# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Point The Finger Of Death (1977) Directed by: Chin Sheng-En

Also known as One Arm Chivalry Fights Against One Arm Chivalry, this may be another Jimmy Wang Yu one-armed movie but it lacks the fury and grit of his older films (especially when directing himself). Simple but also a bit too complicated for its own good, it's a Ming vs Ching story with another one-armed swordsman (Lau Kar-Wing) stirring up trouble and making Wang Yu's brothers turn against him. Solid swordplay and an intense finale between Wang Yu and Lung Fei involving water and flour makes this tolerable but not essential viewing early in your fandom of anyone involved here.

Poison Rose (1966) Directed by: Pan Lei

It comes and goes without much consequence in your life but Shaw Brothers essentially making Wang Hsieh James Bond (complete with gadgets) chasing a drug smuggling syndicate is fairly good fun. Especially so because of the cool demeanor Wang brings and his playful interaction with female lead Julie Yeh.

Police Confidential (1995) Directed by: Raymond Lee

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.

Buy the VCD at:
Yesasia.com

Police Story (1985, Jackie Chan)

Winner of Best Picture and Action Design at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Jackie Chan's mixture of stunts, fights and comedy remains ageless and to a degree distressing to watch. After failing to break into the US market again with The Protector, clearly Chan had fire in his belly and an idea how to deliver a modern action-movie on his terms. The result is a fine merger of creative instincts, inspiration and a willingness to bleed and hurt for cinematic spectacle. That he does, giving us awe-inspiring and scary looking stunts such as the shantytown-destruction, clinging onto a speeding bus using an umbrella that culminates in a stunt gone wrong and Jackie's stuntmen hitting the pavement (a shot he completed despite watching his guys fall and it's the take used in the movie). Feeling as energized via comedic sequences involving a dozen or so phones, faking an attack on a key witness (Brigitte Lin) and the seemingly always on the brink of derailing kind of relationship he has with Maggie Cheung, these are fun stretches to carry the basic story. But the most important content is Chan's evolving on-screen action here, with loud and somewhat gritty gunplay being demonstrated as well as intensity and power within fight action that evokes friend Sammo Hung (but with the added nature of stunts and falls at the end of it). With the finale at the shopping mall combining all of this, a raging animal in Chan and tons of broken glass, Police Story is still incredibly special as well as clever enough to know what plays with local audiences. Some knew what to expect but then Jackie gave Hong Kong cinema HIS police story and a new legendary chapter was finalized. Until another one was completed subsequently.

Police Story 2013 (2013, Ding Sheng)

Proof that the collaboration between Jackie Chan and director Ding Sheng in Little Big Solider wasn't a fluke, they return with a solid and unexpected outing that perhaps shouldn't have carried the Police Story-name though. Essentially a one location hostage-thriller, Ding Sheng sets it up as his own voice in commercial filmmaking but an accessible one for the audience after a digestible event. So establishing a daddy-daughter conflict, a path to redemption and a slowly unveiled puzzle regarding the possible relevancy of the hostages to an event in bad guy Liu Ye's life, much of this is played in a suitably, underplayed manner. Plus Jackie has decent and tense one on one's with Liu Ye and all without resorting to any light hearted or instantly recognizable Jackie Chan style. That part is mostly shed except for a possibly late addition in the form of a cage match but it's a welcome balance overall. Jackie has often said he wants to be the actor and in between his many projects even at his age, the skill and then some is there. Disappointment can be expected due to the title but getting past that, a fairly effective thriller where you forget about the action-actor and focus on the character is present. It should've been called 'Crime Story 2013' though. Released in the US as Police Story: Lockdown.

Police Woman (1973, Chu Mu)

Unlike his early roles in The Cub Tiger From Kwangtung and Not Scared To Die, Jackie Chan's role (or mole) in Police Woman seemingly wasn't exploited until home video where it became widely known as Rumble In Hong Kong.

Hu Chin leaves a purse with incriminating evidence against a drug smuggling gang in Charlie Chin's taxi and they'll stop at nothing trying to get it back. Low budget and set against the modern Hong Kong backdrop, attempts are made to make this feel gritty and real through location work and style of fight action. However the only positive to this attempt is the lean 80 minute running time but this is otherwise amateurish. If you tune in for Jackie Chan, you get an average fighting showcase (co-choreographed by the man) with lots of swinging arms and kicking that does not translate to power. A few car stunts of note does not help either. In an amusing piece of irony, mid movie Charlie Chin and his fellow taxi colleagues engage in a debate on drugs, sex and violence in books and movies in a strangely forced piece of commentary from makers of such entertainment. Yuen Qiu stars as the titular police woman who shines in HER action scenes however and was deserving of her own movie. Here was the spark that brought Police Woman to the level of pedestrian at least.

Pom Pom (1984) Directed by: Joe Cheung

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.

Buy the DVD at:
Yesasia.com

Pom Pom And Hot Hot (1992) Directed by: Joe Cheung

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.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com

Pom Pom Strikes Back! (1986) Directed by: Teddy Yip

The last of the Pom Pom movies with the screen duo of Richard Ng and John Shum (1992's Pom Pom And Hot Hot featured neither of them), it's the usual unscripted, skit mess that feels less so because of strong chemistry and amusing tone. The little plot there is concerns the two protecting a witness (May Lo) from an assassin (Michael Chan). Rest of the filler is more evidence that Beethoven has the brain of an 8 year old, there's a faulty cancer diagnosis made, misunderstandings, threatened friendship and quite excellent action scenes mixing hard falls and creativity within the chase scenarios (especially the opening Indiana Jones style hostage rescue, orchestrated by Stephen Tung and Benz Kong). Also with Deannie Yip, Wu Ma, Phillip Chan and Dennis Chan.

Porky's Meatballs (1987, Clifton Ko)

Not a Hong Kong take on the R-rated and usually naughty Porky's-series, there's a lot to question in Ko's film and it indeed starts with the title. Otherwise this comedy about a class of slackers playing pranks on each other and eventually playing one prank too many is an intolerable mess. Compelling stars (Loletta Lee chief among them), 80s vibe and a rapid pace to said pranks proves that the movie is very scattered and lacking in focus. Plus cheap and bad jokes about obesity, AIDS and homosexuals doesn't earn Ko any goodwill either. There is a cartoony thread where the pretty boy (Stephen Ho) gets his comeuppance time and time again but in an increasingly dangerous manner that manages to amuse but the filmmakers thinks this is too easy. Plus, it's really an adult's view on what youths do (and what youths do on film). Yep, they have no idea or any idea about commercialism either clearly. Also with Teddy Yip, Ku Feng, Lisa Chiao and Nadia Chan.

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