done. This is inflicted upon two cops (Siu Yuk-Lung and Lau Siu-Ming)...

From a busy year in the horror genre in Hong Kong (entries included The Boxer's Omen, The Rape After and Devil Fetus), David Lai's content can't compete as it's neither intense enough or as persistent in the horror stakes, which is all it has going for it really. The running time is easy to conquer however because whenever nastiness rears its head, Lai makes sure it stays in ours as well, in particular a skinning sequence that may or may not be an illusion. Throw in some unwarranted sex scenes, ghostly rape and a requisite battling back against the spirits and you got yourself a fairly good time despite. David shouldn't be faulted for taking the material seriously as even The Rape After did that but he can't punch as hard, that's for sure. Irene Wan and Wong Yat-Fei also appear.

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Micro-budget flirt with exploitation that is one of the "better" examples of how you string together non-existing and very different plots. Joining ends are the plots about triad Tang San (Ken Tong) fleeing from Mainland police and being taken in by Chang Lu, the mistress of Taiwanese businessman Wu Yimin (Peter Yang). Tang tends to his wounds and leaves a victimized Chang Lu. Because being mistress of Wu means being in his grip. Therefore physical and psychological abuse is the order of the day thanks to rapes and Wu forcing her to lie in bed while he has sex with another. What a guy. At some point, enough is enough however...

The meeting of Tang San and Chang Lu feels coincidental on a suitable level but mixing scenes of gunplay and the tragic drama behind Chang Lu's fate in the world is patchwork. It could've been two movies as it's very crudely connected, ending in a cheap courtroom type of end reel. What's slightly fun is how Yeung Jing pushes the limits of the Category II rating but it's not akin to being clever. He knows a bit about intensity but otherwise it's all about NOT featuring nudity and cutting away from other graphic sights. Also with William Ho.

KENNETH'S REVIEW: Lead Siu Yuk-Lung returns in this unrelated sequel to what really was somewhat of Hong Kong's answer to Poltergeist. In the end not pouring on as much intensity and creativity, the results in the sequel with nods to The Exorcist and An American Werewolf In London exceeds Lai's "original" work by many miles. Despite our lead being the biggest asshole you can find as he cheats on his wife and treats her bad in general, we're not after character-investment. We're after the sights and Possessed II gives us plenty low-budget horror to chew on. Acid attacks, werewolf transformations are among the concepts that can be looked upon as cheesy but the crew decides to not go about it the silly way. They just do it and manage to amp the horrific end effect to spooky and scary ways very often. It's a healthy exercise in genre moviemaking, especially the exemplary finale that throws the unexpected and creative at the viewer in maximum overdrive. The Hare Krishna monks supplying the high technology to fight the possession is an unusual touch as well. Pauline Wong also appears.

Unfortunately as presented on dvd by Joy Sales, the film is quite heavily cut compared to other Hong Kong video versions.

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Set during the early days of the Republic, Hu (Eddy Ko) hires noble postman Ma (Leung Kar-Yan), pickpocket Yao Jie (Yuen Yat-Chor), kung fu fighting conman Fu (Chow Yun-Fat) and explosive expert Bu (Fan Mei-Sheng) to transport several cases with secret content across the harsh, cold Chinese landscapes (although reportedly, the film was shot in Korea). There are forces out there that are hellbent on intercepting the party though...

Most notably an early effort by Ronny Yu and rare martial arts role for Chow Yun-Fat, this Golden Harvest production has several things going for it. The group of characters is a compelling mix of actors and the Korean landscape is captured in a competent way, leading to the desired epic grandeur that director Yu is striving for. The Postman Fights Back does suffer due to the colorless surroundings unfortunately enveiling the film in a too much sedated atmosphere for the most part. Several nods to Westerns, expected themes of brotherhood and patriotism is baked in there, as well as some unexpected narrative beats yet the film registers overall merely as a recommended viewing to experience established cinema legends early on.

Action directed by Yuen Cheung Yan and Yuen Shun-Yee (with Yuen Woo-Ping producing), there's mostly an emphasis on placing the action in Chow Yun-Fat's hands. A charming presence no doubt and while he performs most of his choreography, it's only sporadically that Chow is able to shine. A set piece involving ice skating villains is an inspired idea in itself as well as a weapon of choice being a scarf for Chow's character. Definitely the most fun the otherwise somber film offers. Cherie Chung co-stars but is sadly rather unnoticeable.

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The webmaster's favourite Mainland Chinese film and the one that truly defines the expression "criminally simplistic", when discussing this particular style of Chinese cinema. Hou Jianqi's masterpiece of low-key, extremely clearly told subtleties only seems to get better over the years.

Basically a giant walk and talk dealing with a transition of a humble profession from father to son, the joys of Postmen In The Mountains is to discover every new facet within every frame that Huo presents. It's a crowded piece but concrete in every sense of the word, meaning our director may have staged his film simplistically but focused on the many tiny details that manages to add up to a masterpiece. With spellbinding cinematography and a soundtrack evoking atmosphere of the Chinese landscape, Postmen In The Mountains will continue to produce universal, heartwarming magic wherever it's screened. Starring feature debuting Liu Ye (The Floating Landscape) and Ten Rujun (Red Sorghum)

The film received Golden Rooster Awards for Best Film and Best Actor (Ten Rujun).

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Even when only concerning himself with action, there's often very little to come out of a Phillip Ko directed flick. Oh Killer's Romance and Angel's Mission offer up their share of quality but with Power Connection, proceedings in that department are super stale so no wonder the rest is unbearable. With a Filipino actor and a fairly engaged Yukari Oshima teaming up, matters are muddled, broadly comic and it's quite embarrassing to see Ko attempting drama, triangles and painting it all in blood in an effort to be felt. Not even with Godfrey Ho on board there's hilarity to be found aside from some over anxious gangsters pulling guns whenever they're NOT threatened, mullets and a piece of religious imagery that will have you go "Wow" due to the way it's suddenly injected. Lo Lieh appears in a small role.

Gam Biu plays a wealthy man who signs off his entire fortune to his newly appointed maid (Lui Lee), something that doesn't sit well with the son and his wife. The natural thing to do is to contact assassins, including a sexy one (Suen Tong) with a nymphomaniac touch. Yep, you know we're in adult territory here and thanks to the turn of events from rather cheap, dull material to wild, sexy one, Power Of Love suffices as yet another Hong Kong skin flick. Especially so since the characters involved change loyalties, violence escalates to the point where character gets her breasts shot. Good times and although someone wants the English title to bear meaning within this spiral of violence, there's no points to be had there. Sex, guns, girls, no budget and a Hong kong exercise in adding spice in sufficient ways, that's the power present here. Wong Yue choreographs action and appears briefly.