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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Before Shaw Brothers halted production in 1985, screen baddie Johnny Wang managed to make two movies for the studio which started and highlighted Wang's desire to portray violence in largely a brutal, animalistic way. This Man Is Dangerous is merely reference material for the man himself playing the Mainland gang leader while Chin Siu-Ho's and Cheung Chin-Pang's duo of newly appointed detectives usually mucking up out of ignorance is a story strand that is a chore to sit through. Never shutting up at the right moments and spending way too much on wine during an undercover operation at a gay disco (featuring Elvis Tsui in make-up playing the Marijuana King), eventually darkness enters the frey and This Man Is Dangerous becomes more engaging. Starting with the theft of police guns that the Mainland gangs use on almost anyone who gets in their way, Johnny Wang heading these is a brutal, sadistic force that reinforces his knowledge of how a baddie should be translated to screen. Ending on several shockers, as usual nothing is fair in Wang's frame. It started here and would continue in movies such as Hong Kong Godfather and Escape From Brothel. Leung Kar-Yan, Phillip Ko and Lam Fai-Wong also appear.

The director of the vicious Vengeance Is Mine switches tac to drama and an intelligence we're used to associate him with (Lost And Found being the prime example). The age old template of relationships gets a mature, entirely non-commercial (despite commercial stars) examination as it trades in being cinematic in favour of its examination... thankfully. Yee (Cecilia Yip) and Yan (Tony Leung Ka-Fai) go their separate ways after he reveals he's in love with someone else. Specifically his piano teacher Paula. Has it been the everyday annoyances, failure or fear to communicate that's brought this on? Nothing gets resolved before, only in the aftermath which is the focal point of Lee's film. Although Tony Leung's Yan doesn't feel very sympathetic and the effects on Yee are quite grave, Lee gambles with audiences sympathy by re-uniting these two characters despite, as anchors for each other. The path they're headed and ultimately end up on is welcome in its maturity, realism and subtlety. Something that is well anchored by in particular Cecilia Yip but the entire cast (in support we find Derek Yee and Rosamund Kwan) working in synch sound.

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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.

Title gives it all away really. Chen Sing joins the Shaolin temple looking for revenge but gains spiritual enlightenment. His fellow brother (played by Michael Chan) doesn't and falls victim to the temptations of wealth and flesh. Fights ensue.

Ok, it's not thoroughly fair to label Thou Shall Not Kill...But Once as just another kung-fu movie as director Au Yeung-Jun does display fairly good storytelling competence and ambition to stand out in a very crowded room. First half definitely benefits more from this as the atmosphere ever so slightly feels fresh for the genre and it's a vehicle suitable for Chen Sing's range as an actor. Not that I would expect it but fact of the matter is, there existed an opportunity here to leave out much of the martial arts without consequence and it's also a fact that Au don't distinguish himself in any way when concentrating on the fighting. For the moments where it does try, albeit in a crude way, Thou Shall Not Kill ... But Once is worthy of respect.

By definition, Wellson Chin found a voice via the horror genre and went for it during the 90s, more distinctly starting with Thou Shalt Not Swear. Affectionately proclaimed as the start of the "Date" or "Day Of Horror" series that also included among others July 13th and The Day That Doesn't Exist, the various films refers to dates in the lunar calendar.

Otherwise known as the helmer of another series but an unremarkable one (Inspectors Wears Skirts), Chin's first dose of, albeit rightly mild, acclaim centers around his 1993 horror-comedy here and while not THE director to dissect, it's a nice feeling to see someone find a way to express a cinematic vision their way finally. Dividing his time with the buddy-cop formula and low-budget spookiness, Chin gets decent chemistry and banter out of the Michael Chow/Lau Ching Wan match-up. Chow is doning his underrated comedy persona at points (him trying to learn basic English is remarkably well-sold) but he's the straight man to Lau's slightly loopy sidekick. The two bond, even share some good serious interaction and Chin also squeezes eerie atmosphere out of the low-budget tools at his disposal. A little winner therefore. Also with Jennifer Chan, Ronald Wong, Helena Law, Kingdom Yuen, Cheung Kwok-Keung, Tats Lau and John Wakefield. A sequel entitled The Third Full Moon followed in 1994, re-teaming Michael Chow and Lau Ching Wan.

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Undemanding and fluffy when Andy Lau, Norman Tsui and Teddy Robin Kwan play out their wits against another, with the Koran scroll caught in between...

Brandy Yuen (The Champions) infuses the production with elegance and with such a lineup of profiles, Three Against The World has in it half the fun of simply spotting stars. For at least two thirds, that's as good as it gets though as the fun turns awfully stale after a while. Thankfully action director Yuen Wah is let more consistently onto the set by the end, delivering nifty fights and stunts. If Three Against The World wanted to be a slam-dunk, Brandy Yuen needed to find more excuses to utilize Yuen Wah's eye. Among those also appearing are Rosamund Kwan, Sandy Lam, Chin Kar-Lok, Teddy Yip, Chung Fat, Yuen Woo-Ping, Wu Ma, Shing Fui-On and Corey Yuen.

The Dragon Fort is infiltrated by Hung Wei (Pai Ying) of the Black Tiger Gang and after being destroyed from within, his is the most powerful fort on the block. Chu (Angela Mao) and Chen Ying Chieh (James Tien) survive the violent takeover and try and fight their way back to power. Chen in particular Hung Wei wants as he has a crucial tattoo on his back all the heads of the Dragon Fort also share. It's sometimes jarring seeing Angela Mao and the regular Golden Harvest crew in a Wuxia pian but director Law Chi (The Crippled Master) shows off the world nicely, with violence, bloodshed and otherworldly techniques (such as Pai Ying's whirlwind kick). Chen Kuan-Tai's action does strike a good balance between grounded and high flying though, with the end being a particular good showcase for Angela Mao hacking and slashing through a continuous flow of opponents.