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10.
Born To Fight
Probably
the one choice that many will condemn me for, 'Born To Fight'
earns its place simply on the basis that it is such wacky and
outlandish fun. Sure the story is very lightweight and the
action is ludicrously staged but what other film can claim to
contain around an hour or so of nothing but solid fights and
amazing stuntwork? It's perfect lads entertainment and
there's nothing more entertaining than watching it with a group of
friends and adding your own soundtrack!
[Read
The Full Review]
9.
My Wife Is A Gangster 2
This
was a real surprise for me as after being disappointed by the
original, I didn't exactly hold out high hopes for the sequel.
However, as it turns out this is a very competently put together
production that works best on comedic merits but also finds time
to fit in an entertaining storyline. It may not be a
masterpiece in the traditional sense of the word but it is exactly
the kind of film that will bring a smile to your face when you
need it most.
[Read
The Full Review]
8.
Danny The Dog (AKA Unleashed)
Jet
Li's latest film didn't exactly earn critical aplomb upon it's
release as many claimed it lacked the killer edge in the action
department whilst also highlighting Li's poor acting ability.
Personally though, I thought this was one of his most promising
films in recent times thanks to some pleasurable action and a
performance from Li that contained a bucketload of heart.
[Read
The Full Review]
7.
One Armed Swordsman
Celestial
continued to resurrect numerous gems from the Shaw Brothers back
catalogue this year but my title of choice has to be the classic
'One Armed Swordsman'. Wang Yu stars in this epic tale of a
heroic warrior robbed of his right arm and forced to discover that
there is more to life than fighting. It's got it all - a
strong leading man, first-rate action and a heartfelt story,
definitely a classic if ever I saw one.
[Read
The Full Review]
6.
New Police Story
One
of the first films I saw in 2005 left a positive impression for
two reasons - firstly, it marked a return to Hong Kong filmmaking
for a certain Jackie Chan and secondly, it was easily Chan's best
film in years. After numerous lacklustre American outings,
'New Police Story' was exactly the kind of uniquely Asian, action
packed vehicle that Chan needed to show fans that he was still
capable of cutting it in all departments. Not only that, it
stands out as a decent film for everyone involved with good stints
from Nicholas Tse and Daniel Wu, proving the future is bright for
the old and new stars of Hong Kong cinema.
[Read
The Full Review]
5.
Wait 'Til You're Older
Something
that Andrew pointed out to me recently is that I seem to have
become the "Andy Lau guy" on the site, mainly because I
normally review his latest films and, more often than not,
thoroughly enjoy them. Although yet to be reviewed, 'Wait
Til You're Older' proved to be no exception and provided a
favourable finish to the year. Basically it's a Hong Kong
reworking of the movie 'Big' that, in a lot of ways, surpasses
it's influence and is more than capable of bringing a tear to your
eye.
[Read
The Full Review]
4.
Kung Fu Hustle
Easily
my most predictable inclusion, 'Kung Fu Hustle' earns a place in
my top ten for far too many reasons to mention really. Not
only is it one of Chow's best films to date but it is also an
extremely refreshing slant on the traditional kung fu genre that
is funny, action packed and stylish, all at once! If you
haven't seen it yet then you are truly missing out.
[Read
The Full Review]
3.
Oldboy
'Oldboy'
was one of those films that I had previously overlooked as I
feared it was just another overblown fanboy masterpiece but I
couldn't have been more wrong. Picking up the superb Tartan
2-disc DVD proved to be one of the highlights of my year as this
is an outstanding exercise in cinematic genius that shows why Park
Chan-Wook is one of the most exciting directors working in film
today.
[Read
The Full Review]
2.
Princess Mononoke
I
was fairly late to jump on the Studio Ghibli bandwagon but working
my way through their vast library of titles has proven to be an
absolute joy. Of the ones I viewed this year, the standout
title has to be 'Princess Mononoke' which is a masterful example
of how animation can match any live action film for storytelling
and depth. Hayao Miyazaki brings to life another set of
truly captivating characters and crafts out a touching tale that
is capable of appealing to fans of all genres. Absolutely
light years ahead of any animation emerging from the West.
[Read
The Full Review]
1.
A Bittersweet Life
Every
once in a while, a film comes along that completely enthrals you -
from the opening shot, right down to the final few seconds of
footage. 'A Bittersweet Life' was, for me, just such a film
and one that walks away with the prized number one slot hands
down. At heart, it's a simple tale of the worm that turns
but in reality it is so much more thanks to the extremely stylish
direction, a captivating leading performance and some excellently
put together shootouts. This is easily a film that will
remain a firm favourite within my collection for a long time to
come.
Written
by Phil Mills
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