112
400
15
2
5
2
7
7
3
8
1
1
1
1
2
4
7
4
9
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
2 people found this review helpful
"A record is there to be beaten"
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo was a rare period drama from director Naruse Mikio. Filmed during WWII, Naruse managed to side-step overlaying his film with heavy propaganda. In fact, the lessons involved were of sharing information and being okay with another’s success. “You don’t need to be in a hurry to die.”Seventeen-year-old Daihachiro has been secretly living at an inn under the care of the owner, Okinu. His father had once held the record at the Sanjusangendo Temple archery contest. His record was broken by Hoshino. Pressured to win back the honor, his father tried but failed, committing seppuku afterwards. For the past five years Okinu has been pushing Daihachiro to excel at archery so that he could win back the title. The poor kid is starting to crack under the life-or-death pressure, not helped by ronin attacking him. Out of nowhere, a skilled samurai appears at the inn offering his protection and help with Daihachiro’s archery training. It seems almost too good to be true…
I enjoyed this shorter film by Naruse featuring archers. Daihachiro’s doubts and people calling him a coward could be wearing. His doubts were understandable though. He was a teenager being asked to break a record and failure could tarnish his father’s death which would also lead to his own. Okinu was shown as being overprotective but at the same time her actions could be leading to the teen’s death. Into this pointy deathtrap sauntered in Kanbei who was completely unflappable with a word of wisdom for every crisis. His identity was revealed early on to the viewer. He stood ready to protect Daihachiro even from his own family. Most importantly, he tried to teach the boy what real honor was and that competition wasn’t a death sentence. My biggest complaint would be the awkward dumping of 20 pp of exposition on the viewer during the first six minutes of the film. After that, the pace of the story evened out.
AToAatS was simplistic yet also entertaining, largely due to Hasegawa Kazuo’s smooth samurai that understood honor went far beyond holding records. Tanaka Kinuyo’s role could have been played by a number of actresses, she of course, gave the limited character a modicum of emotional depth. Daihachiro was the last role for Ichikawa Sensho who died at the age of 29. While this was a departure for Naruse, I found it interesting that much like in other films of his, unruly family members were put in their place while the odd person out found their independence and own path. Worth a try if you are a Naruse fan and want to see a different effort from him.
4 June 2025
Was this review helpful to you?
"Why did you have to come to this place?"
The silent film Daybreak aka Tianming was a political melodrama from 1933. Li Lili, one of the brightest stars at the time led the cast as the wholesome heroine done wrong by the big city and warlords. Ling Ling would seek her revenge through the coming revolution.Ling Ling and her beau Zhang leave the countryside for Shanghai hoping to make a better life for themselves. They move into the same building as her cousin and her husband, “Fatty.” At first everything is going their way as they happily work at the factory. When the factory bosses notice Ling Ling’s beauty she is assigned to night duty. Zhang takes exception to their actions and is fired. He ends up working on a ship and later joins the revolution. Ling Ling’s cousin sets her up unknowingly on a “date” with the boss. From there Ling Ling’s fortunes take a downward turn. After a tragedy she learns to use her body and her wits to help the workers and revolution.
The countryside was shown as idyllic and alternately as devastated by taxation and war. The big city and its modern ways was an inherently evil place while the countryside was considered uncontaminated by modern ways. Not for the first time the squeaky-clean country girl was sullied for daring to leave home. Unashamedly a propaganda film, it leaned in hard and used a sledge hammer to drive its points home. Happiness, the individual, and life were meaningless, only the revolution mattered. Only the revolution would bring the solutions for their problems.
Li Lili’s life played out much like one of these films. Her childhood was traumatic. And while she became famous from starring in Sun Yu’s films she drew the ire of Mao’s jealous wife Jiang Qing. Li and her husband Luo Jing Yu were jailed and tortured during the Cultural Revolution. Her husband did not survive the experience.
I’ve watched several of these old silent films. The acting was more overwrought than usual in Daybreak. The makeup might be recognized today as heroin chic or maybe consumption chic. Through no fault of the film makers, the film was off center at times, the frames would freeze and there was significant pocking on various frames.
While I could appreciate the political fervor during a volatile time, the exaggerated acting and martyr complex of the heroine dimmed its impact for me. Despite being historically relevant, the well-worn trope even by this time of the country girl soiled by the big city was less than compelling for me.
