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Screener Review: THREE (2016)

Director Johnnie To’s new movie, Three, plays like an adequately-balanced hybrid of genres than a crime thriller in some ways, but you still get a lot of what you’ll be looking for, save for just a few holes and some bad CG and cardboard performances among other things. It’s also the first Johnnie To film I’d seen in a long while so I’m sort of coming at this with somewhat of a fresh perspective and from an experience that gladly wasn’t entirely for nothing. The film picks up at a hospital where we meet a doctor (Vicky Zhao) belaguered by the pressure to be a successful surgeon, and a Hong Kong inspector (Louis Koo) under the duress of an overbearing press crowd as he escorts a high-profile robbery suspect with a bullet in his head (Wallace Chung). The suspect awakens and decides to exercise his right not to be treated […]

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Catch The Latest Trailer For David Lam's S STORM!

Director David Lam’s 2014 corporate espionage thriller, Z Storm was probably better than it deserved to be. It had some great moments with good acting from its cast led by actor Louis Koo, compensating adequately for what it lacked in depth and originality in some areas and Michael Wong was a fun villain to watch as well. Thus, we’ve come to 2016 with a season full of unknowing as to what Louis Koo title to pay attention to first what with Johnnie To’s forthcoming crime thriller, Three, Jazz Boon’s TVB feature follow-up, Line Walker, and Benny Chan’s period martial arts actioner, Call Of Heroes among the endless list. Alas, you can add Lam’s return to the director’s chair for S Storm to your Louis Koo syllabus of forthcoming movie homework with a release rolling out this August throughout Asia, and Koo back in character as the corporate watchdog group of […]

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From TVB To The Big Screen, Catch The Slick New Teaser For LINE WALKER

If you feel like actor Louis Koo is in everything these days, you’re not alone. That said, the latest teaser is now here for director Jazz Boon’s new movie, Line Walker, following in tow from its successful TVB run in 2014. SYNOPSIS: After a handler of undercover agents died and his classified flies erased, some of the identities of those agents become lost. When someone codenamed Blackjack contacts the police, asserting that he is a lost agent, Inspector Q sends Agent Ting to contact him. Ting soon finds herself manipulated by Blackjack, while Inspector Q encounters a series of peculiar events resulting in the death of the chairman of a finance group. Finally, Inspector Q manages to pin down the whereabouts of Blackjack and uncovers the surreptitious involvement of a business company in a huge drug deal in Brazil. However, the drug dealers have found out that there is an […]

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Watch The New Trailer For Johnnie To's THREE

Director Johnnie To’s latest, Three, gave a good showing at Cannes last month upon nabbing several English-speaking territories, including the ever-reliable Well Go USA for North America. Advancing into the summer, the film is poised for a June 24 release in Asia and we now have a new trailer circulating which you can view below. SYNOPSIS: Realizing that he will be defeated in no time during a police showdown, a thug shoots himself to force the cops to cease fire and take him to the hospital. In the hospital, he claims human rights to refuse immediate treatment in order to bide time for his underlings to rescue him. The detective in charge sees through his scheme but decides to play along so as to capture his whole gang once and for all.

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CGI-Heavy LEAGUE OF GODS Summons Its First Teaser

Touting a budget of HK $300 million dollars, directing pair Vernie Yeung and Koan Hui have arrived with the first step in the promotional campaign for China Star Entertainment’s upcoming fantasy epic, League Of Gods. The film was announced around two years ago with production beginning at the top of last year and with a release date set for this Summer, a new teaser began circulating several days ago. SYNOPSIS: Based on the 16th-century Chinese novel The Investiture of the Gods 封神演义. With a production budget of HKD$300 million, the film features a star-studded cast such as Jet Li, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Louis Koo, Fan Bingbing, Huang Xiaoming and Angelababy.  A long time ago, a determined King Zhou, supported by his concubine Daji, sets his mind on conquering the Middle Kingdom. After years of slaughter, the unyielding Adept tribes have been eliminated in succession. Jiang and General Ji from Qishan […]

