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.

The previously little seen collaboration between Ching Siu-Tung and Zhang Yimou sees the latter being part of the epic images rather than creating them. On Hero he had Siu-Tung action directing but this Tsui Hark co-produced effort sees Yimou playing the part of Chamberlain Mong Tianfang of the Qin Dynasty. Witnessing a large array of men and women assembled for a trip to find the recipe for eternal life to give the emperor, a defiant girl catches Mong's eyes. She is Dong Er (Gong Li) and the two secretly fall in love. When they're caught, she is sentenced to offer herself to the terracotta gods but before she slips what turns out to be the successful elixir for eternal life to Mong. Waking up 3000 years later in the 1930s and in the middle of the booming movie industry, the confused Mong encounters Dong Er or rather ditsy actress Lily and moviestar Bai Yunfei (Yu Rong-Guang) who has been searching for the emperor mausoleum Mong was guarding until his resurrection...

A grand looking production (Peter Pau was one of the cinematographers) and certainly displaying an atmospheric first 40 minutes that deals with the Qin Dynasty part of the narrative, overall Ching Siu-Tung creates an above average time when depicting the love between Mong and Dong Er. Necessarily not a bad thing of course but clearly a grander story attempt needed/wanted to be there too. This criticism applies to the generally well-made first 40 and the switch the 1930s isn't as smooth either. Oh Zhang Yimou is suitably stone faced and fun as he acts out the requisite fish out of water jokes but pace stumbles well into the climax. Here when the production boosts its biggest set pieces, there is also the reprisal of the basic beats that starts to translate into something more emotional and deep when again covering Zhang Yimou and Gong Li's plight. Getting quite a bit of mileage through Yimou's expressions, ultimately this strength also reminds us of the shortage of pure story affection throughout.

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 also 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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The debut from Li Kim-Wa (Sunshine Cops, Shadow) clearly shows he's not afraid to enter a teen state of mind and still make an attempt at sincerity. A rough package no matter how you look at it, They Don't Care About Us could claim rough to be the utmost positive remark for the film. It's Stand And Deliver, Dangerous Minds, School On Fire-lite basically with a very far fetched entry into its story. Brenda (Teresa Lee, whose inexperienced energy I've often fallen for... Big Bullet excluded) has on her horizon the Iron Man competition but when her friend Fong ends up in the hospital thanks to teaching, Brenda enters the school to perform an avenge of sorts. She indeed has to deal with a frisky bunch in the worst of ways, including pop idol worshippers that even has a special bathroom stall devoted to their idol Leo and possible triad rascals in the making. Mainly Lee spots and devotes her time to Kwok (Wong Kwan-Yuen - All About Ah Long) though, a boy madly in love with May. Many of these students will learn what hand life deals them and some needs to get on a path. A proper path the previous adult world already on a path weren't able to provide. It therefore takes Brenda, who is still indecisive about life herself. So it's a few parts adult maturity and basic messages directed at the teen audience but director Liu presses several correct buttons in regards to all this. You can't be too subtle when speaking to this particular audience but the movie neatly avoids being condescending. Some dark detours towards the end even enhances but They Don't Care About Us doesn't necessarily display a cynical vein. Nor should it and it's a sufficiently told, better debut for it. Vincent Kok, Matt Chow, Wong Yat-Fei, Lee Siu-Kei and Jerry Lamb make brief appearances.

The last of Yu Kang-Ping's movies, from a career that took wacky (Can't Stop The War) and somber (Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing) routes. The latter remains true for his complex The Third Bridge. A local and tricky product by design, Yu regular Suen Yuet plays Ho, a Mainlander married to a Taiwanese who now sees his chance to reunite with the family he left behind 40 years ago as the borders are opened up. For undisclosed reasons at first but as we learn more as the movie goes on, the reunion will take on several meanings.

I wouldn't say Yu is unclear in his intentions but again as the fairly naive Westerner that is me, looking in, it takes quite a bit for the story-hooks to attach themselves. When it becomes less about immigrant policy and more about the emotions and scars that the reunion holds, The Third Bridge flashes a deck of cards you'll gladly study carefully. As the past is revealed, Ho's current wife has to decide her place in the equation and other tangents include the granddaughter's fascination with everything American. A little mutual learning from both sides, the final quite subtle end note to this professionally told drama has the term "open memory" quite heavily attached to it. So with patient pace, The Third Bridge studies its history, past and present of its characters with an admirably keen eye for the subtle. And when not, outbursts are well deserved. Also with Tok Chung-Wa.

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.