Punch-drunk love

MORTAL KOMBAT II

2026

Directed by Simon McQuoid

Written by Jeremy Slater (actually based, remarkably enough, more than anything else on the video game Mortal Kombat II by Ed Boon and John Tobias)

Spoilers: moderate

There [still won't] be blood

MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION

1997

Directed by John R. Leonetti

Written by Lawrence Kasanoff, Joshua Wexler, John Tobias, Brent Friedman, and Bryan Zabel (based on the video game Mortal Kombat 3 by Ed Boon and John Tobias)

Spoilers: moderate

One battle after another

MORTAL KOMBAT

1995

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Written by Kevin Droney (based on the video game by Ed Boon and John Tobias)

Spoilers: moderate

Killing strangers so we don't kill the ones that we love

BALLERINA

2025

Directed by Len Wiseman and/or Chad Stahelski

Written by Shay Hatten

Spoilers: high (for nerds, anyway; for non-nerds who can already guess what could go wrong with an action movie smooshed into a preexisting intellectual property, moderate)

Hanumania

MONKEY MAN

2024

Directed by Dev Patel

Written by Paul Angunawela, John Collee, and Dev Patel

Spoilers: moderate

Turtles all the way down

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM

2023

Directed by Jeff Rowe (co-directed by Kyler Spears)

Written by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, and Jeff Rowe

Spoilers: moderate

Yeah

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

2023

Directed by Chad Stahelski

Written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch

Spoilers: moderate

The chrysanthemums are all ready—they deserve to bloom once

THE CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER

2006

Directed by Zhang Yimou

Written by Zhihong Bian and Zhang Yimou (based, loosely, on the play Thunderstorm by Cao Yu)

Spoiler alert: moderate

A rare beauty in the north

HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

2004

Directed by Zhang Yimou

Written by Li Feng, Peter Wu, Wang Bin, and Zhang Yimou

Spoiler alert: moderate verging on high

All under heaven

HERO

2002 PRC/2004 USA

Directed by Zhang Yimou

Written by Feng Li, Bin Wang, and Zhang Yimou

Spoiler alert: the plot's about an attempted assassination of Qin Shi Huang, so maybe it's not the biggest spoiler to say that no, it doesn't come off; otherwise, moderate

The legendary weapons of China

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

2021

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

Written by Dave Callaham, Andrew Lanham, and Destin Daniel Cretton

Spoiler alert: moderate

Hadouk—sorry! I've got the wrong set of catchphrases here

MORTAL KOMBAT

2021

Directed by Simon McQuoid

Written by Oren Uziel, Greg Russo, and Dave Callaham

Spoiler alert: moderate

Under the Table and dreaming

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3—PARABELLUM

Show of hands, who loves the John Wick movies for their conversations?  Oh, really?  Way more than I would've thought.

2019

Directed by Chad Stahleski

Written by Derek Holstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Mark Abrams

Spoiler alert: mild

Go ninja go ninja go

THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE

When one calls it "the worst LEGO movie," one's not bound to follow that assertion up with "but it's still pretty great!", or anything like that.  In fact, it fails often and severely enough to be called an actual disappointment; but The LEGO Ninjago Movie isn't actually bad, either, and on the rarest occasion manages some of the coolest stuff the franchise has ever done.

2017
Directed by Paul Fisher, Charlie Bean, and Bob Logan

Written by at least nine whole human beings, wow

Spoiler alert: mild

Well, I'd love to chat some more... but let's kill each other instead

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US

Does it count as breaking the Netflix Curse if all they did was distribute it?  Either way, The Night Comes For Us is high-test martial arts in the best Indonesian style, and one whole shitload of it, too (which is good, because it doesn't have a damned thing else to fall back on).

2018

Written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto

With Joe Taslim (Ito), Julie Estelle (The Operator), Abimanya Aryastya (Fatih), Zack Lee (White Boy Bobby), Dimas Anggara (Wisnu), Asha Kenyeri Bermudez (Reina), Revaldo (Yohan), Dian Sastrowardoyo (Alma), Hannah Al Rashid (Elena), and Iko Uwais (Arian)

Spoiler alert: mild

John Carpenter, part XV: I've got a very positive attitude about this

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA

Whipsmart genre-benders don't come much more fun than this; nor, unfortunately, much more difficult to discuss.

1986

Directed by John Carpenter

Written by Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein, W.D. Richter, and John Carpenter

With Dennis Dun (Wang Chi), Kurt Russell (Jack Burton), Kim Cattrall (Gracie Law), Victor Wong (Egg Shen), Donald Li (Eddie), Kate Burton (Margo), Suzee Pai (Miao Yin), Carter Wong (Thunder), Peter Kwong (Rain), James Pax (Lightning), and James Hong (David Lo Pan)

Spoiler alert: moderate

Only a crazy man would own a rocket!

BRICK MANSIONS

Remember parkour?  Sure you do!  Despite an array of problems—hell, because of its array of problems—Brick Mansions is nice, low-rent fun.

2014
Directed by Camille Delamarre
Written by Luc Besson (based on the screenplay Banlieue 13 by Luc Besson and Bibi Naceri)
With David Belle (Lino), Paul Walker (Damien), Catalina Denis (Lola), RZA (Tremaine), Gouchy Boy (K2), and Ayisha Issa (Rayzah)

Spoiler alert: mild

Acts of killing, part IV

THE RAID 2: BERANDAL

Finally responding to all those complaints that Merantau and The Raid simply had too much human feeling, Gareth Evans has removed as much as he could from The Raid 2 without casting fighting robots.  With that caveat, however major, this sequel is everything you could have hoped for, contributing powerfully to what is already shaping up to be a truly excellent year in film.

2014
Written and directed by Gareth Evans
With Iko Uwais (Rama), Cecep Arif Rahman (The Assassin), Very Tri Ulisman (Baseball Bat Man), Julie Estelle (Hammer Girl), Arifin Putra (Ucho), Oka Antara (Eka), Alex Abbad (Bejo), Tio Pakusodewo (Bangun), and Yayan Ruhian (Prakoso)

Spoiler alert: moderate—there is only one spoiler in this review, and oddly enough, it relates to the very first scene of the film.  But still, it surprised as well as dismayed me, and The Raid 2 simply cannot be talked about in relation to its predecessor without describing it, so consider yourselves advised.

Acts of killing, part III

MERANTAU

Gareth Evans and Iko Uwais' first foray into the wild and wooly world of martial arts cinema may wind up known to history principally for how it laid the groundwork for The Raid, but their Merantau is not just important for what it taught the two men: it is a vividly memorable success on its own terms.

2009
Written and directed by Gareth (Huw?) Evans
With Iko Uwais (Yuda), Sisca Jessica (Astri), Alex Ahbad (Johni), Mads Koubal, dubbed by Philip Hersh ("Mr. Boss" Ratger), Laurent Buson (Luc), and Yayan Ruhian (Eric)

Spoiler alert: moderate

Acts of killing, part I

THE RAID
(Serbaun maut)

If you're looking for the beating, vital heart of cinema, you need look no further.

2011 Indonesia/2012 USA
Written and directed by Gareth Evans
With Iko Uwais (Rama), Donny Alamsyah (Andi), Joe Taslim (Jaka), Yayan Ruhian (Mad Dog), Pierre Grunyo (Wahyu), and Ray Sahetapy (Tama)

Spoiler alert: severe