In ancient times Japanese warriors were known to commit ritual suicide or "seppuku" after acting dishonorably or losing in battle. It is fortunate for the cast and crew that Bleeding Steel was not made during such conditions.
Death Note struggles with the weight of it's source material, ultimately offering little more than a derivative and predictable story attached to the bones of a fantastic central hook.
While not as pure and direct at the original Police Story, the sequel still delivers great action set pieces, stunt work and Jackie Chan's level of polish.
Police Story stands as one of the finest cases of Jackie Chan's legendary career. Featuring some of the best stunt work ever seen on film, Chan's clean direction highlights both the incredible action and story in equal measure. A genre classic.
Train to Busan is a masterclass is storytelling and execution. Always moving forwards, there is no dross or chaff to bog you down from a great story about some interesting and astutely acted characters.
Beautifully crafted and well acted, it may lack the visually originality of films like Hero or the sensitivity of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but delivers superbly choreographed action and fun characters.
Alex Garland's second feature is a fascinating and unusual tale, with a strong central premise executed with a decent level of precision but the lack of closure may turn some viewers off.