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Full on Ninja Mania

Pitting the lethal arts of Chinese Kung Fu and Japanese ninjitsu against each other in a battle for supremacy, Ninja in the Dragon's Den seemingly has everything you'd ever want out of a martial arts film and the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure, be it ridiculous stilt fighting, ninjas galore, demonic possession, the hero fighting the latter half of the movie in a pink outfit and female anatomy saving the day, this is undoubtedly a classic; a mixture of typical Jackie Chan-style comedy and hard-hitting ninja action, but unusually the two styles mix very well and the film, as a result, is great fun. This Hong Kong / Japanese co-production came about due to the explosion of ninja-mania in the early 80s, one that showcases the contrasting styles of its two cultures in plenty of no-holds-barred and hilarious action. For being Corey Yuen's directorial debut, he pretty much knocked it out of the park on his first go, despite the conventional storyline he manages to give the material a slightly unusual twist, a credit to his years as an action choreographer, offering up highly entertaining set pieces with an endearing vein of slapstick humour. Young Conan Lee and Hiroyuki Sanada are particularly well-rounded here, although Sanada eclipses Lee for most of the runtime, the film does a great job of exhibiting their respective skills. Playing as an offbeat tribute and parody of its own Ninjaspolitation sub-genre, it's hard not to love Ninja in the Dragon’s Den, an exhilarating action film that fully delivers for every second of its running time, the amazingly repetitive theme song certainly reinforces that.

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Full rebellion mode

Resident bad boy Seijun Suzuki in full rebellion mode, Branded to Kill refuses all direct relations with geography in depicting a career hitman on the verge of losing control, one that's discordant, broken and thoroughly berserk. The film is infamous for Suzuki's firing by Nikkatsu, with Suzuki doubling down on everything they hated his films for after all the restrictions placed upon him, the result is an arresting cocktail of sex, violence and surrealism, the monochrome hues accentuating the perversity of the entire twisted venture; it thrums along to an irresistible hard-bop beat, with effortlessly stylish black and white cinematography and set-pieces straight from a pulp fiction fever dream. Because it's so free of the conventions of other crime thrillers, ignoring all rules of conventional filmmaking and forgoing a traditional three-act structure, the disorienting camera angles and jumps in time are all part of the atmosphere. Suzuki outdid himself with this astonishing blend of yakuza films, film noir and new wave, yes it makes little sense but the strong performances from its cast, especially that of Jō Shishido uplift Branded to Kill to the stuff of legendary status in all its audacious genre-bending and narrative-busting ways.

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As fast and lethal as the banker robbers it depicts

One of Kinji Fukasaku's lighter and more comedic works, Violent Panic: The Big Crash is an unrelenting and fast-paced slice of vehicular mayhem, one that feels right at home in his crime-ridden filmography. It's classic Fukasaku from start to finish, just dropping the Yakuza subgenre that often defined his works. Despite the departure from the said genre and the film being a bit of a mess tonally in the first half, Fukasaku still creates a gripping world of slick, charismatic characters. It's a film filled with brutal, quick-to-the-trigger, cigarette-breathing bank robbers, and Tsunehiko Watase is a star among them. He walks the line between enthralling and too ruthless well as he robs his way through Japan. The characters in the second act are often one-note or clash with the gritty crime world Fukasaku paints, but few diminish from the atmosphere of danger throughout the narrative thanks to Fukasaku's trademark urgent and frantic camerawork being out in full force, from its thrilling bank robberies to its outstanding car chases, he puts the audience square within the chaos. From the mix of funky grooves to slow spaghetti western ballads on the soundtrack, Violent Panic: The Big Crash furthers Fukasau's stylish legacy with one hell of an entertaining ride, as fast and lethal as the banker robbers it depicts.

