Movie reel

Three Guns

Of the three new movies opening this week in China, Zhang Yimou's new comedy thriller is perhaps the most-anticipated.

Amazing Tales: Three Guns, Zhang's first movie since directing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, follows the owner of a noodle shop as he plans to kill his cheating wife and her lover but sees his plan spin out of control as guns, knives and swords get involved. The movie, filmed in northwestern China's Gansu province, was adapted from the Coen brothers' Blood Simple (1985). Comedian Xiao Shenyang and television actress Yan Ni star along with mainland actor Sun Honglei.

Treasure Hunter

Director Chu Yin-Ping's The Treasure Hunter stars Asian pop sensation Jay Chou and Chinese Taipei beauty Lin Chi-ling in an action-packed adventure as the two protagonists protect a hidden treasure. Chou plays Qiao Fei and Lin plays Lan Ting.

Former model Lin makes her second big-screen appearance after she won positive reviews for her role in John Woo's Red Cliff last year. Meanwhile, Chou has described this as his best acting performance to date. Hong Kong's Eric Tsang and mainland stars Chen Daoming and Miao Pu also feature.

Storm Riders II

The Storm Riders II is another high-flying adaptation, or rather, a sequel to the successful film version of Hong Kong artist Ma Wing Shing's popular manga comic Fung Wan (Wind and Cloud).

In the original 1998 movie, Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok played the lead roles. Ten years later, they are reunited on a bigger budget. The story begins as wicked warlord Juet Mo Sun (Simon Yam) invades the territory that Wind and Cloud protect, cueing up a grand battle between good and evil. The plot thickens with the introduction of a love interest for Kwok, while Cheng's role is altered by his dangerous obsession with martial arts.

One of the selling points of the movie is the return of the two actors, who have both built huge fan bases across Asia in the past decade.

"We have changed a lot and we've picked up more experiences, both in life and through acting," Kwok said. "Now we have new feelings and new ways of interpreting the roles."

Storm Riders II is the first Asian movie to be shot almost entirely on blue screen, so audiences can expect computer game-like sequences, jaw-dropping backdrops and envelop-pushing special effects from the Pang Brothers, who recently directed Nicolas Cage in Bangkok Dangerous. The cast also includes Nicholas Tse, Charlene Choi and newcomer Tiffany Tang.