bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Seven Swords

Director: Tsui Hark (below)

Starring: Leon Lai Ming, Donnie Yen Ji-dan, Charlie  Young Choi-nei

Prelude: Adapted from the popular martial arts novel Seven Swordsmen from Mountain Tian by writer Liang Yusheng, the film is veteran director Tsui's  latest period epic since his greatly  underrated movie The Legend of Zu four years ago.

Thestory: During the  Qing dynasty, seven swordsmen defy an imperial ban

on martial arts and continue to practise  heroic deeds. Meanwhile, a ruthless and powerful warrior sent by the  imperial rulers is on  his way to wipe out a village where a branch of the Society of Heaven and Earth is secretly planning to restore the Ming regime.

The star: Despite its star-studded cast, Tsui is the architect and driving force behind the production.  He is one of the  star directors  from  Hong Kong's 'New Wave' film movement and a pioneer of the martial arts genre.

Things to watch: Spectacular  action scenes are guaranteed with Tsui -  a master of action -  at the helm.

Pay attention to the designs of the seven swords, which are named  Unlearn, Dragon, Transience,

Star-chasers, Celestial Beam, Diety and Heaven's Fall. There is a moral behind each weapon.

How will it fare? Seven Swords  will be the most ambitious Hong Kong film to be released this year. The only worry is that Tsui may  go  too far  with his experiments  in story-telling and action.

Herbie: Fully Loaded

Director: Angela Robinson

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Michael Keaton, Matt Dillon

Prelude: Herbie, a cute little white Volkswagen Beetle, has been one of Disney's most popular screen icons since it debuted in the movie The Love Bug in 1969. It later starred in three Herbie sequels.

The story: Retired car racing champion Ray (Keaton) buys his daughter Maggie (Lohan) a rusty  Beetle from a scrap yard as her graduation present.

But the banged-up Beetle turns out to be no ordinary vehicle.  It changes the life of the girl, who has long been forbidden from pursing her dreams by her overprotective father.

The star: Lohan - a cookie-cutter American pop idol whose  fame can be attributed to her looks, rather than talent. She seems to have found her niche in Disney remakes, but  needs a major breakthrough before she  can make it to the  A-list of movie stars.

How will it fare? The story sounds silly but fun. Herbie  is no match for Initial D, but it could be an enjoyable  and clean alternative to other Hollywood summer movies involving ruthless aliens (War of the Worlds) or evil cloning corporations (The Island).



Movie Buff