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The First Teaser For Johnnie To's THREE Brings Orchestral Demolition

The folks over at Media Asia are off to a great start following their slate unveil at HKFilmart last month. Moving onward and with an eye a little closer on acclaimed filmmaker Johnnie To, we now come to with the first bits footage from the new crime thriller, Three, and in stunning fashion with actors Louis Koo and Wallace Chung, and actress Vicky Zhao headlining. SYNOPSIS: Realizing that he will be defeated in no time during a police showdown, a thug shoots himself to force the cops to cease fire and take him to the hospital. In the hospital, he claims human rights to refuse immediate treatment in order to bide time for his underlings to rescue him. The detective in charge sees through his scheme but decides to play along so as to capture his whole gang once and for all. The film opens this June and with To […]

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KILL ZONE 2 Gets A U.S. Trailer

Close to a year since the film’s release at home, Soi Cheang’s thematic sequel crime thriller, SPL 2: A Time For Consequences, has already marked itself high enough for the prospects of a third film in the weeks and months to come. With that all said and done and following an announcement several weeks ago, Well Go USA is moving forward with its release as Kill Zone 2, a new trailer for the film’s limited theatrical and VoD opening on May 13. SYNOPSIS: When an undercover cop gets too close to revealing the mastermind of a drug syndicate, his cover is blown. Double-crossed and under a false identity, he’s thrown into a Thai prison, where a guard discovers the inmate – claiming he’s a cop – is a bone marrow match for his dying daughter…and his warden may have an even deadlier operation hidden within the prison walls.  In this […]

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Louis Koo Holds All The Cards In The Explosive Trailer For Benny Chan's CALL OF HEROES

Shortly after a quick name change from The Deadly Reclaim to its new rebranding, Call Of Heroes, we now have a trailer that lends this latest rebranding much deserved justice. Director Benny Chan is at the helm for this one and with a ripe cast that sees the likes of actor Louis Koo in a role that certainly commands the story some, along with actors Sean Lau, Eddie Peng, Yuan Quan and action star Wu Jing making a kickass comeback of his own. SYNOPSIS: The story is set in 1941, China was trodden by incessant civil wars then. The central government had lost its power while warlords claiming their territories. The law and order in Puchang, a remote village, were temporarily enforced by a civic police led by Yang Kenan until the new ruling warlord Ca. The newest trailer has arrived ahead of the film’s releases in Asia later this […]

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Louis Koo To Star In A Third STORM RIDERS Film, Wilson Yip May Direct

Louis Koo To Star In A Third STORM RIDERS Film, Wilson Yip May Direct

A little over a year ago, comic book creator Ma Wing-Shing took to a more different approach in unveiling the finale to his 25-year old wuxia franchise, The Storm Riders. It was a mark of achievement for the auteur as much as it was a strategical move in the wake of piracy’s stronghold over digital and print media, although with any luck, this won’t be all we hear of its film counter parts. The popular comic book series became a household name with protagonists, Wind and Cloud as its central characters, later adapted for the big screen by director Andrew Lau and released in 1998 from Golden Harvest. Sonny Chiba played antagonist opposite leading men Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok in the title roles as two very different, gifted pugilists who eventually join forces against the warlord who killed their fathers in the name of his own conquest. The film […]

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Screener Review: WILD CITY (2015)

I have only seen just several Ringo Lam flicks in my time as a follower of the Hong Kong cinema. That stated, all are taken into account when encompassing the experience of Asian cinema, and with his latest return to the helm, Wild City will surely appeal to the niche after nearly seven years away from the director’s chair. The film follows actor Louis Koo in the role of T-Man Kwok, a former cop who resigns after a failed bust and becomes a bartender. Soon, chance encounter with a drunken woman named Yun, played by Tong Liya, turns from an act of good will into a chaotic fight for survival on the streets of Hong Kong with Shawn Yue in the role of T-Man’s step brother, Chang, immediately swept into the calamity. With each passing moment of increasing danger, T-Man and Chang learn the ultimate truth of what’s at stake, […]

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THE DEADLY RECLAIM Sports A BTS Featurette With Benny Chan, Sammo Hung & Co.

