The Guillotines

Andrew Lau takes on the Guillotine series. Not sure if it can be considered an actual series or franchise, but the team of fighters has featured in several films throughout the years. Hong Kong loves to recycle lore with potential. Lau's film is pretty spectacular but loses itself too much in drama during the second half, which keeps it from becoming a bona fide action classic.

Emperor Yong Zheng founded a special team of extremely skilled fighters. He uses them to eliminate his strongest opponents with surgical precision. The Guillotines are feared warriors, but when a new Emperor takes over they are made obsolete. Their group isn't disbanded, but the missions they get are way below their level of competence.

The film takes a flying start, with some superb action sequences that drive up the tension right from the beginning. As things progress Lau tries to sneak in more drama, sadly the plot and cast really aren't fit for this. The presentation remains lush and the finale delivers, but by then it's a case of too little, too late. Still, if you love a good Hong Kong blockbuster, this is an easy recommendation.