2 June 2025
Was this review helpful to you?
Isabel is a bored “tee girl” at a luxury golf club. She finds ways throughout the day to amuse herself and push the envelope regarding the rigid rules set for employees.
Filipiñana showcased the disparity between the haves and have nots. At the practice range, pretty young women set the balls on tees so that golfers did not have to strain themselves bending over. It looked more than a little dangerous as the tee girls were not far from swinging clubs, especially when a child wildly swung his club near Isabel. Women caddied, searched for balls submerged in the water hazards, massaged clients’ feet, and occasionally helped golfers, uh, find their balls in the bushes. Opulence was ever on display but decidedly out of reach for Isabel and her co-workers. That didn’t stop the lowly tee girl from stealing a taste of the other side when no one was looking though.
Well shot and slightly enigmatic, Filipiñana was an entertaining 24 minute glimpse into the gap between the privileged lives and those who serve them in this sharp take on capitalism.
20 May 2025
Was this review helpful to you?
"If you stop the bleeding, you'll survive"
A Samurai’s Sorrow was a made for television movie directed by Inoue Akira. Set during the 8th shogun’s reign of the Tokugawa shogunate the special was embellished with ninjas, poison tongue needles, fratricide and possible matricide.The castle is in an uproar because the shogun’s food has been poisoned. The leader has been subsisting on very little rice for nearly two weeks for fear of being felled by poison. Everyone is hoping Mondo will return and save the day. The poison taster and tester is also masterful with the sword and ladies. Mondo’s mother died when he was young leaving him heart broken. As soon as he returns to town to help the shogun, attempts on his life begin in earnest. Secrets revealed by rivals could unravel Yoshimune’s command and Mondo’s heart even further.
Mondo would have made Rurouni Kenshin proud. For the most part, Mondo didn’t kill those who attacked him, telling them, “If you stop the bleeding, you’ll survive.” Just being in Mondo’s presence could cause a woman to lose her sense of reason. He was said to be so beautiful and well dressed that he could be mistaken for a woman. Satoh Takeru, yes. Fifty-year-old Tamura Masakazu playing a character around thirty years of age, not so much. The actress who played his mother was only twelve years older than he was. All of the actors were subjected to horrendous wigs and exposed wig tape.
The problem I had with A Samurai’s Sorrow was that it lacked spark. With rival clans, concubines, allies, ninjas, and spies around every corner it could be hard to keep up with all of the characters jammed into 90 minutes, much less care about any of them. The basic premise centered around Mondo’s promise to protect the shogun with his life despite the shogun’s betrayal of his mother, rang hollow to me. His mother’s love and hatred for the shogun caused her to kill herself three times for the man. Her son was just as blindly loyal. An emo ronin who constantly mentioned his heart was full of sorrow and might be dead by morning just didn’t resonate with me.
12 May 2025
Trigger warnings:
Three goldfish died trying to save the shogun and this special. RIP little buddies.
Suicides, ritual and otherwise
Was this review helpful to you?
"If you believe it, then it's real"
Director Derek Yee’s The Great Magician was set around 1920 China when the warlords were carving out their territory. Japan was angling to get a foothold by supporting various warlords with weapons. In the midst was a buffoonish warlord, his unwilling 7th wife, and a magician with more than cards up his sleeve.Warlord Bully Lei has his hands full. In order to stay in power, he needs soldiers. In order to feed and arm the soldiers, he needs money. And money is in scarce supply. His assistant, Liu Kun Shan, is an illusionist whom he doesn’t trust. On the family front, his 3rd wife is always vying for his attention, but it is his 7th wife who will have nothing to do with him that he adores. Wife Liu Yin is only hanging around until she can find her father. Yin’s ex-lover, Zhang Xian returns to the country from Europe and sets up shop in a local inn. He is a magician and also in league with rebels planning to kidnap Lei in order to have prisoners released. Zhang wants Yin back and is determined to free her father who was his magical mentor. Liu Kun Shan is working with the Japanese and also after the SECRET SCROLL Yin’s father had possessed.
The story was okay and tended to wander around too much and honestly, was too darned long. This film could have easily been 90 minutes and not lost anything. I will admit that my kung fu movie loving heart was thrilled to see the Flying Guillotine have a guest role. And of course, you have to have a secret list or in this case secret scroll, though in this case it was a bit of a bust. The comedy occasionally veered into slapstick but not overly so.