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Uncut edition

One of the most iconic cult martial art films of all time, the influence felt by Master of the Flying Guillotine can still be seen in pop culture to this very day. Nothing captures the imagination of genre fans like the notion of a mechanical device being hurled through the air to behead its victims. With its nonstop flurry of fighting, ersatz bloodletting and incidental hilarity, this sequel to Jimmy Wang-Yu's earlier One-Armed Boxer doubles down on what made that film work, ultimately leaving this film as his most fondly remembered and signature work, very few films can compete with having a one-armed hero, a blind antagonist who wields a Flying Guillotine and a stolen Krautrock on its soundtrack. The main plot is completely nonsensical and only serves as window dressing for the film's bloody trail of vengeance and tournament antics, one that Yu directs with exhilarating energy. After a series of ultra-cool martial arts set pieces, choreographed fiercely and imaginatively by Lau Kar Leung, Yu eventually faces Kam Kong in an awesome coffin-tossing, wall-climbing, one-arm boxing, guillotine-throwing finale. As writer, director, and star Yu proved to be an extraordinary showman whose creativity, experimentation with genre conventions, and knack for surrounding himself with great talent results in a recipe for a marvellously manic film, Master of the Flying Guillotine needs to be seen to be believed, and even then defies belief.

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Far more than a teenybopper romantic fantasy

One of the most imitated and popular Hong Kong productions of the 90s, A Moment of Romance sees a modern-day Romeo and Juliet-style tale under the veil of contemporary underground Triad warfare, far more than a teenybopper romantic fantasy. In many ways the film is responsible for many a cliché within its industry; a disaffected youth, the good girl romantic interest and a cartoonish villain, however, it's the way these clichés are all assembled within the film that makes it so memorable. "Director" Benny Chan has his way with the clichés and throws in enough slow motion, syrupy Cantopop music video montages and hyperemotional crescendos to tax even the weepiest audience member. The core emotions that the film mines are so innately compelling that they're not lost beneath bombastic montages or sudden flashes of gangland violence. It's often stated this was heavily ghost-directed by Johnnie To and it's not hard to see why, so much of the film carries many of his later stylings. The film works because it is a consciously chosen cinematic style and is used without fear with all available means with the superb cast all delivering perfect performances to compliment. Andy Lau brings righteous anger and hidden tenderness to an exceptional genre character. What's so compelling about the character and the performance is that Wah Dee acts and very rarely talks. His decisions have believable and compelling consequences with the affirmation of Dee's morality coming with a price, and only one outcome is truly possible. Put simply, A Moment of Romance has it all; fiery action, sweeping cinematography, an unforgettable love story and beautiful chemistry, quick-witted humour, a beautiful score and more. The film triumphs, not despite its genre excess, but perhaps because of it.

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As entertaining as they come

You know your film is off to a strong start when you aren't even 5 minutes in and it's already staging its own lightsaber fights, albeit with fluorescent bulbs. Marking the end of Sammo Hung's greatest period as both star and director with a mighty bang, Pedicab Driver exemplifies the type of cinema that Hong Kong loved during the 80s. What that means is it's a mismatched series of bizarre comedy, heightened emotions, sudden tragedy and yes, incredible fight scenes. The extended fight between Sammo and Lau Kar-Leung in the gambling den stands as one of the film's most memorable moments, despite its complete irrelevance to the plot. Although it seems a little overambitious at times in its storytelling, with several seemingly unrelated threads running parallel, the film does manage to hold it all together in a way that only Hong Kong cinema can. While the story threads are certainly only diversions from the main spectacle, they do enhance the film somewhat, thanks largely to the cast's terrific performances and great music. It all starts happy-go-lucky but by the end, revenge is the name of the game and it is one Sammo delivers tenfold with some fantastic direction. For its uneven mishmash of genres and tones, Pedicab Driver succeeds wholeheartedly thanks to its easily empathetic and loveable characters and their plights, it's as entertaining as they come and features something for everyone. While not quite a masterpiece it is well worth seeing.

