asianmoviepulse.com

“Cold War 1994” (“Hon zin 1994”) is a Hong Kong action drama directed by Longman Leung. It serves as a belated prequel to the successful films “Cold War” (2012) and “Cold War 2” (2016), which Leung co-directed with Sunny Luk. More impressive than the plots or cinematic impact of those two films, however, was their illustrious cast, featuring Hong Kong icons Chow Yun-fat, Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Andy Lau, and the charismatic pop singer Charlie Young, known among other roles for Wong Kar-wai‘s “Ashes of Time” (1994).

“Mothertongue” is one of two new films by renowned Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu; the other being “Gloaming in Luomu. Both films share—in addition to certain thematic similarities—the principal cast. There’s Bai Baihe as Chunshu (“Spring Tree,” which is also the film’s original title), Liu Dan as her acting teacher Miss Zhang, and Wang Chuanjun as Miss Zhang’s son, Dongdong.

“Mothertongue” is one of two new films by renowned Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu; the other being “Gloaming in Luomu. Both films share—in addition to certain thematic similarities—the principal cast. There’s Bai Baihe as Chunshu (“Spring Tree,” which is also the film’s original title), Liu Dan as her acting teacher Miss Zhang, and Wang Chuanjun as Miss Zhang’s son, Dongdong.

Action in Asian cinema has definitely lost to horror in terms of popularity, with the entries in the category this year in particular having shrunk significantly, and the quality deteriorating significantly. Thankfully, however, Sidharta Tata cama up with “Ikatan Darah” a film that can finally be mentioned along “The Raid”, essentially saving the whole category. Japan is continuing with the “Baby Assassins” recipe while Korea will milk Ma Dong-seok as much as possible in the category. Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan are here once more, the latter with one of his best films lately, concluding the highlights of the category.

Undoubtedly, the Leungs’ project functions as a celebration of Hong Kong action cinema and the inventive choreography that defined its golden era, reflecting their deep understanding of the stunt industry. At the same time, it acknowledges the passing of an era marked by breathtaking visuals, hazardous stunts, and productions that influenced filmmakers around the world.