Just off the heels of completing his latest role in The Bodyguard, yes, action legend and choreographer Sammo Hung is still making movies, and this time he’s with director Benny Chan for the current production of period war flick, The Deadly Reclaim. Chan reunites with quite a few of the cast from previous films, namely The White Storm lead actors Lau Ching-Wan and Louis Koo, as well as New Police Story co-stars Liu Kai-Chi and Sammy Hung, and Invisible Target antagonist, action star Wu Jing in his latest role since his last two films were so physically tolling they nearly put him out of commission. SYNOPSIS: The story is set in 1941, China was trodden by incessant civil wars then. The central government had lost its power while warlords claiming their territories. The law and order in Puchang, a remote village, were temporarily enforced by a civic police led by […]

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Sci-Fi Robo Thriller, VIRTUS Lends Us A New Teaser With Louis Koo Starring!

It was sometime last year that we were introduced to a slick teaser for an upcoming feature that would easily suit today sci-fi action niche. Virtus is the name of said project, and here and now we finally get to add a human face into the mix with actor Louis Koo suited up and ready to kick some robot ass in the newest teaser now going viral. Koo took to this year’s events at HK FilMart in representation of his One Cool Film Group LTD. banner, which he launched in 2013. The film, to possibly be directed by Benny Chan with a budget reportedly of up to HK $300 million dollars is one of an eight-title slate announced at the time with its development currently in the hands of one of its partners, leading Hong Kong VFX studio, FatFace Production LTD. who featured the first teaser last summer. Details are […]

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SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES Lets Out The Mayhem In A Brand New Trailer!

The verdict is still out on how well director Soi Cheang‘s SPL 2: A Time For Consequences will stand with audiences. In the meantime, the promotional campaign remains on-going and the footage is pulling no punches with actors Wu Jing, Tony Jaa and Max Zhang at the center of this gruesome crime tale thematic of Chinese astrology. The plot of this particular sequel installment is quite intricate with a much more grander scale for its characters and setting. My own summation here: Run by a corrupt warden (Zhang), a Thai prison and its illegal orga smuggling ring and an elusive crimeboss (Louis Koo) are the initial stake for an undercover Hong Kong cop (Jing) whose cover is blown and must find a way to break out, while serving as the only bone marrow match for the dying daughter of one of the guards who helps him (Jaa). The film is […]

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Watch A New Featurette For SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES!

Depending on whether or not you’re into featurettes or anything that may potentially spoil your later enjoyment for director Soi Cheang‘s latest, SPL 2: A Time For Consequences, consider yourself otherwise warned. The film is just a little over a month away and Bravos Pictures is now underway with marketing the film with the usual assortment of posters, trailers and featurettes, and speaking of the latter, there are already a few now making the rounds. The one at the bottom doesn’t seem so bad…well, at least compared to one I caught earlier this month (find that one and watch it at your own risk), and should whet the appetite a bit more ahead of the film’s release. Preset by the first film nearly a decade ago, Wu Jing and Max Zhang are joined by international action star Tony Jaa and co-stars Louis Koo and Simon Yam as the film maintains […]

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HK FilMart 2015: Ringo Lam's WILD CITY Gets A Full Trailer!

HK FilMart 2015: Ringo Lam's WILD CITY Gets A Full Trailer!

Hong Kong is the place to be right now for nearly any and all business now for Hong Kong directors, namely long-celebrated legendary filmmaker Ringo Lam now heralding his latest return to the fray with the new crime thriller, Wild City. It’s Lam‘s latest since working on his share of the weight in the 2007 pic, Triangle, and with this in mind, those familar with the DNA of Lam‘s body of work will likely see this newest effort as an exceptional treat worth viewing. SYNOPSIS: A mystery beautiful woman carrying a case of money no one knows the story of behind that stunning face. She met two brothers and the adventure starts from here. This team of three being chased by the police and gangsters all came for the case of the money. They have no way to hide and no way to go but confronting the situation by showing […]

