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Asian cinema: Chinese films

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Leading Hong Kong singer and actress Miriam Yeung at an interview with the Post in 2017. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Profile | Miriam Yeung’s career as singer and actress, and rupture with fans

Declaring herself a Chinese patriot at the height of anti-government protests in Hong Kong angered fans, but Yeung is back performing again.

Review | Blossoms Under Somewhere: Collar’s Marf Yau impresses in film debut

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4 very different Hong Kong romance films from the 2000s to watch

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The Hong Kong stuntman reviving classic kung fu

Philip Ng, star of new movie Stuntman, reflects on Hong Kong’s golden action film era when Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan reigned – and why it’s back.

Philip Ng Wan-lung is a Hong Kong-born American actor, martial artist and action choreographer. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Was remaking classics like Police Story, A Better Tomorrow a good idea?

We look at four remakes of classic Hong Kong films, from a Jackie Chan-led Police Story from the 2000s to a riff on Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury.

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Profile | From songwriter in wife’s shadow to serious actor, Louis Cheung’s rise

Hong Kong tabloids painted Louis Cheung as dependent on singer wife Kay Tse, but as an acclaimed actor he’s standing on his own two feet now.

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Review | The Last Dance: Dayo Wong, Michael Hui in exquisite funeral drama

Comic actors excel in purely dramatic roles, but Michelle Wai steals the show in an engrossing film that champions female empowerment.

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Dayo Wong (left) and Michael Hui in a still from The Last Dance (category IIB; Cantonese), directed by Anselm Chan. Michelle Wai co-stars. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures

Review | Weekend in Taipei: Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-mei in dull action quickie

Sung Kang is tame as a tycoon fighting Evans’ drug cop to get at his estranged wife and her son, in a film that has action but lacks panache.

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Artist Huang Yongyu showed his ‘relaxed’ side in new docu-film by Yonfan

Hong Kong director and photographer Yonfan is finally getting the recognition he deserves, with mainland censors deeming his Crossing Years docu about the late artist fit for the public.

Why Circle of Iron, based on a Bruce Lee idea, turned out badly

Based on a script Lee abandoned, the 1978 film ended up a bizarre mix of poor martial arts and mysticism. An expert dissects what went wrong.

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David Carradine (left) and Jeff Cooper in a still from Circle of Iron. The 1978 movie was based on a script Bruce Lee abandoned before his death, but ended up a bizarre mix of inadequate kung fu scenes and faux Eastern mysticism.

Profile | Wealthy rising China star Esther Yu known for bold fashion sense forges own path

Despite family background steeped in corporate success, daughter of mining magnate chooses acting as way forward.

Despite her family’s fabulous corporate wealth, up and coming Chinese actress Esther Yu Shuxin has chosen to chart her own way to success. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

Why Jackie Chan hated making Hong Kong-US movie The Protector

Chan was so unhappy with his role as a cold-blooded killer in the James Glickenhaus-directed film he asked for a new version for Hong Kong.

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Review | Cesium Fallout: Andy Lau leads Hong Kong radiation disaster drama

Implausible? Yes. A flimsy set-up? Also true – but this mega-budget film starring Andy Lau, Bai Yu and Karen Mok is immersive and engaging.

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Review | In Possession Street, zombies terrorise old Hong Kong shopping mall

Starring Philip Keung, Yeung Wai-lun and Candy Wong of girl group Collar, Possession Street is a grim and claustrophobic experience.

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Philip Keung in a still from Possession Street. Photo: Mei Ah Entertainment.

‘Gormless’ to ‘adequate’ to ‘terrific’, Aaron Kwok’s early film career

Aaron Kwok’s early films garnered mixed reviews, from a terrible outing in Legend of the Liquid Sword to a great one in After This Our Exile.

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Aaron Kwok in a still from Somebody Up There Likes Me (1996).

Profile | From child star to activist, Hong Kong actress Josephine Siao’s career

Josephine Siao began her acting career aged 6 and made over 100 films before becoming deaf. She is an activist against child sexual abuse.

Review | Inexternal, martial arts fantasy without a watchable fight scene

Martial arts clichés, clumsy storytelling and terrible fight scenes all add up to a fantasy that is less than fantastic.

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All 10 Once Upon a Time in China movies and rip-offs rated

Tsui Hark’s film series that originally starred Jet Li as martial arts legend Wong Fei-hung spawned several knock-offs, such as Kickboxer.

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Jet Li as Cantonese martial arts legend Wong Fei-hung in a still from Once Upon a Time in China 2 (1992), directed by Tsui Hark. Photo: Golden Harvest

Review | Jackie Chan falls flat in CGI family action flop Panda Plan

Jackie Chan stars as himself as he jets off to adopt a panda cub and has to fight off kidnappers in this terrible family film.

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10 of the best movies at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2024

This year’s programme includes a drama ripped from Hong Kong headlines, a social satire in a near-future Japan and a modern romantic drama.

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11 films that best show the acting chops of Hong Kong’s Anita Mui

Anita Mui’s remarkable versatility made her characters captivating to watch in films that co-starred names like Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-fat.

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Tony Leung Ka-fai, Chow Yun-fat and Anita Mui in a still from A Better Tomorrow III. Photo: Fortune Star Media Limited

Letters | Moo Deng deserves better than lifetime of pain and captivity

Readers discuss the treatment of social media star Moo Deng, the importance of involving children in community decision-making and a proposal for a uniquely Hong Kong theme park.

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Visitors to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand, take photos of Moo Deng, a pygmy hippopotamus that has become a social media sensation, on September 26. The zoo has launched a 24-hour live stream to serve her fans worldwide Photo: EPA-EFE

Profile | Hong Kong singer and actor Jacky Cheung’s rise to God of Songs

Known as one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ of Cantopop, Jacky Cheung has enjoyed a stellar career as an actor and singer since 1984.

Review | Go for Broke: Nick Cheung, Ethan Ruan in nonsensical thriller

Nick Cheung plays an ex-soldier who takes on a drug cartel after his family die, in a ridiculous thriller whose action scenes can’t save it.

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Review | High Forces: Andy Lau takes on aircraft hijackers in stupid thriller

Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau’s reputation takes another nosedive in High Forces, a ridiculous Chinese production from director Oxide Pang.

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Andy Lau in a still from the Chinese aeroplane thriller High Forces (category IIB; Mandarin), directed by Oxide Pang. Zhang Zifeng and Qu Chuxiao co-star.

How Leslie Cheung shone in Farewell My Concubine and Temptress Moon

Cheung’s turns opposite Gong Li as a gay opera singer and a gigolo in 20th century China were two of his best, but both fell foul of censors.

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Zhang Fengyi (left) and Leslie Cheung in a still from Farewell My Concubine. Photo: Tomson Films

All Shall Be Well leads Hong Kong contenders at Golden Horse Awards

Dead Talents Society leads nominations for Taipei-based awards with 11 nods; Sylvia Chang and 3 Hong Kong stars vie for best actress prize.

Why Brandon Lee’s only Hong Kong film, Legacy of Rage, is underrated

The Crow was Lee’s best movie but he was great in dubbed crime film, despite refusing to do kung fu for fear of comparisons with his dad.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Asian cinema: Chinese films. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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