Also known as In The Line of Duty, Michelle Yeoh's second lead action role after Yes, Madam! is a terrific burst of hard and violent Hong Kong action cinema. Having thwarted a hijacking involving a duo of ex-soldiers, Michelle, Michael Wong and Hiroyuki Sanada become the target of the rest of the violent and sworn blood brothers (starting with Lam Wai). A tight thriller with lighter sections involving a very persistent Michael Wong (who is less of a security officer and more of a stalker), David Chung still has his focus set on the core plot and gives action director Mang Hoi plenty of room to pack Royal Warriors with brutal and likable ideas. Putting a variety of weaponry in Michelle's hands and having her endure quite an endless array of action scenarios, thankfully it's all thrilling rather than overkill. Ranging from the exciting (and bloody) action aboard the plane, ferocious and dangerous car stunts supervised by Blacky Ko and burying Hiroyuki Sanada under a ton of sand at a construction site, it's the small bursts of a little bit of everything that makes the film rack up so many highlights. Perhaps a tad nihilistic but exciting in the end, the club shootout mid film is both harrowing, so good that it might've served as the finale but gives all the players a chance to say we can be put to use in any action cinema. Even when it involves sledgehammers and chainsaws. Also with Michael Chan, Kam Hang-Yin, Kenneth Tsang, Eddie Maher and Paul Chun gladly accepts a minute of screen time before being shot in the head.

3 years into the then current triad boom started by Young And Dangerous and The Rules Of The Game comes out with a bland poster, stars that may or may not shine, the highest rating and a plot that inspires no one. However director Steve Cheng clearly is aiming for distinctive familiarity and it helps actually. David Chow (Louis Koo) and friends run a garage but are struggling financially. Their conflict with triad boss Shing (Alex Fong) results in one of them, Chun (Sam Lee), crippled and brain damaged and circumstances force the group to join Shing's Hung Lok Group. David vows to only do it for Chun's sake and underneath the notion of revenge is brewing. It starts to draw the once tight group apart. Especially Ann (Kristy Yeung), who's the object of desire for Shing, feels more and more detached from the scheming David...

Within a trend, who craves effort? Then again having cinematographer Joe Chan make matters look pretty solid and because of the choice of shooting in synch sound, Steve Cheng at least makes us watch on for the above average professionalism on display. The darker turns the story takes engages and although some of the effects of the out of control spiral of violence gets taken down fully by some awful choices of music, The Rules Of The Game can indeed be argued to be familiar in a good way. Louis Koo and Alex Fong display the cool and emotional in solid ways but positive glimpses sporadically in a familiar production doesn't make for a full movie. Unexpected but not approved. Also with Edmond So, Ronald Wong, Simon Loui, Frankie Ng, Wayne Lai and Berg Ng.

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After a couple of failed attempts at breaking the US market, it was funnily enough a Hong Kong production that made Jackie's name in the American mainstream. Rumble In The Bronx was not only a massive hit in Hong Kong but the American box office of 32 million dollars signaled audiences responded to Jackie's mix of playful and intricate choreography, stunts and comedy. Thank director Stanley Tong's comfort merging an international vibe with the Hong Kong one as demonstrated in Police Story III: Supercop, here and in First Strike then. The Bronx-set but mostly Vancouver-lensed action comedy sets the basic stage for genre-content with Jackie arriving to work at his Uncle's (Bill Tung) store, a bike gang are mean to him and the new shop owner (Anita Mui) and that's all Tong needs to do get going. Anyone would primarily walk away having been dazzled by Jackie's creativity in choreography, using props, kung fu but it's Stanley Tong's stamp on proceedings and the dangerous stuntwork, that shares the spotlight equally well. Judging by the outtakes, people were hurt, Jackie famously injured his leg so you'll get to choke on the fun-cocktail you've just had come credits-time. Tonally pretty reckless but not particularly caring that it is, suitably neither Tong or Chan are expecting us to take any of this seriously either. Including the fact that Jackie and his newly found biker friends can essentially take the law into their hands by driving a hovercraft onto a golf course and nearly killing our villain by the end. Yay for approved vigilantism. This tracks back to its Hong Kong roots and the full version (US version by New Line cinema had about 15 minutes of edits) reveals Anita Mui was a victim of the editors. Her character goes through emotional highs and lows, which makes the uncut Rumble... very much resemble a schizophrenic Hong Kong movie. But it was the right movie for the American mainstream despite. Also starring Francoise Yip who gets to engage in a far fetched romance with Jackie's character. Not the first time that has happened.