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SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES Unleashes The Inner Beast With Four New Character Posters

2015 just got better for fans of international action star Tony Jaa as he moves forward and beyond his historic career with the addition of three new titles so far, two of which will arriving as early as next month with the third to follow suit this summer. SPL 2: A Time For Consequences kicks off its campaign this week ahead of its expected July release with specific dates and territories pending, following director Wilson Yip’s 2005 crime thriller, SPL, which signaled an artful return to form for the Hong Kong action genre headlining action star Donnie Yen at the time. This time, The Monkey King helmer Soi Cheang fills in the director’s chair with Yip taking on producer duties with Paco Wong with a script by Jill Leung and Huang Ying that will reintroduce the central astrological themes surrounding our characters, several of which will surely take primal form […]

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[UPDATED] EXCLUSIVE: Tony Jaa And Wu Jing Trade Blows In A New Set Photo From S.P.L. 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES

International action hero Tony Jaa is currently finished filming his role in his forthcoming Hollywood debut with director James Wan in Fast And Furious 7, and is back overseas to complete work on his upcoming role in director Soi Cheang‘s new film, SPL 2: A Time For Consequences. The film is just one of a handful of projects that are currently brewing for the Thai actor who has been reinventing himself through his official Facebook page, connecting with fans and showcasing his improvements in English, a sign of great prospects to come as he expands his horizons as one of the most prominent action stars of today. To say the least, I suspect some surprises may be on the way. That said, Film Combat Syndicate is proud to introduce an exclusive official HQ set photo with Jaa and fellow action superstar Wu Jing from the set of the film which you […]

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Louis Koo Tackles Government Corruption With Explosive Results In The New Teaser For Z-STORM

Coming off of an exciting year of hit releases like Drug War and The White Storm, actor Louis Koo is starting the year off just right with his latest appearance in the new teaser for director David Lam’s upcoming crime thriller, Z-Storm. The film has been announced for a summer release following this year’s earlier events at the Hong Kong FilMart where it was also presented by producer John Chong on behalf of Pegasus Motion Pictures who is distributing the new film. Koo takes the lead with Firestorm co-stars, actors Gordon Lam and Lo Hoi-Pang in a riveting story of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and its inquiry with a charity fund embroiled in a government Ponzi Scheme that ultimately turns into an explosive life or death investigation. Actresses Dada Chan and Janelle Sing, and actors Michael Wong and Liu Kai-chi round the principle cast. Check out the teaser below, […]

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Updates On FENG SHEN BANG Concept Art And Production

Following an earlier report on Friday stemming from several tweets and conceptual art samples, Chinese media forwarded new reports of the new film, now known as Feng Shen Bang. News of the film grew traction earlier on with at least two photos of concept art illustrating actor Jet Li and actress Shu Qi in their respective roles. Those updates now have some newly revealed concept images with reports that Ip Man 1 and 2 helmer Wilson Yip will instead be co-directing the film with Koan Hui in what appears to be the latest move toward fashionable big-budgeted 3D blockbuster productions, notably falling in line with the latest success stories, Stephen Chow’s Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons, and this year’s Donnie Yen smash hit, The Monkey King. Based on the 16th century novel Feng Shen Yan Yi (a.k.a. The Investiture Of The Gods) by Xu Zhonglin, Feng Shen Bang  […]

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Concept Art For Wilson Yip's FENGSHEN YANYI Film Appears Online

Action legend Jet Li has seen his fair share of career highs and lows; His most recent coming as the result of his current condition in the form of hyperthyroidism which forced the actor to step back from his normal physical routine, a move that also reportedly took a toll on his ability to stay in shape. As a result, while the 50 year old actor’s career has given him plenty of space to relax and breath as he moves up in age, the future seemed a bit foggy as to whether or not fans would ever see Li do another action film, or more films at all. Last year, it was reported that the actor stated to the press that he wouldn’t necessarily be making films for money anymore. In essence, it basically sums up the notion that he would pick certain projects — that was a while before […]

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