The Infernal Affairs series borrows another page from the Godfather series by having the next entry serve as both a sequel and a prequel to the first chapter (the first sequel mirrors The Godfather Part II by tracing the character...
by Vincent Leo · Published February 16, 2007 · Last modified March 30, 2019
As much as I love Hong Kong action films, I must still admit that most directors tend to prefer style over substance, slow-motion shootouts over character development. This is why it comes as a...
by Vincent Leo · Published February 23, 2002 · Last modified April 2, 2019
If you ever were looking for an example of a movie that fails because it is too stylized for its own good, I’d recommend Fulltime Killer as a prime choice. It’s a shame, too, because...
1990s / Action / Comedy / Martial Arts
by Vincent Leo · Published February 7, 2002 · Last modified March 19, 2019
One of the many reasons why I enjoy watching Hong Kong action films is due to the clever use of comic relief even amid the most direst of situations. When this is done well,...
After having struck gold with their wildly successful Hong Kong release, Needing You, director Johnnie To and screenwriter Wai Ka-Fai attempt to repeat their magic with Love on a Diet. To do this, they bring together the...
With all of the shoot-em-up ballets of bullets that have been so popular in the John Woo era of Hong Kong cinema, director Gordon Chan as been refreshing in that he has taken the opposite...
1990s / Action / Fantasy / Martial Arts
by Vincent Leo · Published March 8, 2000 · Last modified March 8, 2019
It’s pretty difficult to give you a plot summary of a film that is not only faithless to its own plot, but at times does not even remember what it is. I’ll give it...
by Vincent Leo · Published February 18, 2000 · Last modified April 2, 2019
The duo that brought you the infamous Naked Killer are back with an altogether different kind of actioner in Century of the Dragon, reminiscent more of the Goodfellas/Casino kind of filmmaking Martin Scorsese is known for than anything...
by Vincent Leo · Published January 17, 2000 · Last modified April 14, 2019
Why my review of this film seems to be the only negative one I can find is a mystery to me. I’m actually quite surprised myself, since the other films stemming from the God of...
by Vincent Leo · Published December 3, 1999 · Last modified February 12, 2019
While obvious comparisons to the American release, The Negotiator, will abound, credit producer-director Johnnie To (Lifeline, The Heroic Trio) for making this not only substantially different, but just as fun and exciting. The film casts Andy...
Reviews from film writer Vince Leo, covering all eras and genres of films from classics to the latest releases.
Film reviews from Vince Leo, from classics to new releases, since 1996.