What made this film entertaining to watch was the enemies to lovers, I mean friends, of Bully Lei and Zhang Xian. Lau Ching Wan and Tony Leung Chiu Wai had a delightful chemistry whether they were ribbing each other or conspiring together. Poor Zhou Xun’s Liu Yin was the third wheel. Aside from her amazing kung fu introduction, the rest of the film she had little of interest to do. I was disappointed she was given short shrift in the story department. Wu Gang (Joy of Life!) and Yan Ni played the dangerous but comedic foils to the trio.
The Great Magician had a little magic, a little action, and a little fun. It was lighthearted bordering on times on silly. Zhang and Lei showed that illusion and perception are part of life whether in politics or entertainment. It’s hard to trust your eyes with those skilled at weaving deception. At least 30 minutes too long and too short on significant Zhou Xun time, this film still had enchanting moments to offer.
“The truth depends on your perspective.”
7 May 2025
Was this review helpful to you?
General Chi sends his son to find the Master of the Three Arts. The master has a book detailing the ninja’s skills. Years ago, he taught three different men three different skills. They’ve never met, but have a way of knowing who the other is. Eventually, Han Yu returns with the fighters and they immediately start ferreting out the ninja spies.
I had higher hopes for this film given the cast. Poor Ti Lung spent most of his time ostentatiously dressed and looking constipated. Kurata Yasuaki didn’t fight until the last five minutes of the film, which was the greatest crime. Phillip Kwok aka Lizard Venom, Lu Feng aka Centipede Venom, and Chiang Sheng aka Venom Intern, put on a good show as all three were quite athletic and acrobatic. The trio took part in directing the film and choreographing the fights. Though a few of the fights strayed into kung fu posing, most were quick and entertaining for the time.
This film was not a Shaw Brothers production where the Venoms had spent most of their time. The Venoms went on the road to Taiwan and it showed. Several of the fights were shot at night which meant that it was difficult to discern the action. Others were carried out in the forests per usual, though at least this time it helped for the ninjas to have trees to jump out of.
The film’s quality was badly degraded. At one point it looked like Mystery Science Theater with dark chunks missing at the bottom of the screen resembling the bots watching a movie. The film choices I found were either subbed with faded white subs on a faded badly cropped background or a dubbed version with Chinese subtitles with more of a letterbox screen. The sound and film quality were poor for both. Basically, pick your poison.
When Ninja in the Deadly Trap focused on the Venoms it was more interesting. I’m still salty that Kurata had such a small part as he could bring the menace to accompany his real word martial arts skills. For fans of the genre, it could be a frustrating watch but worthwhile if you are a fan of any of the players. As always, graded on a curve.
3 May 2025
Was this review helpful to you?
"Don't ask for more"
Cute Girl aka Lovable You was Hou Hsiao Hsien’s directorial debut. Fans of his may be able to spot his tells, but this seemed worlds away from “A Time to Live, A Time to Die” or “Daughter of the Nile”. This was a plain vanilla romcom if you removed all the vanilla.Pan Wen Qi’s wealthy father is arranging a marriage for her to the son of another wealthy family. Wen decides to take a break and spend time with her aunt in the countryside. As luck would have it, Gu Da Gang is surveying the town for a highway that is going to be built. “Hilarious” interactions between the villagers and Da Gang draw the two together. But sadly, this love could never be, because Wen’s father would never approve of a poor engineer. Wen returns home without saying good-bye to the man she has happily spent the past few days with. That doesn’t stop Da Gang from stalking her, I mean searching for her to declare himself.
Romcoms often rely on cheesy situations and misunderstandings, how the tropes are implemented is what matters. Cute Girl was built on cute people who did supposedly cute things. The characters had no depth and Wen’s most emotional outburst was when Da Gang and her blind date became friends. The cringe factor was high in this film, which wouldn’t have been so bad if the characters caused me to care whether they got to together or not. The theme song was played at least six times and for the most part this was a music video with a little story to it. It was truly one of the blandest films I’ve ever watched. At ninety minutes, it felt much longer.
3 May 2025
Trigger warning: A cobra was shown being butchered
Was this review helpful to you?
