Asian Action Cast

Shaw Bro.’s 1972 historical war epic 14 Amazons sets the bar for fun campy villains who overshadow the ‘heroes’ of the film.Ivy Ling Po and Lily Ho lead our plucky band of (too many) heroines, but they are up against the forces of Lo Lieh’s fantastic 5th Prince and Bolo Yeungs unnamed barbarian wrestler.A ridiculous human bridge sequence is worth the price of admission but the incredible face mugging, arrogant laughs and expressive eyebrows will keep you amused!

Walk down the Demon Path with us as we gaze into the thousand yard stare of the Lone Wolf and Cub on their last journey before Hell!White Heaven in Hell is the final instalment of the lone wolf and cub movie series starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, and is something of a limbo piece.While much remains unfulfilled, there is action aplenty with moody sets, unsettling action and constant tension. An enjoyable film and worth the nettles from the Demon Path.

Bruce Lee’s 1978 post-mortem movie Game of Death is more than a curiosity, it’s a cultural phenomenon that irreparably bashed its way into modern consciousness.It clearly was damaged by Bruce’s untimely passing, but it remains one of the most wistful and hopeful projects of the silver screen.The small flashes of ‘Real Bruce’ invoke pangs of equal parts admiration, longing and tragedy, with the dreams and dialogue about WHAT IF burning white hot over 60 years after his death. 

The Sequel to Wong Jing’s most serious adaptation to date, his magnum opus, the Asian Action Cast takes on the New Kung Fu Cult Master pt 2!

The hidden 1984 gem Japan-China action collaboration Ninja and Dragons is everything you’d expect, with magic ninjitsu alongside and vs Kung Fu.Starring a plucky ninja Hayate, played by Jun’ya Takagi and his Dragon friend Dong Li, it is a tale of intrigue, vengeance and unsettling villains that will haunt your dreams.Watch it if you can find it, and be dazzled by the colours and wonderful music with decent action in this rollicking thriller.

The Prodigal Son is a Wing Chun paradise, combining some of the siliest slapstick and brutal beatings into one tasty bowl. Yuen Biao's kung fu is the worst in Canton, but luckily he's a spoilt rich kid whose father bribes everyone to lose to him. Only opera star and kung fu master Leung Yee Tai (Lam Ching Ying) gives him the beating he deserves, resulting in Leung Chang (Yuen) begging him to teach him the real thing. Sammo Hung later shows up to teach him some bad habits, but Lam Ching Ying steals the show, graciously acting with no eyebrows. This 1981 Sammo Hung directed film is well worth a look. 

Slick, tense and intimate, the 2012 Soi Cheang directed vehicle stalker flick Motorway has a surprising amount of style and feeling for what could have been a flat chase movie.Anthony Wong, as always, brings a warmth and charisma to his close to retirement days-of-yore-badass mentoring and living vicariously through Shawn Yue’s high octane speed freak Chan Cheung – all characters are downplayed to raw perfection making you want to spend more time in their world.Villain Jiang Xin is flawlessly portrayed by Xiaodong Guo who has the perfect mix of simmering danger and frightening talent. Not just a great action film, but a great film, check it out!

This week we revisit 1992’s Hard Boiled, directed by John Woo, part of the Princess Films avalanche of Chow Yun Fat movies coming your way soon on Blu-ray. How does it stack up 30 years later? A cop who won’t take no for an answer, Tequila ends up in the middle of a gangland munitions war. When his investigations reveal an undercover cop, they combine to stop it all from going sky high. Filled with glorious shootouts, explosions and cute babies, this is the most Woo film of them all.

The City of Violence is a 2006 Ryoo Seung-wan directed friendship thriller starring dapper detective Jung Doo-hong’s Tae-Soo.There certainly is violence aplenty in the city, largely perpetrated by our main cast. Friendships form, falter and fall as snake liquor goes wasted.The violence escalates throughout surprising you how far it’s willing to go, and any action film with sub-boss fights is A-ok in our books. Check it out - THE CITY OF VIOLENCE.

In the martial arts world, even your spare change can become a lethal weapon! Enter 'Twelve Deadly Coins', a 1969 Shaw Brothers production starring the excellent Lo Lieh and Ching Li. When your senior disciple isn't as good as you think, who will protect your treasure convoy against bandits? Fighter Qiao Mao (Lo Lieh) can do it all, but he's also acting a little suspiciously. The life of a poor fighter is a hard one! Also file under creepy eyeball villain, red haired axe thug and one armed swordsman!

What’s more deadly than 13 Assassins? Cooler than 7 Samurai? Gorier than 5 Deadly Venoms? Why its Director Kazuya Shiraishi’s 11 Rebels! This 2024 Samurai Epic is 60 years in the making with ascript written back in 1964!

