Reviews

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BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS Review: A Gritty ‘Soy Western’ That Revitalizes the Wuxia Genre

After seven years away from the lens, the legendary Yuen Woo-ping returns to the director’s chair this Chinese New Year with a triumphant adaptation of Xu Xianzhe’s acclaimed manhua, Blades of the Guardians. In this ambitious project, the Hong Kong maestro revitalizes the wuxia genre by stripping away the over-reliance on CGI that has plagued recent productions. Instead, he embraces a visceral, “old-school” approach: gritty physical combat, traditional wire-fu, and sweeping cinematography filmed on location in the unforgiving Xinjiang desert. Set during the turbulent Sui Dynasty, the narrative follows Dao Ma (Wu Jing), a formidable mercenary and the empire’s “second most wanted fugitive.” His journey begins with what appears to be a routine escort mission: transporting the mysterious prisoner Zhi Shilang across the treacherous Gobi Desert to the capital, Chang’an. The film’s strength lies in its generational synergy. Wu Jing anchors an ensemble cast where icons like Tony Leung Ka-fai […]

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MISDIRECTION Review: A Decent Thriller Underwhelms More Than Scintillates

Misdirection arrives on VOD on February 10 from Cineverse. Willy’s Wonderland helmer Kevin Lewis’s new crime thriller, Misdirection, is an acquired taste, if not a tricky one. The “contained thriller” subgenre can be a hard nut to crack if you don’t know what you’re doing, and either way, you certainly have to give some credit to Lewis for giving it a shot. A good script certainty does the trick for a film like this. The story won’t falter and flounder into mundanity and you won’t be left checking the time. To this end, it helps that Misdirection keeps a lean-enough runtime at eighty-four minutes. It’s enough to encompass what Lewis’s film strives for with a tale that unravels with secrets and lies, and long-winded vengeance, and with key performances by Olga Kurylenko and Frank Grillo, and actor Oliver Trevena. It is with this trio that we follow Sarah (Kurylenko) and […]

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Tech Driven Anthology “Merge” Hits Prime

A Technology themed anthology film has just been released on Amazon Prime in the UK titled “Merge” check out the trailer here -Here is what we thought of the unique and somewhat intriguing combination of short films brought into one.”Merge” brings together five individual short films between 15-20 minutes in duration each all with a connection to Technology. As filmmaker myself I always praise anyone who tries to think outside the box and try something unique and different from the rest of the crowd. With that in mind I will give perks to the filmmakers behind “Merge” Bela Baptiste, Dalano Barnes and Richard Fenwick for their originality . However this is a pure case of huge ambition outgrowing their realistic budget. When you are relying heavily of the use of VFX the money really does speak on the screen and at times these short films felt very student like. With […]

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BACK TO THE PAST Review: A Nostalgic Triumph For Fans Of The Original TVB Show

It’s been almost 25 years since A Step into the Past premiered on Hong Kong television. The series not only solidified Louis Koo‘s status as a TV star, launching him into a prolific and still-thriving movie career, but also marked Raymond Lam‘s breakout role. His iconic portrayal of Ying Zheng earned widespread praise and propelled him to fame. The show was an instant hit, sparking the wave of time-travel dramas (known as chuanyue) across Asian television and becoming one of the most beloved series for the millennial generation in Asia. Behind it all was the powerhouse TVB. Adapted from Huang Yi’s novel of the same name (Chinese title: 尋秦記), it followed the adventures of Hong Siu-lung, a Hong Kong police inspector who, after a painful breakup with his long-term girlfriend, volunteers for a time-travel experiment. He is sent back to the Qin Dynasty, just 30 minutes before Ying Zheng’s coronation […]

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JFF THEATER: MY LOVE STORY!! – A Heartfelt Blend of Romance, Comedy, and Unexpected Bromance

Based on the popular manga written by Kazune Kawahara and illustrated by Aruko, the live-action adaptation of My Love Story!! (俺物語!!) presents itself as a refreshing romantic comedy. However, beneath its sugary surface, the film feels like a “bromance” in disguise—a theory that, in my opinion, is firmly validated by its post-credits scene. The story follows Takeo, a hulking high schooler with a heart of gold but zero luck with the opposite sex. While women constantly swoon over his best friend Suna—who, conversely, shows little to no interest in romance—Takeo remains the perpetual “wingman.” Resigned to his fate of being the lonely second fiddle, Takeo’s life takes a 180-degree turn when he rescues a beautiful girl from a harasser. Accustomed to losing in the game of love, he finds himself completely out of his depth when he realizes that the girl he saved is actually falling for him. I sat […]

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WALTZING WITH BRANDO Review: Billy Zane Channels the Godfather’s Wild Island Dream in a Sun-Soaked Eco-Odyssey

This was the film I’d been dying to see ever since the first still of Billy Zane as middle-aged Marlon Brando surfaced—Brando the island-buying recluse who shot The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris while dreaming of a private Tahitian Eden. Adapted from Bernard Judge’s memoir Waltzing with Brando: Planning a Paradise in Tahiti, the story spans 1969–1974 and chronicles the unlikely partnership between the world’s most famous actor and an American architect as they design an eco-utopia on Tetiaroa. Directed and written by Bill Fishman (Tapeheads), the film marks a reunion with Zane from their 1993 collaboration on Posse. Originally announced in 2019, production faced delays due to the pandemic but wrapped principal photography in Tahiti, with principal locations shot on the actual atoll to capture its raw, unspoiled beauty. Zane not only stars but produces under his Billy Zane Productions banner, alongside Deano Productions, Fallout Entertainment, and local […]

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DRACULA: A LOVE TALE Review: Luc Besson’s Fresh Reinterpretation of Bram Stoker’s Eternal Novel

A bold new take on Bram Stoker‘s timeless classic arrives with Dracula: A Love Tale, reimagined through the visionary lens of Luc Besson, who transforms the vampire legend into a sweeping romantic fantasy. At its core is a Dracula propelled by an all-consuming love, enduring 400 years of torment in search of the reincarnation of his beloved. This intimate origin story rehumanizes the iconic count as a tragic figure, blending historical drama with supernatural yearning in a way that feels both audacious and deeply personal. The film kicks off with a spectacular prologue, unveiling Vlad Tepes as a formidable 15th-century warrior before his fall into the shadowy realm of the immortal Count Dracula. Besson then weaves us through a blood-drenched romantic saga drenched in gothic aesthetics, laced with his trademark over-the-top action set pieces—think swirling mists, chiaroscuro lighting inspired by Flemish masters, and explosive bursts of otherworldly fury—that fully immerse […]

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