Kung Fu Killer

With a supporting cast of Hong Kong action-film legends (including iconic producer Sir Raymond Chow), director Teddy Chen's Kung Fu Killer aims to be some sort of ultimate tribute flick to A- and B- and C-level chopsocky actioners, although the earnest approach here largely steers clear of the smirky, ironic self-consciousness that a Western pastiche might carry. Jailed for unintentionally killing an opponent, kung-fu master Hahou Mo (Donnie Yen) informs the authorities that he can profile the nameless culprit in a red-hot case: a limping serial killer (Wang Baoqiang) who is methodically murdering former martial-arts contenders in Hong Kong—using their own most renowned techniques. As the action progresses, it becomes clear that Mo knows more than he's telling. Brutal, imaginatively staged fight scenes are the film's raison d'être and they do not disappoint; one particularly visual example is staged on a giant replica of a human skeleton. Recommended. (C. Cassady)