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Heroes never die, they live forever

Just as much a tribute to the heroic bloodshed films of yesteryear as it is a brilliantly stylised entry in its own right, A Hero Never Dies is a pure exercise in genre film despite being so hard-boiled that it almost becomes a comedy. Taking a fundamentally tried, tested and clichéd story in a world where the violence is more sudden and the atmosphere much darker and upending nearly every element of the films he's paying homage to, shows the power of Johnnie To's filmmaking ability. To's direction is fantastic with plenty of sweeping camera movements and tremendous use of colour, all coupled with Cheng Siu-keung's outstanding photography make the film a feast for the eyes. The incredible sense of loyalty and honour these characters display ultimately makes them “heroes", the themes are often hammered home so relentlessly that the film nearly enters the realm of parody. Only in a gangland fantasy would characters enjoy a friendship but have no qualms about killing one another later. The performances from its central cast are phenomenal, Leon Lai and Sean Lau especially, both playing fundamentally different archetypes of the same profession to immense effect, all the while Raymond Wong's hauntingly powerful score dominates the sound mix, even if he does repeat a few too many cues from his work on Running Out of Time. A Hero Never Dies ultimately just solidifies to me that Johnnie To is one of, if not the best post-handover filmmaker in the industry. Heroes may die, but their actions live forever.

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Brilliant fun

A bizarre concoction of comedy, martial arts, and spaghetti western action, The Stranger and The Gunfighter is hard to fault in terms of sheer entertainment value, one that works because, unlike other Shaw Brothers collaborations, ergo Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, it doesn't take itself too seriously. Most of the comedy is daft, but there are a few inspired jokes littered throughout, even with the rather repetitive script the film never wastes too much time in one spot, leading the two heroes from one fantastic set piece to another with an admirable pace. The film makes the best of the opposition between the polite, dutiful Easterner and the selfish, roguish Westerner, but without making any serious socio-cultural statements. It helps enormously that both Lo Lieh and Lee Van Cleef are the leads, Cleef is especially funny in the film which makes a nice change from his roles as the villains and stoic characters in his earlier spaghetti westerns while Lieh is just as awesome as he always is. Antonio Margheriti's direction is pretty great but the unfortunate grotty transfers this film has been confined to do his work a major injustice at points as his photography of the Almeria locations gives the film a paramount look which works exceptionally well with Carlo Savina's fun score. A well-balanced mix of exploitation comedy, The Stranger and The Gunfighter is well worth a look for aficionados of either genre.

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A cautionary parable for man's true acquiescence to the natural world

Toshiharu Ikeda's elemental and mythical adaptation of Takashi Ishii's Angel Guts manga, Mermaid Legend, evokes a lyrical sadness for the fading way of life of seafaring fishermen and ama divers. One that starts as a relatively tender study of grief but shifts dramatically in the latter half to become an absolutely brutal exploitation blood-drenched angel of vengeance and yet, despite those exploitation tendencies, it also channels the intense anti-nuclear sentiment of the decade. An eco-thriller that finds the incursive grasp of industrialisation and corporate greed encroaching on natural realms. Ikeda directs a film that begins a presentation lingering somewhere between the realistic and the idyllic, almost artful in several scenes but it's not long before the film shows its true colours, which are essentially bathed in the red of blood. Mari Shirato gives an astonishing performance as Migiwa, managing to capture everything from sorrowful and vulnerable as much as vengeful and unstoppable, a real shame she wasn't in more. Combined with a truly haunting piano score by Toshiyuki Honda, Mermaid Legend remains a brooding requiem for loss, a cautionary parable for man's true acquiescence to the natural world.

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A beautiful paradox

At the heart of the incredibly titled Beach of the War Gods is a beautiful paradox, one built upon love and shame, it's wuxia mayhem by way of Kurosawa and Leone all filtered through the eyes of Jimmy Wang Yu. Whilst hand-to-hand combat had started to become the name of the game following the dawn of the 1970s, this film sees Wang Yu take a decisive step back from what he was more well-known for, to make a film in the genre that had previously dominated, the wuxia. Granted, it does look a little rougher around the edges than many of its contemporaries, but its ambition and scope are to be marvelled at. Wang Yu makes fabulous use of the wide frame with some brilliantly composed and thoroughly beautiful shots sprinkled throughout. It's enriched with depth, movement and a constant visual interest to keep you engrossed with wind machines regularly blasting away, waves crashing dramatically and fire adding powerful amounts of colour. And this is all before I mention the film's awe-inspiring and action-packed finale that brings 25 minutes of uninterrupted magnificence to the forefront. Yes, the characters and plot are exceptionally flimsy and the dialogue is superficial at best; yet the stripped-back approach works in Beach of the War Gods' favour, never intruding upon its gloriously bloody action and rushing towards its lengthy, epic final battle without any fat getting in the way.

