The New Kung Fu Cult Master 1 & 2 Review: Raymond Lam Woefully Miscast In Wong Jin’s Massive, Messy Martial Arts

The New Kung Fu Cult Master 1 (PG13), The New Kung Fu Cult Master (PG)

Starring Raymond Lam, Janice Man, Yun Qianqian, Sabrina Qiu

Directed by Wong Jing & Keung Kwok-ManHongkong schlockmeister Wong Jing’s first adapted Louis Cha Jin Yong’s classic wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre in 1993’s Jet Li-starring The Kung Fu Cult Master, it was a bust that ended on a cliffhanger. If at first you didn’t succeed, try, try again. This time with Raymond Lam’s gifted pugilist Zhang Wuji embroiled in a decades-spanning, internecine war over two prized weapons. The duology, released two weeks of each other, is a lumbering beast — chockful of names, fighting styles, double (or triple?) dealings, and characters with risible costumes (hello, the Bat King!). It’s a coming-of-age fable, a revenge tale, a treasure hunt and a love story all rolled into one. Alas, the epic unfolds ploddingly, executed with all the flair of a glorified telefeature. The SPFX is very Superman: The Quest for Peace, very cut-rate; the performances are plastic as fudge (hard to tell Sabrina Qiu, Janice Man and Yun Qianqian apart sometimes). A little dash of late ’80/’90s Tsui Hark gonzo-ness would have been nice. That, and a more charismatic and physically nimble leading man to hold the fort. Better luck next time, Wong? (1.5/5 stars)

Photos: Shaw Organisation

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (M18)

Starring Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones

Directed by Michael ShowalterLike Lady Gaga in House of Gucci, Jessica Chastain gives such a showy (Oscar-nominated) performance that threatens to overshadow the film about the rise of Tammy Faye, from a country girl to co-founding the PTL (Praise The Lord) Network with her preacher husband Jimmy Bakker (Andrew Garfield), and her fall amid financial irregularities, infidelity and scheming rivals. The film covers a lot of real estate but doesn’t dig deep enough to explore the dark side of gospel prosperity. Perhaps there’s a more penetrating film to be made about her…no, wait, there is: the 2000 documentary that begat this shallow biopic. (2.5/5 stars) On Disney+

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos

Kimi (M18)

Starring Zoë Kravitz, Devin Ratray, Jaime Camil

Directed by Steven SoderberghSteven Soderbergh’s second shot-during-the-pandemic feature — the first was the slow-burn 1950s heist flick No Sudden Move, with Benicio Del Toro and Don Cheadle and — sees agoraphobic tech worker Angela (Zoë Kravitz, feisty as usual) who believes she’s overheard a violent crime while analysing data streams collected by the eponymous Alexa-inspired home assistant device. Naturally, she has a tough time convincing authorities to take her seriously before taking matters into her own hands. The Rear Window-meets-The Conversation for the WFH generation, Kimi is a small picture with big questions about privacy (or the lack thereof) in the age of invasive technology. (3/5 stars) On HBO Go

Photo: HBO Go