Popular reviews

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  Review by Josh Gillam ★★½ 2

  Stuart Whitman is Shatter, a hitman who himself becomes a target after carrying out a high profile assignment. Realising he’s been set up, the veteran assassin teams up with a martial artist (Ti Lung) in order to reclaim his fee, dodging the police and fellow hitmen along the way, in Michael Carreras’ actioner co-starring Lily Lee, Peter Cushing and Anton Diffring.

  Despite the plot having more holes than a sieve there’s enough action to keep everything going, with Hammer and Shaw Brothers combining forces in a solidly entertaining (though not always cohesive) way. I think this must be the first Shaw Brothers movie I’ve seen, and the martial arts scenes are definitely the highlights here, injecting some much needed energy into…

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  Review by Helen_S ★★★ 2

  Never thought I'd have a Hammer for a Man day but this one sounded like it fit the bill and it did. Some awful acting, bad fight scenes, terrible music. The handful of small Peter Cushing scenes were by far the highlight, plus the camera gun, that was cool. A pretty crappy film overall and a generous rating from me as I just loved everytime somebody shouted Shatttteeeeeerrrr.

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  Review by threepenny ★★½ 5

  I was hoping that finally seeing this movie on Shout Factory's beautiful crisp blu-ray would redeem it somewhat, but it doesn't. It just doubles down the "what were they thinking" factor of Stuart Whitman's casting. He's in great shape, as a couple shirt-off scenes attest, but let him be a reminder to all of us mid-life crisis bodybuilders chasing after our youth - you can get ripped abs all you want but your face is going to still have every line it ever had, and a few extra if you end up trimming down. And you'll still have bushy old-man eyebrows with stray greys suddenly flying out in all directions seemingly overnight. The blu-ray allows you to admire every ear…

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  Review by Daniel Shillito ★★½ 2

  Mini Collab with fellow Shaw Brother, Slay.

  The other Hammer / Shaw Brothers collaboration, Shatter’s conception predates The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, as it was originally pitched as a Canadian co-production before being confined to a shelf for a few years and then resurrected as part of the collaboration deal. Rather than a period drama as both companies were used to producing, Shatter sees the action transported to contemporary Hong Kong and it's used to great effect, even if it amounts to nothing more than a lot of glorious eye candy. The film ran into many problems during production and this is evident in the finished product, the editing is off by a beat, it doesn't go anywhere…

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  Review by Lexzilla ★★½ 2

  The forgotten child of the Shaw/Hammer partnership. Probably because it just about scrapes mid-tier action movie level.

  The story is a pretty simple one about an assassin caught in a couple of double crosses. Unfortunately Stuart Whitman, as that main hitman, is a bit of a charisma blackhole. Not great when he’s the character on screen the most.

  Thankfully we get a few minutes of Peter Cushing turning up in his last Hammer role. And we get Ti Lung delivering all the interesting-for-this-film fights and looking great a tank top. The two of them, along with the under-used Lily Li as the love interest, the on-the-streets Hong Kong locations and the minimalist funk of the theme tune are really all that keep you watching.

  
  3/31 Shawgust 2024

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  Review by MushiMinion ★★★★

  On the surface, Shatter might resemble one of numerous hairline hero titles that plops an aged past-their-prime movie star in a poor Asian country that's cheap to shoot in. However, under the tutelage of both Hammer Films and the Shaw Brothers, Shatter clips along with an eclectic energy that places it head and shoulders above its more languid grindhouse brethren.

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  Review by Keith G ★★½

  AKA Call Him Mr Shatter

  International hitman for hire Shatter (Stuart Whitman) likes a Bacardi, but what he likes more is getting paid for a job well done. After killing an African general/leader with his funkydoo camera gun, Shatter heads for Hong Kong to get his $100k fee. No sooner has he arrived than someone tries to kill him! Already rather perturbed by events, he's even more pissed off when banker Anton Diffring tells him he's not getting paid, turns out Shatter has been set up to be scapegoat and a collection of people want him dead, including the crime syndicate he works for, the Hong Kong police, led by Peter Cushing (also provider of useful exposition) and the brother…

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  Review by Bloodspiller🩸 ★★½

  Shatter has about as much charisma as your typical ironing board. Flat, sturdy, while his mere presence illicits a sigh. He's not the guy you want leading your action film.

  When Hammer producer Michael Carreras started directing films, Hammer was in a nose dive. And judging by the theme song alone, they may have been trying to create a white version of Shaft.

  Like Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, this is a joint production with Shaw Brothers, which injects a healthy dose of kung-fu action into the plot. Unfortunately the fight scenes are the best part of the movie. It's really too bad Hammer couldn't ante up their end of the partnership with some studio typical lavishness but it…

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  Review by Sc8lo ★★

  The first collaboration between Hammer and Shaw Bros is nowhere near as much fun as the second.

  This is almost a snooze fest with not much martial arts and a wooden lead.

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  Review by Curtis ★★★

  Shatter's not a complete success, but I found enough in it to make it enjoyable. Some things are intentional, some things probably weren't.

  Stuart Whitman is Shatter, an assassin whose last job has rendered him globally persona non grata and sees him being hunted through Hong Kong by numerous organizations, all wanting to see Shatter dead.

  Stuart Whitman seems a little detached from the role, while "guest star" Peter Cushing, as British security agent Rattwood, is always a treat when he shows up to nudge things along. Ti Lung plays Shatter's friend-in-need, who shows his stuff in an early Pan-Asian battle royale, and is always there when asses need effective kicking.

  Aside from this film's questionable understanding of how drugs…

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  Review by Silversaxophone ★★½ 3

  In between Two-Lane Blacktop and Cockfighter, Monte Hellman stumbled into this misbegotten co-production between Hammer and Shaw Brothers studios shot in Hong Kong. Hellman was sacked by producer Michael Carreres, who took over directorial duties about three weeks into the shoot. Most of Hellman's material remains, and the film benefits from the gritty Hong Kong locations organised by Hellman. It's a crime thriller with political overtones and tacked on Kung Fu sequences. There's a hint of an interesting existential character study with Stuart Whitman's anti-hero, particularly in the scenes with Peter Cushing (in his last appearance in a Hammer film), superb as a shady Hong Kong detective, but the production problems scupper most of the film's potential, including designs to turn it into a TV series. Also trapped in the mess is Anton Diffring, enjoyable as the main villain.

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  Review by Luke Thorne ★★

  Michael Carreras’s gory, violent action drama is strictly for adults only, in which an international hitman is hiding out in Hong Kong after completing a contract on an African leader.

  The story concerns a worldwide hit man who is beleaguered by a corruption syndicate and the police when he enters Hong Kong to collect a payoff, after having finished a radical murder in Africa.

  Stuart Whitman gives an okay performance in his role as the title character Shatter, the hitman who is desperately trying not to get caught while in Hong Kong, with Shatter carrying on with his nasty tactics.

  Elsewhere, Lung Ti is alright as Tai Pah, the martial arts artist who Shatter appoints for assistance, while Lily Li…