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More of the same

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer is Tsukamoto's Evil Dead II, a sequel that reworks the original with more technical polish on a larger budget. There's a big thematic shift from the erotic to the militaristic, with a greater focus on biogenetic weaponry, one that's far less frantic, instead focusing on developing its characters and providing them with a narrative to inhabit. The production values are much higher than that of its predecessor with Tsukamoto's head-spinning experimentation still on full display, the move away from monochrome allowing him to add strong colour filtration to a heady visual brew of crazy editing and bizarre cinematography. Shinya Tsukamoto is a man who knows what he's doing at this point. Ultimately while Tetsuo II: Body Hammer may lack the more disturbing elements of the original, the eccentricities are still here; filled with some excellent sequences and something to say about industrialisation while incorporating some top-notch effects work, leaving it as a very solid piece of filmmaking and a prime example of confrontational underground Japanese Cyperpunk cinema.

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Metallic Mayhem

Metallic mayhem and graphic depravity fly thick and fast in Tetsuo: The Iron Man, it draws on the marriage of flesh and technology that inspires so much of David Cronenberg's work and twists it into a manga-influenced cyberpunk vision. This 67-minute lunacy is probably the closest approximation to capturing a sustained migraine in pure celluloid form, what's on screen borders on the extreme and experimental, all matched by a hysterical and unnerving score. Chu Ishikawa's clattering metal percussion and unrelenting terror synths sometimes border on unlistenable but add to the film's uniqueness and disgusting style. Less a coherent plot than a series of disturbing images loosely struck together, confrontation and violence erupt at breakneck speed in this nearly dialogue-free odyssey, assaulting every sense it can with the tenacity and ingenuity of DIY filmmaking. The stop-motion effects give the fusion of bared wires and exposed ganglia an unnervingly vivid physicality. A hysterical, histrionic ode to cyberpunk fetishism, Tetsuo: The Iron Man was one of my early ventures into the realm of Japanese cinema, one that really isn't my thing but is unquestionably a feat of imagination and technique yet an hour of it is more than enough.

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Sumptuous

Simultaneously a distant sequel and retread of the original film, A Chinese Ghost Story III keeps things together a bit more than II did, following the tradition of the previous two films this closing chapter once again gifts us with equal doses of comedy, action, romance and horror. The photography is as gorgeous as the previous entries, playing with colour, light and smoke with an abundance of stunning direction throughout, Tony Ching Siu-Tung certainly pulled his weight with this series balancing his style with Tsui Hark's eccentric sensibilities. Instead of Leslie Cheung's bumbling tax collector, we get Tony Leung as a bumbling novice monk, a worthy successor, adding a great charm and likeability to his character thanks to Tony's comedic timing. The film delivers a cinematic seductiveness that greatly benefits from the fast-paced plot, chock full of crazy magic spells and action sequences, spellbinding female ghosts, hair-raising demons, a touch of humour, drama and romance, a parade of crazy special effects and a sumptuously enchanting score for a third time courtesy of James Wong and Romeo Diaz. While it may certainly have many similarities to the first, A Chinese Ghost Story III almost plays like a parody of it at the same time, all without being too ridiculous and closing the trilogy out in style. The lengths men will go to for Joey Wong hey?

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Genesis

Time and Tide is Tsui Hark's Genesis, his attempt to start again, a rebirth. Made after his failure to break into the American market with his Van Damme duology, Time and Tide is a question of trust, renewal and the ebb and flow of time that lead both its characters and the narrative, a very confusing narrative but a narrative nonetheless. The film's appeal lies in its contemporaneousness, of its time yet still ringing true today, not seeming outdated in the slightest with Hark's style is all over the movie and yet not at all. There are his usual tried and tested techniques but at the same time something totally different; that alone makes his movies oh-so utterly fascinating, evocative of older wuxia flicks. While it might seem generic on the surface, Time and Tide is a fabulous take on an action noir thriller with a new wave twist.

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