By every conceivable, rational metric The Nocturnal Demon shouldn't work... and guess what, it doesn't! Hong Kong movies frequently induce tonal whiplash but this one's on another level. It makes the Lucky Stars movies look like the meticulous work of Kubrick or Fincher.
Imagine, if you dare, a mixture of 10 To Midnight and What's Up Doc? Or how about Fear City meets Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol. Still not convinced? The Toolbox Murders and Fletch, perhaps... Whatever cinematic…
Billy Chow defeats (also kills) Ken Lo in the ring. His sister happens to be Moon Lee, who is understandably not best pleased. She storms into a restaurant where he's smugly dining out to issue a challenge in the form of a punch to the chops. After the inevitable ruckus they meet again for a rematch in the ring - plus revenge! Then Yukari Ôshima, wife of a shady kickboxing racketeer, gets involved and things escalate...
Not without its flaws…
David Chiang gets perhaps his best martial arts showcase in this overlooked Lau Kar-Leung gem. Obviously coming sandwiched between two of the director's kung fu masterpieces The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin and Heroes Of The East, Shaolin Mantis was always going to live in their shadow. However it's better than some of his more celebrated works and a must-watch for any Shaw Brothers fan.
What's maybe surprising here is that Chiang essentially plays the 'bad guy' (a Ching spy taking…
Remember when superhero movies used to be simple? I miss those days...
For me this one is the very definition of 'mixed bag' with so much thrown at the wall to see if it sticks. Some humour lands, much doesn't. Some 'emotional' beats work, lots doesn't. If you like Spider-Man then you've come to the right place because this is the most spidery Spidey flick of all - in every tingly sense. My favourite stuff was anything involving Doctor Strange,…
