As part of the gunplay ending is shown during the opening credits, it's clear Patrick Kong (A Man From Holland) is desperate to make the audiences stay. Fine...if you offered up quality during the very short running time and although the choice to throw us at breakneck speed into the plot about a prostitution ring, it's not only almost totally incoherent but devoid of entertainment that would make one want to sit through this Category III effort. Recognizable faces such as Ben Ng and William Ho only turn up to "act" and even Pauline Chan keeps her clothes on. Instead giving Chan the chance to come off as an action heroine, the stunt doubling is horrendous and Chan totally unappealing in that role. Multiple sex scenes lacking steam but not stock porn score register little and the moments that manage to do doesn't make the whole package worth it. Of note is a torture scene where a prostitute have maggots poured over her and cut material involves even more animals. Not nice but noticeable. One sex scene with Sharon Kwok has her under the influence of aphrodisiac presumably, basically raping men and women, making the film turn wacky all of a sudden! As quickly as it all starts, Sex For Sale also abruptly closes without us caring if that huge explosion at the end at all made sense.

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A Chinese teenage ghost story with as much complexity and depth that you would expect from the age group it features and for what crowd it's aimed for (again, teenagers). Despite, Lo Kim-Wah (Sunshine Cops) and producer Wong Jing seems persistent to make a dramatic mark here as attempts are made to inject pathos and somber moods into the fluffy romance. An admirable choice but one that can not escape the limited character drama that an effort like this works with. The instincts are correct however but should've been put to use in a story of more mature nature. Then perhaps the adult crowd would've reacted as well.

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One starring vehicle was all Chen Wo-Fu logged before his suicide at 24 and while The Shadow Boxer makes it clear we weren't dealing with a fully grown star, there was charisma in the real life Tai Chi champion. As part of the very proper martial arts values and morals of the film, there is occasional dramatic strength Chen is part of (dealing with tolerance within the Tai Chi style taught to him) but director Pau Hsieh-Li (co-director of Boxer From Shantung) merely churns out Shaw Brother's standards here. Attentive viewers may even draw parallels to the similar structure between this film and The Big Boss (Chen even had a passing resemblance to Bruce Lee). Yuen Woo-Ping co-directed the largely unspectacular action.

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a.k.a. The Spiritual Boxer Part II, a sequel in name only to Lau Kar Leung's groundbreaking directorial debut. It set the stage for the kung-fu comedy while also blending in elements of spirit boxing but ultimately in itself was an uneven effort. By 1979, when The Shadow Boxing came out, Snake In The Eagle's Shadow had firmly ignited the combination of comedy and martial arts and Lau Kar Leung's answer to all that definitely resonates better in movies like Mad Monkey Kung Fu and My Young Auntie. However, the hopping vampires makes their big entrance in Hong Kong cinema here in this a middle effort from Lau. It still means decently entertaining and Lau brings in familiar faces and elements from The Spiritual Boxer to an ever so slightly better comedic effect (such as the female sidekick, this time played by Wong Hang-Sau, who serves up the film's best comedy sequence when she's first familiarizing herself in the role as a corpse herder). As the drunken master, Lau Kar Wing's more substantial presence, compared to Chiang Yang's similar and disappointingly minor role in the The Spiritual Boxer, is welcome. Gordon Lau is also fun as the human masquerading as a vampire and most of Lau's regular players such as Lee Hoi Sang and Wilson Tong appear as well.

Lau's action directing, while accomplished obviously, never truly ignites and Wang Yu's Vampire Fist technique is more of a neat idea on paper rather than an exciting on screen fighting style. The Shadow Boxing and The Spiritual Boxer should be among your low priorities while exploring Lau Kar Leung's tremendous filmography as director and even he is allowed low-points.

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TROY'S REVIEW: Have you ever yearned to witness a sexy, lady ninja utilizing disco dancing as a combative ploy? Have you ever wanted to watch a man beheaded with a belt? Have you ever wished for a film in which a ninja is pursued around a forest by an seemingly intelligent, ninja seeking missile? Have you ever wanted to watch a 'women in prison' film featuring ninjas? No?! Erm... well just say for the sake of argument that you have, then this my friends is the film you've been waiting all your life for. Of course, it will subsequently come as little surprise to find the name Tomas Tang attached to this demented flick. Indeed, judging by his consistently deranged (but oh so much fun!) output, one has to wonder if Tang was perhaps, perpetually as high as a bloody kite! Ah... sadly they just don't make such joyously carefree crap like this these days... mores the pity. Also known as The Shadow Killers.

Chris Lee opens with some fairly elegant images to accompany his gangster story but soon it develops in that very thing, just another gangster story. This time set against the backdrop of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong with rebels trying to reclaim their land. Divided loyalties becomes the biggest plot point eventually. Lee tries to overcome his own shortcomings as a director through action but it barely registers as passable since dark cinematography, quick-cuts and close-ups are elements that dominate the fights. Things improve during the finale as the mayhem includes guns as well and our villain Damian Lau is a lot of fun to watch during these moments. Also with Roy Cheung and Vincent Wan.

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Criminally generic and designed simplistically to the T, this indie obviously doesn't care for making a mark on the genre. That's why it unashamedly features little story surprises, ranging from the coveted gold seal at the core of the story, brothers separated by birth only identifiable via half jade bracelets, drunken masters, the temptations of being a monk to moral values and further bla bla. While the production has invested in good acrobats that deliver the action choreography well when called upon to, Shaolin And Taichi needed to realize that it required some charisma somewhere. A few scenes being on the VERY truncated and illogical side doesn't help either.

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KENNETH'S REVIEW: Easy to sit through as it reaches just above the 70 minute mark but easy to dispose of and forget too, Shaolin Boxers was clearly never meant to be a standout coming from Golden Harvest. James Tien and fellow students protect the honor of their school and safety of their fellow villagers whilst fighting within boring Ching Siu-Tung choreography. Hon Gwok-Choi displays neat acrobatics in the sole worthwhile fight scene while Mars appears in a fighting cameo.

Less of the kung fu (yet still well put together when it does appear) and more of a fantasy comedy romp along the lines of The Miracle Fighters, it's understandable why efforts such as Yuen Woo-Ping's Shaolin Drunkard never really found the widespread audience that Drunken Master or The Magnificent Butcher did. Broad to the max and very uniquely Asian, since director Yuen and his brothers focus all energy on delivering silliness, albeit very creative silliness, it's a film for audiences that have embraced but maybe there also are those that dare embrace the low-brow nature to their Hong Kong filmmaking. Some quite stomach churning gore and body horror at times disrupt the goofy surface but having gone past those thresholds successfully, Shaolin Drunkard becomes manic fun from the Yuen Clan.

Yuen Yat Chor, Yuen Cheung Yan (as the titular drunkard as well as Yat Chor's grandma. The latter role being a reference back to The Miracle Fighters), Yuen Chun Yee, Yeung Hoi Yi and Eddy Ko star. Director Yuen Woo-Ping appears in a cameo.

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