Even general story coherence seems absent from Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung, Chang Cheh's vehicle for some of his old guard (Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Ku Feng etc) and new (Chiang Sheng, Phillip Kwok, Wai Pak among others). This may very well be a fitting plot structure for his Chinese audience but the overabundance of characters, relations and flashbacks doesn't do the flow any favours for Westerners. However the plentiful and varied fight scenes, some quite gory as per usual coming from Chang Cheh elevates Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung to fine entertainment. Especially weapons choreography gets a good showcase and one of the final fight "blows" comes with an outrageously gory consequence. Little else though and it all still represents Chang Cheh's decline as a storyteller but it's a memorable blimp in his vast filmography despite.

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Shot on tape for home video release, this lazy thriller deserves its obscure fate. Starring Andy Hui and Cheung Kwok-Keung as two cops going undercover to a singles club to investigate the murders of several members, Teqila has the flavour of a TV-movie mystery of the week. Although executed way below even that standard. With clichéd scenes like the cops getting yelled at by their boss, clue dropping in the most obvious ways, sappy romance montages and the villain telling it all in the end reel, thankfully the film is very short so you're quickly out of the torture YOU put yourself in. Andy Hui appears as himself in an early scene and later we see prisoners named after the likes of Andy Lau and Tony Leung. Not clever. Cheung Kwok-Keung also hams it up to an unbearable degree, being the shallow, horny cop while Hui's character turns out to be a very sad, desperate one. The semi-realism to the gun violence towards the end is the only attempt at praise I can come up with.

Thanks For Your Love had been given flattering review quotes such as "begins to outstay its welcome after a mere fifteen minutes" and "giving twelve pints of blood in one sitting may be preferable". With that in mind, it's kind of fun in a punishing way to go into something with the lowest of the low of expectations. As expected, this Andy Lau and Rosamund Kwan vehicle still fares incredibly bad.

Starting with a strange plot regarding Kwan's inability to be touched by men without beating the crap out of them to borrowing the template from the average Steve Martin movie Housesitter, it's indeed soon very clear that the proceedings will be marred by the inadequacies by the duo of directors at hand. Neither funny, nor overly romantic, we even are subjected to some very distasteful jokes (in particular towards black people) that quickly seals the ill fate of Thanks For Your Love. Admittedly, a chuckle and a half can be found, which is of course a lot more than expected but die-hard fans of the stars and the genre need only apply. But I doubt you'll say thanks after 90 minutes. Also with Deannie Yip, Yuen King-Tan and Maria Cordero logs a quick cameo.

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Ivan Lai debut feature is a Hong Kong Police Academy but thankfully without any of the toilet humour. Plot, characters and all events taking place within Thank You Sir is no news to any movie goer but Lai keeps proceedings moving fast and while no real commitment is there on a viewers behalf, the entertainment level is in place (and I'm sure the Royal Hong Kong Police was satisfied as well). Danny Lee is great as the senior instructor, being able himself and as a character to bring the warmth and need for strict authority. Basically a role he's made for and played variations of on screen a dozen or two times. Shing Fui On is also memorable as a father of one of the cadets.

Despite being rather standard, Thank You Sir is actually Ivan Lai's best film after The Blue Jean Monster. Subsequently, Lai turned to Cat III but for the fans, I recommend taking a look at the work he did in 1996's The Imp. Thank You Sir also stars very young Nick Cheung, Joan Tong, Chiao Chiao and Parkman Wong (who alco co-wrote).

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Through the eyes of little Sang (Cao Dan), a naughty 11 year old who gets in trouble most of the time and subsequently punished by his father the school principal (Du Yuan), director Xu Geng takes a whole lot of little tangents of life but manages to turn them into a coherent whole eventually. While set during the cultural revolution of the 60s, Xu rarely takes his view away from the village homes and school, choosing rightly to focus of the life lessons of Sang. He gets subjected to the backlashes of punishment and disease that logically is what makes a stronger, wiser human and while it's sounds awfully simplistic, it's a technique Chinese filmmakers have utilized successfully within their beautiful landscapes before. The tone can at times be a little overbearing on a melodramatic and symbolic level but Xu proves to be a fairly skilled conveyer overall. It's just not up there in the higher division where the likes of Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou or even Huo Jianqi (Postmen In The Mountains) resides.

The original author of the novel, Cao Wenxuan also wrote the script, a work that took home the corresponding Chinese Golden Rooster award in 1999. Actor Du Yuan was also honored as well as the movie in the Best Picture For Children-category.

