Top 5 films to watch in Hong Kong this week: February 4-10
A dark Marvel fantasy, a dazzling, totally engaging Pixar adventure, a much improved Monkey King sequel, an Oscar contender and a Lunar New Year blast from the past are this week's must-sees
Click on film titles to open our reviews of films
1. Deadpool
The most ‘meta’ creation in the Marvel universe gets its moment in the spotlight with this long-gestating stand-alone film, which traces the backstory of the wise-cracking anti-hero played by Ryan Reynolds. And it’s hilarious – in a sick kind of way. (Opens on February 9)
2. The Good Dinosaur
The unlikely friendship between a talking dinosaur and a primitive human boy turns out to be totally engaging in this visually dazzling prehistoric adventure – which, refreshingly for a Pixar production, is just a conventional story wonderfully told. (Opens on February 4)
3. The Monkey King 2
The first Monkey King movie, which grossed over one billion yuan in China, was a piece of cinematic garbage. So credits are due to director Soi Cheang for righting the ship and turning this sequel into an enthralling fantasy spectacle. (Opens on February 6)
4. The Big Short
One of around three films that stand a realistic chance in the race for this year’s best picture Oscar, Adam McKay’s sneering effort takes the 2008 financial collapse and turns it into a smart and riotously enjoyable tale of human greed and folly. (Now Showing)
5. All’s Well, Ends Well
It says as much about Hong Kong cinema’s lack of quality offerings today as it does the unrestrained creativity in the 1990s that this 1992 film, a seminal title in the Lunar New Year comedy canon, is enjoying a re-run in the cinemas. See it with the crowd. (Now showing)