In this day and age where the remakes debate is at a fever pitch, it is easy to forget but somehow be less disturbed by the fact that Hong Kong cinema share quite a lot of blame in this area. They've however not been as open about it beforehand or even secured rights and with Run, you have a largely beat for beat remake of El Mariachi by Robert Rodriguez.

This does mean a change of scenery for the Hong Kong action film but one time director Derek Cheung does know it's for his local market despite. The casting of Leon Lai all means an excuse for him to promote his singing (that's the strongest feeling you'll get from his act) and as support, the "comedy" double team Eric Kot/Jan Lam are there to disrupt any mood established by director Cheung. That or rather those moods are achieved fairly well whenever Veronica Yip is on screen as she puts in dramatic acting just a few notches above the material, despite little chemistry with Leon Lai. It's never felt but the stock narrative beats aren't devoid of good instincts at points. Also at his disposal is action director Tony Leung who adds suitable style, excessive gunpower and gore to a few sequences. Co-starring Peter Chan Lung.

Triva time: Hong Kong's love affair with El Mariachi didn't stop with Run as Wilson Yip's Mongkok Story featured a clip within the movie showing Anthony Wong as a B-movie actor in a Hong Kong version of said flick.

David Lai got rewarded the Category III rating for this triad action-drama and for very valid reasons. It may very well have been due to the triad activities featured but early on he delivers violence that just isn't suitable for even IIb.

Runaway Blues is the kind of effort where it's hard to really put any huge amount of care into story and characters as it's all been done in various forms before. Pace becomes an issue and a longing for gory violence to break it all up sets in. Blackie Ko is the action director at hand and sporadically before the final act puts together fine stunts and brutality with a capital B. Nothing is redeemed on director Lai's behalf when the unexpected finale goes the bloody places it does but it's working with Ko that he finally manages injects some welcome emotional content in the film. It makes Runaway Blues very memorable for its minutes of bloodshed but overall, this is kind of a drag. Andy Lau, Sunny Fang, Kelvin Wong, Tien Ni and Shirley Lui stars.

Not that I remember the Nick Nolte/Martin Short vehicle Three Fugitives very well but the same year Hong Kong used its template for their Run Don't Walk, doing re-takes of the main character plots and some of the gags. Director Wong Chung (Vampire's Breakfast and co-star of Cops And Robbers) does however get the casting absolutely right for this one, with the newly released gangster played by Ti Lung and the desperate robber by Richard Ng. Add into the mix an absolutely adorable little girl (Chan Cheuk-Yan - Wild Search) and the remake recipe does fly quite nicely on its own. It's mostly successful when displaying heart through its performers, making one forget there's merely snickers to be found otherwise and that comedic scenarios such as Richard Ng disguising as a nurse (blocking out his facial hair with a bouquet of flowers) isn't only far-fetched but uninspired. Kent Cheng plays one half of a pair of bumbling and also annoyingly unjust cops but Cheng provides some deadpan humour to make his supporting act stand out. Wong Chung also keeps a consistent tone mostly throughout, rarely choosing to go vicious on us as per the Hong Kong cinema recipe so the entire family can go and see ALMOST all scenes together. Also with Lam Chung.

Best not be late for this one as it starts extremely harsh with rape, courtroom drama and into the reformatory for girls for Irene Wan's character (sharing a cell with Rachel Lee amongst others). Cora Miao plays Fong, a social worker assigned to that group of girls that eventually escapes after a car crash during transfer. Working alongside the police (mainly Alex Man's Yung), Fong obviously dislikes the black and white view by the police of the escaped girls as they're not criminals as such but what's the verdict of her actual handling of the cases? She is also introverted while also being pushed by match-making friend played by Elaine Kam. Despite the odds being against it and especially during the dire circumstances, Fong takes a liking to the rough Yung...

Two movies and several moods existing with each other, director Stanley Ko can't seem to make them work together either. Bathing the proceedings in green, sloppily slapping on social commentary about the justice system, the opposite attract bit of Running Mate does charm at times thanks to leads Miao and Man being fairly well in-tune. Man's usual rough and growling act argues successfully that it can logically hold humanity and Miao's buttoned up, boyish appearance that gradually and extremely breaks out into womanhood is stuff Miao seems comfortable in performing. The resolution of both films does mean the halves of Running Mate finally works a little together as well. Wu Fung, Shing Fui-On and Kwan Hoi-San also appear.

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Yesasia.com