"Actor: Kristy Yang"

• The Stormriders | DVD | (22/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The Stormriders transplants Macbeth into a medieval China in director Andy Lau's reinvention of classical tragedy as CGI-laden blockbuster. Officially the source material is a best-selling Manga, and the flying heroes with magical powers and the wild camera angles do indeed have a real graphic-novel flair. As the warlord Sonny Chiba is a commanding presence, while Ekin Cheng as Wind and Aaron Kwok as Cloud are perfect contrasting comic-book warriors. Kristy Yeung is a suitably lovely heroine, while Shi Qi provides irritating comic relief. There is style to burn, with beautiful imagery bearing the influence of Ridley Scott and, in the "blur-motion" duel in a bamboo forest, Wong Kar-Wai; indeed, Lau has served as Kar-Wai's cinematographer. Spectacular yet laden with symbolism The Stormriders is a film to bridge the appeal of Ashes of Time (1994) and The Bride with White Hair (1993) with the Superman (1978) and Mummy (1999) movies. The fights and a romantic flying sequence pay homage to the former, the computer effects update the groundbreaking Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (1983) with the technology of the latter. Sometimes overly ambitious or just plain bizarre The Stormriders is an emotionally charged darkly romantic adventure which outclasses any comic-book adaptation Hollywood has made in years.On the DVD: The first disc presents the 127-minute director's cut in its original 2.35:1 ratio with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. While the sound is clean, dynamic and makes great use of all the channels the picture is presented non-anamorphically, so that while well-focused, with strong colours and little sign of artefacting, it is not as solid or detailed as it could be. The main special features are two documentaries, a general "making-of" running 22 minutes, and a 20-minute "featurette" on the special effects. Both are promotional pieces made at the time of the film's release. The second disc features the US trailer and an object lesson in how to ruin a film, i.e. the "international" version ofThe Stormriders. Cut by 38 minutes, horribly panned and scanned and dubbed, this is a travesty that destroys all the beauty and atmosphere and renders the story incomprehensible. Why anyone would watch it when they have the complete film on the first disc is a mystery. The sound is again Dolby Digital 5.1 and the 4:3 image is fair. --Gary S Dalkin

• The Stormriders Trilogy | DVD | (03/11/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A triple bill of Hong Kong action classics from director Andrew Lau (Wai Keung Lau). The Stormriders: The most eagerly awaited Hong Kong movie event boasting Hong Kong's highest ever production budget and box office take. It is a visually stunning epic blend of swordplay explosive martial arts and breathtaking special effects to create the ultimate final fantasy. A Man Called Hero: Based on the comic book series by Ma Wing Shing 'A Man Called Hero' is a spectacular

• Avenging Fist | DVD | (19/08/2002) from £7.02   |  Saving you £12.97 (64.90%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The adventures of Nova a young fighter who is guardian of his family legacy an all-powerful martial arts style known only as 'The Avenging Fist'. When 'Combat 21' the leader of an underground movement known as 'The Red Dragons' discovers the existence of the style he will stop at nothing to learn its secrets and combine its strength with the all-conquering 'Power Glove' a technological fighting tool designed to unlock the unknown power of the human mind and body. When th

• The Duel | DVD | (27/05/2002) from £16.22   |  Saving you £3.77 (18.90%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Two Warriors in the Battle of a lifetime! From the Director of The Storm Riders comes this stunning incredible Special Effects Swordplay Epic Blockbuster! The elusive Sword Saint (played by Superstar Andy Lau) requests a duel with God of Sword (Ekin Cheng from The Storm Riders) at the Apex of the Forbidden City to see who is the world's finest swordsman. As the date of the duel nears however troubles soon befall The Imperial City from surprise attacks to a daring conspiracy against the Emperor until everything is revealed at the climactic spectacular fight. A jaw dropping Martial Arts fantasy extravaganza in the tradition of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and The Matrix The Duel breaks new cinematic grounds with its stupendous visual effects and thrilling action sequences choreographed by the legendary Ching Sui Tung (Dragon Inn Swordsman Two). Brace yourself for The Duel.

• A Man Called Hero | DVD | (21/05/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  An example of Hong Kong action cinema at its most mainstream, A Man Called Hero owes perhaps more to the films of Steven Segal than it does those of John Woo. The tale of a mythical hero who borders on the status of superhero, the film is stripped of any potential credibility by some of the most appalling dubbing ever seen at the cinema. While the original Chinese cast may inject the movie with passion, their American voice-over replacements obviously never made it past the sincere section of acting class. Each line is delivered with such false earnestness that the film sounds like a cross between Days of Our Lives and an episode of Pokémon. No cinematic cliché is left untouched, suggesting that this is not just a case of something lost in the translation but just a bad film... in anybody's language. The world-wide success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has proved that there is a huge market for original Eastern cinema, even more reason to avoid the pointless rehashing of the worst of Hollywood that A Man Called Hero undoubtedly is. --Phil Udell