The first film from Chang Cheh's newly formed Chang Ho Film Company in Taiwan, directing reigns were handed to understudy Wu Ma and there's certainly love for Chang Cheh evident. More in terms of film style as Wu Ma chooses to echo the dramatic director Chang Cheh was earlier in his career. A direct sequel to the Shaw Brothers movie The Shaolin Avengers, Chi Kuan-Chun reprises his role as Ming rebel Hu Hei-Chien who is after revenge for his father's death. Clinching that goal early, this starts a seemingly endless cycle of violence as he's now a wanted man. Back at Shaolin Temple, his teacher San Te (the character Gordon Liu played as a young man in The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin) dispenses the advice of not being rash but Hu's actions are already affecting the world. Especially his family where the son is clearly looking up to the violent nature of his father...

Aside from the fact that the titular cotton mill is absent from the film, Wu Ma makes sure to hook even those not familiar with The Shaolin Avengers. Creating the basic plot structure and injecting bearable drama having to do with consequences of violence, no one would turn their head in general but it's a welcome stance for an independent kung-fu film. Growing a little talky during some sections though, Wu Ma erases that critique as he conjures up magic via the introduction of Dorian Tan as a very cunning and manipulative end fight opponent. Tan sells this very well and the expected showdown with him using his awesome kicking skill versus hand expert Chi Kuan-Chun is worth the wait through a fairly sparse fight-fest. The crisp, clean and clear nature to the intricacy is commendable and Showdown At The Cotton Mill is really two of the best genre-presences in one package. Three if you count the drama.

Predicted at birth to not last more than 24 years of life, although he will mature on the outside quite quickly, Long-Life (Eric Tsang) has his family deviously arrange a wedding with the local but poor beauty Siao. But peeping at her taking a bath one night causes the ceiling to collapse, killing Siao but not her spirit as Long-Life literally takes her breath away containing it. It's now up to the good family of the town, Mr. Ko (Chung Fat) and his son (Ngai Sing) to get Siao reincarnated but Long-Life isn't giving up without a fight...

Lam Ching-Ying appears at the very beginning only and the remainder of Shy Spirit turns out to be rather insignificant. While the martial arts is a big component of the film, whenever it seems to go cool and creative, shoddy wirework takes over. It doesn't help that the finale contains obvious breakaway props to the max and while there's the odd fun after-life scenario, Shy Spirit never goes off. Only remains stale. Peter Chan Lung plays Eric Tsang's father (!) while Dick Wei and Stanley Fung also appear.

Despite the English directing credit saying John Chiang, Silent Love is actually Shaw Brother's star David Chiang's 7th feature as director. A social drama, Chiang plants the seed of darkness early as deaf Heung (Season Ma - The Lunatics) is imprisoned for manslaughter. What follows is the story of her and her pickpocket deaf/mute friends meeting ex-con Kelly (Lau Ching Wan in a very relaxed movie debut) and perhaps finally being encouraged to give up the lives as outlaws...

But director Chiang's story is about hopeless outcasts and as the violent act draws near, it's easy to spot that there's no true salvation in the film. The study is very much worthwhile and featuring characters relying on sign language to such a great extent is a directorial challenge Chiang does well in. The social commentary and its examination is a bit on the slight side though and Silent Love never really goes beyond interesting territory. The directing gene in brother Derek Yee was and is more prominent but Chiang proved to be a worthy behind the camera talent, none more so than in his last feature Mother of A Different Kind. Also with Fan Siu Wong, Roy Cheung and Lam Chung.

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TROY'S REVIEW: An un-credited Paulo Torcha headlines this typically daft but fun Filmark International cut & paste job as Silver Dragon; Interpol agent, ninja and judging by his headband, a man with Mitsubishi sponsorship too! To cut a long story short, Dragon and his ninja buddy (who only appears in two scenes in the entire movie) are out to bring down the evil black ninja organization which is run by Roger Kimsky, a man who has a curious propensity for giving rousing speeches to his decidedly gormless ninja cronies when he's not dipping his toes in the gun running trade. Meanwhile, in a completely separate story, i.e. a completely different movie into which the ninja scenes are edited, Alex Ho, a tough cop who doesn't play by the rules, is trying to bring down crime lord Mark. Scenes of special mention in this insane entry include, Alex going berserk with a baseball bat and taking out about twenty bad guys single-handedly and the bizarre ending in which Mark is tried for his crimes in a makeshift court of law in a multi-storey car park! Even better is the finale of the ninja segments in which Dragon's pal has a seemingly psychic warning that his friend is in trouble and subsequently goes to his aid... and is killed within about ten seconds! Luckily Silver Dragon himself fares somewhat better and eventually manages to defeat Roger by throwing his sword into him. Alas, in one last act of defiance, Roger rises from death to issue one last rousing speech proclaiming indignantly that this is just a 'physical death' and that one day he will return. Yes indeed, we look forward to that day!

Silver Hawk is the crime fighter doing things her way, employing her own principles and behind the mask is rich Lulu Wong (Michelle Yeoh, also producer). Annoying police by simply being first on the scene every time, childhood friend Rich Man (Richie Ren) is the cop out to nail her. A kidnapping case but ultimately world domination via phones courtesy of Alexander Wolfe (Luke Goss - Blade II) keeps them busy...

