China
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Wuba, the radish-shaped heir to the monster throne, is in trouble again, but this time Tony Leung Chiu Wai is on hand to protect him in Raman Hui’s big budget… Read More
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Aaron Kwok again transforms into the mischievous Sun Wukong for the third instalment of Soi Cheang’s blockbuster holiday franchise. This time, however, the focus is not on Wukong himself, but… Read More
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Barely two months after the Japanese adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s bestselling novel The Miracles of the Namiya General Store opened in Hong Kong, a Chinese remake arrives, with Jackie Chan… Read More
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Chen Kaige’s hugely expensive period supernatural whodunnit boasts incredible sets, expensive CGI but somewhere along the way loses the plot. (at 27:59) Read More
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The recent prolific output of Hong Kong action legend Jackie Chan continues, as audiences in China flock to see his films in unprecedented numbers. The quality of Chan’s films has,… Read More
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The Golden Horse Award-winning debut from writer-director Zhou Ziyang challenges some of the oldest traditions in Chinese culture, as veteran performer Tu Men plays the cash-strapped patriarch of a family… Read More
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Aaron Kwok Fu-shing is having a very bad day in Peace Breaker, a remake of the 2014 Korean thriller A Hard Day. As a crooked Chinese cop on the streets… Read More
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Produced with full support from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and crediting dozens of military advisers, Sky Hunter is just the latest slice of Chinese propaganda to glorify the… Read More
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John Woo’s first contemporary action film produced in Asia for more than 20 years falls woefully short of the director’s best work. Shot entirely in Japan with a mostly local… Read More
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Far more palatable and slickly handled than its predecessor, Wu Jing directs and stars in this wildly implausible, but thoroughly entertaining action thriller. Packed to the gills with Chinese propaganda,… Read More
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Zhang Dalei’s autobiographical drama lovingly evokes that Taiwanese New Wave of the 1980s as it depicts a summer of great change for a young boy and the Chinese nation. (at… Read More
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Vincent Zhao stars as the eponymous military tactician in Gordon Chan’s sweeping action epic, following the efforts of the Ming army to keep a fleet of fearsome Japanese pirates at… Read More
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Originally scheduled for release 18 months ago, Cheng Er’s follow-up to Lethal Hostage finally arrives in Hong Kong cinemas with precious little fanfare considering the high calibre of talent involved.… Read More
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Having made his feature debut with 2014’s The Continent, Chinese celebrity blogger/author/entrepreneur/rally driver Han Han again borrows from his own life experiences for Duckweed, his second directorial offering. Read my… Read More
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An American teenager must use his online gaming skills to protect a beautiful Chinese princess in this outdated yet inoffensive fantasy adventure written and produced by Luc Besson, responsible for… Read More
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While the Chinese film industry remains on track to become the world’s largest within the next few years, a bona fide crossover hit continues to prove elusive. Read my review Read More
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As its title proclaims, Feng Xiaogang’s bureaucratic satire I Am Not Madame Bovary has no direct connection to Flaubert’s adulterous heroine. Read my review Read More
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Dante Lam is back to his explosive best with this high octane action thriller following Chinese undercover agents working to bring down a Golden Triangle drug cartel. Listen to my… Read More
The James Marsh film review archive 