Donnie Yen’s 2025 Dram-action THE PROSECUTOR will have you questioning what you know about legal procedurals with its labyrinthine plot and non stop exposition.If you can stomach Donnie’s soap boxing righteousness for 75% of the film, there’s a really solid 25% of hard hitting martial arts action, including a truly creative and kinetic first person gun/kung fu sequence.Donnie shows no signs of slowing down and is surrounded by an incredible stunt team selling amazing hits and action the way only Hong Kong movies can!

In honour of the recently passed great man, Mr Richard Norton, we celebrate his intersection and elevation of Hong Kong action cinema in Jackie Chan’s 1997 Sammo Hung Directed Mr Nice Guy.Richard Norton is irrepressible, chewing scenery and having a blast as he turns the screws on Jackie’s super chef. It is a film of hijinks amidst the backdrop of Melbournes inner city - home to Mr Norton and another late great star Mr Bradley Allen of the JC stunt team.The film is a testament to the humour, humanity and talent of these fallen warriors and we at the AAC bow to you with gratitude for your contributions to our collective joy. RIP Richard Norton and Brad Allen - gone but not forgotten.

Ever forget who you but somehow have access to special forces training, martial arts and parkour moves and hardcore riz with the ladies? No you’re not Jason Bourne, you’re Jackie Chan in his 1998 Amnesia Thriller, Who Am I?

Beat Takeshi (Kitano) subverts your expectations with one of the best and/or worst (!) most polarising films in recent memory in his 2025 film Broken Rage.Director, Star, Writer and Editor: he hits the major chords with a retired yakuza hitman melody, then riffs into unknown territory with an absurdist parody of the same story.And then came the beats is an apt description of the film which is entertaining, if not bizarre. Also starring Tadanobu Asano, Nakamura Shido II and Jun Akiyama to name but a few - the action is in how your brain violently reacts to what it’s witnessing…

We've all cheered, laughed and been amazed at the phenomenal stunts in Hong Kong action movies over the years: but what about the people behind the stunts? What happens when things go pear shaped?2024's Stuntman shows that sometimes "the good old days'"aren't always that fondly remembered for some and the old adage of "they don't make them like they used to" is probably a good thing.Starring Stephen Tung as an old school star, Terrence Lau as a newcomer eager to please and Philip Ng as a more safety first stunt coordinator.

What looks, smells and feels like a Hong Kong Action movie but is not a Hong Kong Action movie? 2017’s Luc Van Tien! Star vehicle for the incredibly agile and talented Vietnamese/German martial artist and Jackie Chan Stunt Team alumni Andreas Nguyen.If you didn’t know before he was a Jackie Fan and collaborator, you’d know by the end of the film, which liberally homages tropes, gags and set ups, but in a way that is fun and respectful of the material. The plot is meandering and barely there, just like any classic Hong Kong stunt movie but the action is generous and very well done and the characters are colourful and whacky.Featuring the incredibly prolific Le brothers Andy and Brian, as well as some excellent new faces (hello charismatic fighter hench-twins Lorenz and Felix Ruwwe) this is fun romp. Andy Nguyen may not be the new Jackie but the apple is comfortably close to the tree – and thank you for going back to post credit outtakes HAIL TO THE STUNTMEN! #notenoughimpactpowder

High octane fight scenes, bone crunching action and exhilarating stunts. Jackie takes his blend of action comedy to New York (actually Vancouver but who cares).Non stop thrills and spills with a sexy Francoise Yip, mulleted Anita Mui, Dashing Bill Tung and blink and you miss Emil Chau, it’s the goldilocks of action mayhem. We are all garbage! It's Rumble In The Bronx!

The Asian Action Cast calls last drinks on 2024! All the movies we watched will go into a no holds barred slugfest to see which one comes out on top. Will it be another victory for Hong Kong? Will we remember who starred in what movie? Do we actually praise Donnie Yen for being a *good* actor??? Tune in and find out. Thanks everyone for listening and as always, stick around for the remix.

Knockabout is Yuen Biao's outstanding debut film in a starring role, directed by Peking Opera "Dai Gor" (big brother) Sammo Hung. This 1979 action romp is deliciously quirky with some of the best martial arts action of the golden age of Hong Kong cinema. Talk about showcase - Yuen Biao has to be one of the greatest tumblers of all time and he proves it here. An acrobatic prodigy, Yuen Biao (aged 22 at the time) displays inhuman stamina and incredible flexibility, as well as tight, crisp martial arts. And that’s not even mentioning top performances by Sammo, Lau Kar Wing, Brian Leung, Mars and a bevy of recognisable stuntmen. An instant classic, enjoy our summary before or after you watch this - and maybe you can explain to us exactly what Yuen Biao is doing on the movie poster art?!