Legendary Amazons (2011)

Amazons surprised me in a really, really good way. It's a retelling of the Yang Family story that I expected to be as bland and formulaic as most of the other "epic" movies about kingdoms at war that China makes these days, the ones that play it safe by recreating boring Peter Jackson-esque battle scenes over and over. What I got was partly that, but also a wonderfully rich throwback to an era of Asian action cinema that I absolutely LOVE: the martial arts action of the early 1990s. It's a compromise, there's still some weak-as-shit CGI and dodgy green screen moments, but the fantastical is there, the beautiful costumes, the amazing wire work, the sense of fun, the fake horses and even the insane editing style of those halcyon years!

4 citizens of Song out of 5

Naked Weapon (2002)

There are no prizes for guessing which HK cult classic the film takes its cues from. To be fair, it’s from the same writer, but that doesn't excuse the implied connection, of which there’s none. It stars Maggie Q as an assassin who uses her curves and her sex to get close to targets. All goes well until her past begins to intrude and her agenda becomes cloudy.
A better director, one less preoccupied with Hollywood slow-mo, could've did great things with Naked Weapon, but instead it’s a bit of a turd that smells strongly of wasted potential.

2 marionettes out of 5

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat together! I'm in heaven. The chemistry between them is electric, despite being purposefully subdued. The film is the most balletic and beautiful wuxia  (martial arts) film I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. It has a sword that wobbles, bamboo groves that sway in the wind, people running vertically up walls and people quietly sipping tea. It’s a merger of the fantastical and the mundane. I could go on at length about the duality, the family, the history, the music, the art direction, etc, but I'll curtail that. Go watch the film instead of reading this.

5 scientific principles broken out of 5