Asian Action Cast

Sabu’s 1996 Directorial debut, Dangan Runner is an absurdist gang caper comedy that has a lot of humor and heart.Coming out a full two years before Run Lola Run, and Lock Stock, it blazed the trail of nailing cinematic serendipity amidst our heroes’ journey (literally) across Tokyo.Tomoro Taguchi, Diamond Yukai and Shinichi Tsutsumi are our running leads, the loser, the drug addict and the yakuza - who discover themselves in the chase of a lifetime. 

Bruce Lee’s 1972 directorial debut, The Way of the Dragon, not only teases the beginning of what could have been, but also introduces the world to the indomitable beast, the late great Chuck Norris.With only one line of dialogue Chuck chews almost as much scenery as Little Dragon Lee himself, mugging and slugging their way across the silver screen.A patchy film at best but shines evermore as a time capsule of cult treasure. Chuck Norris  does not die at the end, he simply waits.

On this episode of the AAC the gang tackle the classic 1987 Hong Kong crime thriller CITY ON FIRE.A direct inspiration for the 1992 smash 'Reservoir Dogs' CITY ON FIRE features an effortlessly cool and fresh faced Chow Yun Fat. Chow is an undercover cop trying to bring down a violent gang, but juggling police infighting, trying to earn the trust of the ganghes infiltrating and keeping his personal life afloat is pushing him to boiling point. Whats gonna give first? Why is Officer John such a jerk? And will that fruit cart get bowled over? Join us and find out!

Re:born is a 2016 military action thriller starring Tak Sakaguchi as the impassively stone faced killer, Ghost, who seems incapable of showing emotion whether on the surface, inside, on or off camera.Featuring a very healthy dose of kinetic and frenetic action with amazing stuntwork, great choreography and visceral kills, the lack of plot barely gets in the way of an entertaining watch. You might not care about anyone you’re watching but they’re doing cool stuff.In fact, the movie takes no effort to tell you who these people are what any of them actually wants, other than dramatically declaring they want to bleed, or their blood is dry, or vaguely and suggestively ‘I want you’, but if you can withstand the barren waste of emotion its not a bad sizzle real of good fights.

This 1997 hidden gem 'Too Many Ways to Be No. 1' from Johnnie To's Milky Way galaxy of genre films comes not just with Golden Harvest's classic Bong Bong but the incredible mind melting enhanced reality of a criminal satire.Featuring a typical Johnnie To understated protagonist Sean Lau as directed by Wai Ka-Fai, what follows is an uneven but incredible intriguing sliding doors story of choosing or controlling our fate through our choices.A lovely blend of comedy, satire and absurdity this is a charming entry into the Asian Action Casts' hall of movies that sparks great memorable moments that linger longer than the run-time.

Jackie Chan’s 2025 thriller, The Shadows Edge brings our hero firmly into the world of spy vs spy counter espionage genre facing off against the masterful Tony Leung Ka-Fai.Not without its flaws, with incomprehensible 1 second smash cuts, pacing and bloat, what shines though is a genuinely tense mental chess game with real stakes.With an actor (Ci Sha) so handsome he had to be more than one character, his resemblance had us wondering if he was related to Takeshi Kaneshiro! This has tons of style, some real heart and a good dose of adrenaline - check it out!

Buddy cop movie with moustaches sums up this 1989 Melvin Wong produced vehicle, but 48 Hours it is not! Melvin against type plays a good Hong Kong cop with a penchant for getting into trouble. Lam Wai is his mainland moustachied equivalent, crossing the border to help with an organised crime case. Simon Yam is just starting to get into his deranged criminal role phase too. A less well known action buddy film, and something worth seeking out once you've watched all the Hong Kong headliners.

The Asian Action Cast finishes 2025 in style with the annual tournament to determine the best movie of 2025!We've got plenty of jokes, awards, stats and general tomfoolery for your listening pleasure.Thanks to everyone that has listened this year - look forward to more shenanigans in 2026 and as usual stick around for the remix!

Stroll with the AAC through Johnnie To’s 2004 neon saturated streets of Throw Down, play in a world full of style and character.The action is just the window into the disparate lives of these meandering souls as they help each other find joy and purpose - the satisfaction of a life fulfilled.Johnny imbues this film with honest moments, stringing gorgeous visuals cobbled together to weave a tapestry of emotions. You might dislocate a shoulder watching but you’ll marvel at the technique.

Taking on the INVINCIBLE ARMOUR is no easy feat, but our heroes John Liu and Tino Wong crack the code! Director See-Yuen Ng’s 1977 action romp is a densely packed thriller that goes from fight to fight, it’s thick, fast and deadly.No technique is undefeatable and this movie is a cautionary tale for why it sometimes might be a good idea to wearing a metal chastity belt.

For a Halloween special that's twice as nice, we bring you Black Magic Part 2! Same director, same actors as the first but it's turned into a Scooby Doo style mystery in tropical Singapore! Lo Lieh has channeled his charisma into becoming a black magician who keeps zombies in his dungeon. Our heroic trio of doctors (Ti Lung, Tien Ni and Lin Wei Tu) don't believe in magic, but let's drive a nail into the issue and get to the bottom of this. More gore, special effects and boobies like the first movie!

Asian Action Cast's Spooktober celebrations begin with the Shaw Brothers 1975 exploitation horror fest BLACK MAGIC!Starring a wooden Ti Lung and magnificently creepy yet charismatic Lo Lieh, it tells the cautionary tale of why you shouldn’t roofie someone to get them to love you.With incredibly budget effects and jarring musical pivots, the nudity alone cannot salvage this movie, but it is a fun watch with friends if only to gross them out with worms and maggots!

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.