5. Cliff Walkers (Zhang Yimou, China)
What really impresses here, however, is the way Zhang implemented the extreme drop of snow in the movie, with the weather essentially being one of the protagonists of the movie in the way it shapes the characters' actions, while creating an imposing antithesis with the darkness that engulfs most of the story. Zhao Xiaoding's cinematography finds one of its apogees here, starting with the panoramic scenes of the intro, and extending to the whole movie, with the way he has managed to capture all the aforementioned elements inside the thick snow being truly marvelous (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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4. Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (Edwin, Indonesia)
The technical side of movie is also impressive. Fights are fast and furious, and of course with retro vibe. Also, Edwin gathered a well-recognized international crew, editor Lee Chatametikool (Apichatpong Weerasethakul collaborator), and cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa (Kiyoshi Kurosawa's regular), who provided grainy retro shots on 16 mm film. He also used the crews' own experiences to recreate the era. As he explained to Łukasz Mańkowski in an interview: (Joanna Kończak)
3. Barbarian Invasion (Tan Chui Mui, Malaysia)
Martial arts feature prominently in “Barbarian Invasion”. Mui said she grew up watching wuxia and martial art TV series in the 80's, but she took up some Jiu-Jitsu training only after giving birth. For the film, the team wanted to follow Matt Damon's example who trained in Krav Maga and Filipino Kali for “The Bourne Identity”, and ended up with brilliant filmmaker James Lee, an expert of Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu, as action director and also in Master Loh's role. Lee is particularly brilliant for the sense of humour he injects in Master Loh, a brutal sifu, who talks solemnly like Bruce Lee but could easily be an impostor (Adriana Rosati)
2. Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (Keishi Ohtomo, Japan)
As usual in the series, the action element is the most central, and thankfully, in contrast to the previous film, this time it is stripped from forced sentimentality, almost completely. In that regard, the initial scenes highlight Kenshin as a demon, as a man who could create a rain of blood every time he appears, with the initial sequence, which finds him bound, the one in the narrow streets of Kyoto, the one with the unknown assailant in the night, and the one from the first time he met Katsura, set the tone for the movie. What makes thes scenes stand out, apart from the uncanny speed of Takeru Satoh and the bloody violence that surrounds them, is how impressive the settings they take place in are, with Takuro Ishizaka capturing images of extreme beauty, which additionally, create a rather intriguing antithesis with the bloody violence that co-exists in these scenes. The aforementioned in the narrow street, but most of all, the final one in the snow, are testament to the prowess in the particular aspect, which also benefits the most by the frantic editing of Tsuyoshi Imai. Also of note is the one between Kenshin and Okita of the Shinsengumi, also due to its contextual significance regarding the change the former experiences. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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1. Raging Fire (Benny Chan, China)
On top of this, “Raging Fire” is an exceptionally enjoyable action showcase vehicle. It starts off marvelously with a multi-tiered shootout in an office building between three gun-wielding groups that's one of the most energetic and engaging pieces in the genre. It moves swiftly around the room to feature the various encounters between the thugs, the intruding group of robbers led by Ngo and his men, and the police team trying to intervene. Later scenes feature the team of cops taking down the thugs carrying out their own heists and robberies that devolves into a series of high-energy chases, shootouts, and hard-hitting martial arts battles that are all effortless dynamic and engaging, which brings the action into a confined, close-quarters style that remains realistic as well as impressively choreographed that adds to the overall experience, making for a frenetic and highly enjoyable time. (Don Anelli)
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Trying to remember title to an asian action movie few years old. Opening scene shows a hitman in a nightclub about to shoot a bunch of monsters in a room but first he sees a little girl sitting alone at a table so he makes a paper armoni of a dragon so she laughs but a stray bullet kills her and he can’t handle the guilt
“No Tears for the Dead,”