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KENNETH'S REVIEW: Employees of Ng Man-Tat's gets involved in the chase for a million dollars connected to a drug case, all neatly conveyed through Benny Wong's cast via playful chemistry and a tongue in cheek type of humour not translating as the usual dopey Hong Kong cinema. The jokes are broad however, ranging from erection jokes, the sight of a brain damaged violinist played by Wong Yat-Fei and a maniacally laughing villain with just the right, fun touch provided by Stuart Ong. Despite launching into gritty action with a hint of darkness, the glove fits and is a decent fisticuffs experience as well. Much thanks to the team of Max Mok, Kara Hui, Yukari Oshima and Norman Tsui.

Clarence Fok (Naked Killer) opens this Cinema City outing in daring fashion with hints at steamy erotica and viewers will also think he's slapped the end reel onto the beginning as the action by Phillip Kwok is almost too excellent! You're right in thinking that it can't be topped and as soon as Fok begins introducing the various characters that sets out to rob in Hong Kong, he takes away any actual good momentum They Came To Rob Hong Kong possessed.

Content with letting the plot rest and the players act in all manner of stupid ways in stupid situations, it's no surprise that the film is as well pretty stupid. But with the odd gag or two registers (Stanley Fung's fear of blood is sold well by the actor) and coupled with the 80s Hong Kong cinema charm, They Came To Rob Hong Kong becomes bearable thrash. It's funny how that end verdict often happens. Cast also includes Roy Cheung, Dean Shek, Sandra Ng, Eric Tsang, Chingmy Yau, Shing Fui On, Chen Jing, Chin Siu Ho, Charlie Cho and Kara Hui.

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Entertaining sequel to Thou Shalt Not Swear, the Wellson Chin helmed horror-comedy with a scenario connected to the lunar calendar. This time cops Chow and Lau (Michael Chow and Lau Ching-Wan re-teaming) have to deal with a killer that matches the description of a solider (Yu Rong-Guang) that should've been dead. In fact, he's out to re-unite with the love of his that happens to look exactly like an unsuspecting woman (Joyce Geung) in the present...

The solid chemistry and banter between the male leads is carried over to amusing effect, in particular various odd detours of insanity that Lau Ching-Wan is responsible for. Nagging Chow about having taken the step into marriage, one annoyance IS Ivy Leung as the wife but director Chin keeps us well occupied with other elements. Gore level is quite considerably stepped up and dependant creepiness sneaks in at points. Chin even produces some minor magic within the story of Yu Rong-Guang and Joyce Geung as this ultimate confrontation becomes fairly affecting, speaking of life and death in sufficiently poignant ways. Jamie Luk, Tats Lau and Helena Law also turn up.

By mistake, three bags of Hong Kong bank notes slip through the cremation process. Eric Tsang is the employee that spots this and his plan to involve just a few of his friends soon fails and even a nun (Brigitte Lin) joins the hunt for the 30 million...

Typically wild and wacky comedy hijinxs from Cinema City profile Karl Maka (who also stars). He puts himself greatly at center stage and by acting like a complete moron enough times, he somehow manages to make a joke or two on his behalf amusing. A slight portion of that welcome 80s Hong Kong cinema charm is also generated, helped much by the fun presence of Brigitte Lin and Lau Kar Leung (also action director). Thirty Million Rush is only slight but mixing the faces and tone makes for solid entertainment. Mark Cheng, Wong Ching and John Woo also appear.

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Lau Kar-Wing channels past genre success (Till Death Do We Scare) by going ghost-comedy on us, pairing up Yuen Biao and Eric Tsang as two stuntmen (yes, even chubby Tsang). Yuen is Lung, whose father (Stanley Fung) sleeps VERY deeply at night. Explanation being that he occasionally goes out of his body to claim souls and lead them to their new shells to inhabit. When he stops the order by refusing a lost soul entering Tak's (Tsang) body, the afterworld awakens. Oh, and there's some skirt chasing too...

While standard 80s fare and the two genres intertwining to neither bad or notable effect, director Lau can't exactly make extraordinary acrobat Yuen Biao walk in the shoes of an ordinary man. Relying little on Yuen's fighting skills, but successfully when doing so, instead makes the often annoying Tsang take center stage with behaviour akin to retardation at times. His high pitched voice in this intense mode will have viewers reach for their aspirin bottles. When eventually venturing into the ghost side of things, Lau Kar-Wing provides decent distraction but aside from the atmos turning macabre in a welcome way during a few select points, it's hard to feel immersed in this package (despite all characters taking turns to be possessed during the finale). Standard atmosphere, lightning and battling techniques ain't a bad recipe for 90 minutes of genre entertainment (and Lam Ching-Ying carries himself well too) but Those Merry Souls shouldn't be expected to mingle with the greats, ever. Lily Li appears in support while Richard Ng, Wu Ma, Moon Lee, Chung Faat, Fruit Chan, Sammo Hung and director Lau appear in minor roles.