A bright, silver-like (literally) attempt at futuristic comic book action, going into Silver Hawk with the big budget, international dud that was the Michelle Yeoh vehicle The Touch in mind certainly lowers expectations. So as flawed, ridiculous, dumb and ridiculously dumb Silver Hawk is, director Jingle Ma actually does show some skill in maintaining the fun and cool of the premise. With concepts such as Silver Hawk jumping The Great Wall on her bike and featuring Alien Sit choreographed fights of varying quality, the movie is a vehicle that often tries to survive by being loud. The action choreography when clear is all about the one or two kicks in slow motion set to pounding, generic techno while any move by anyone is accompanied by something boring from the library of whoosh-cues. Playing the movie out suitably light still ruins any chances as the largely English language performed dialogue is terrible and terribly performed. It's basically the Alien Sit show for two action scenes that matches the need for over the top behaviour to this universe. One has Silver Hawk taking on fighters on bungy chords and later in the same environment, it's henchmen on rollerblades with steel hockeysticks. Luke Goss has a suitable design as a villain with bionic arms as well and the ending pyro show not only entertains that way but in between has some cool cinematic moments that shows Jingle Ma is a director with it in him. Problem is, lighting up for a second or two doesn't help anyone and Silver Hawk needed a ton of bricks of more cool to clinch its goals. Deservedly so it bombed at the box office but low expectations at least makes you remember the 5 minutes that weren't abysmal. Also with Brandon Chang as the chairman of the Silver Hawk fanclub, Michael Jai White and Li Bing-Bing.

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Depicting the "Siege of Fort Zeelandia" in 1661 and 1662 that when it came to a close meant the Dutch East India Company surrendered rule over Taiwan. The assault in the movie is lead by Ming loyalist Zheng Cheng-Gong (Vincent Zhao) who's witnessed his dynasty fade away to the point where his father is even surrendering to the Ching. This lean epic (clocking in at a mere 100 minutes) mostly strikes chords of entertainment and is more of a quick run through of key events (accurate or not) but nonetheless is a ride worth taking. Director Wu Zi-Nu is no stranger to dealing with history with big images thanks to the likes of Don't Cry, Nanking a few years earlier. By choice (and getting away with it) creating a good chunk of Sino-Dutch War 1661 as a melodrama, it's still passable drama thanks to this brave stance of letting emotions flow. All this refers to the breakdown of the family, what choices are made in the face of a fading rule and where loyalty leads you. Sure it's patriotic but not distracting flag waving and Wu Zi-Nu's battle images are equal to rough, gritty and impressively staged on the grand scale (mostly true of the sea battle that dominates the finale).

KENNETH'S REVIEW: Not as lifeless as Guy Lai's The Intellectual Trio but pretty damn close. At least it opens in an original fashion during what appears to be a breaking and entering but Pat Ha's Jenny isn't very good at it. Her plan is to elope with boyfriend Cheung (Jacky Cheung) but trying to stand in the way is his sister Kam (Carol Cheng). And when an old lady wants these people to be involved as she marries of her dead daughter, things take drastic turns. As the ghost of the daughter (embodied by Maggie Cheung) becomes visible, the marriage appears to have been done between her and Cheung. Enter rivalry...

Annoying pretty much until Maggie Cheung arrives in all her cute glory, as the comedic jabs takes place such as Pat Ha and Carol Cheng exchanging bust-jokes and Nat Chan appearing only mildly annoying, Guy Lai manages to trust Maggie Cheung to make matters bearable because nothing is otherwise funny. Criminally simple to direct her in this way.

Reasonably entertaining buddy cop cop comedy (the pairing this time is Sandra Ng and Charine Chan) from Andy Chin (Changing Partner) who usually makes reasonably entertaining films. No different here as comedy is kept unusually light (meaning not Wong Jing-esque broad outside of the Michael Chow cop character and his partner, but Michael is a pretty funny guy though) and plays to Sandra Ng's strength as an amusing comic actress. Tony Leung Siu Hung handles the action competently, giving us gritty and bloody gunplay that makes Sisters In Law a fair early 90s package. Shing Fui On and Max Mok are good in supporting roles.

Megastar does their best to ruin the movie with a horrendous 5.1 remix though.

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Sylvia (Sylvia Chang, also producer and co-writer) in a distraught mood about not feeling the attention and love from her husband (John Shum) anymore, shacks up with sister Sally (Sally Yeh in her last Hong movie). Sally herself is in a risky relationship with married man Johnny (Derek Yee) and decides ultimately to split up with him. Re-examining their roles in and view on love while being re-born again, Sylvia's true beauty will come out while she gets a breakthrough as a cook and Sally meets younger man Ray (David Wu) who literally drains all energy out of her. Being an environmentalist and never in shortage of things to do, it's the inevitable age clash that may threaten this blooming love. One time director Maisy Chow has a loveable structure and themes running throughout and it's especially heartwarming to see Sylvia's character bloom. Which in itself is the reason to cast Sylvia Chang as she can carry off that transformation from ignored house wife to true beauty and sexiness. Director Chow also thinks of this drama cinematically, going creative on us during her collaboration with cinematographer Jingle Ma. Pace she doesn't master however. In fact not at all. Sisters Of The World Unite seriously drags and engages merely in sporadic bursts, despite all throughout really showcasing its leading ladies well. Featuring cameos and appearances by Johnnie To, Raymond Wong, Kenny Bee, Phillip Chan and Kam Kwok-Leung.