"To those we remember fondly"
While looking for something to watch on the Criterion Channel, I stumbled across a short film by Wong Kar Wai. He made Hua Yang De Nian Hua (listed as Fa Yeung Nin Wa on MDL) while prepping for In the Mood for Love. Numerous old Chinese films thought lost were discovered during the 1990s in a warehouse in California, USA. Wong used the archival footage and spliced together images of glamorous actresses in a variety of roles and set the short film to the song Hua Yang De Nian Hua made famous by Zhou Xuan.Edited beautifully, the film flowed easily to the rhythm of the song that also used a clip from “Happy Birthday.” There weren’t any words, but it was gratifying to see a short film dedicated to women and their roles in Chinese and Hong Kong films. Dancing, smiling, crying, moments of love, sorrow, and violence were highlighted as well as some truly gorgeous costumes. At less than three minutes, definitely worth a watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
"If your sword skill is poor, best to not carry it."
Pursuit of Vengeance was a 1977 kung fu flick whose cast was stronger than its story. Based on a Gu Long book, Chor Yuen must have struggled to contain the story in a 90-minute film. While the story may have been convoluted, the potent combination of Ti Lung, Tony Liu, and Lo Lieh made the film entertaining.Fu Hong Xue and Ye Kai wander into town and are invited to Ma Kong Qun’s school for dinner along with four other fighters. Six coffins are delivered ahead of them, not a good sign of a friendly welcome. Amongst the attendees is the unknown surviving son of Master Bai. The family leader was ambushed by thirty masked warriors and brutally murdered twenty years prior. Fu and Ye develop a friendship as they fight together or watch the other one fight. Into the mix, a sword for hire and playboy, Lu Xiao Jia drops into their laps. Lu has been sent to kill them, but as he hasn’t been paid yet, he works to keep them alive until he sees the money.
The Gu Long story behind Pursuit of Vengeance was also made into the 1993 movie, A Warrior’s Tragedy. I’d hoped by watching this film that I would better understand AWT, but alas not. The original story must have been quite complex with numerous characters as both films struggled to narrow down the focus and make it understandable. Frankie Chan wrote the music for this film and then 17 years later directed and starred in the remake. Ti Lung played Fu in both adaptations. At least he was closer to the character’s age in this one and didn’t walk around with that ridiculous limp as he did in AWT.
Despite the fact that this film was absurdly written, I enjoyed watching Ti Lung and Lo Lieh. Ti, as he usually did, played the straight man, this time to Lo and Tony Liu who delivered their comedy without going OTT. There were so many fights that many bit actors and stuntmen died at least twice! Mama Hung who was normally cast as a random villager even got in on the action as did Oyang Sha Fei! Tang Chia designed the fights which meant that they more theatrical than realistic. Unlike the remake’s over the top wire work, PoV had a modicum of super leaping individuals. It more than made up for any realistic elements by overusing the Mission Impossible face masks.
Pursuit of Vengeance had trouble with what must have been an unwieldy book to translate onto the screen. The fights were typical of the time, including bizarre weaponry. What made the film entertaining for me was the camaraderie between Ti Lung, Tony Liu, and Lo Lieh. They were fun to watch banter and fight back to back. I can honestly say I’ve never seen so much of Lo. Only for fans of old kung fu flicks and as always, rated on a generous curve for the genre.
26 April 2025
Trigger warning: Lo’s bare bottom on two occasions.
Was this review helpful to you?
"Enter at your own risk"
The Sword Stained with Royal Blood was a 1981 Chang Cheh film based on part of Jin Yong/Louis Cha’s story that was originally serialized in a Hong Kong newspaper during 1956. Phillip Kwok starred as the hero Yuan Cheng Zhi and also helped choreograph the fights along with fellow Venoms Lu Feng and Chiang Sheng.Yuan Cheng Zhi is rescued as a child by a loyal servant when his righteous father is executed by the new Qing emperor. He is brought up and trained by Mu Ren Qing the leader of one of the Mount Hua sects. Cheng Zhi becomes quite proficient in kung fu and grows into a kind and ethical young man. On one of his exploits, he and his servant discover the cave of the Golden Snake Hsia, a renowned swordsman from two decades ago. Cheng Zhi learns Hsia’s techniques with the golden sword and throwing darts. A secret treasure map is also included in this inheritance but Hsia’s desire was that the gold be given to the lady Wen Yi. Cheng Zhi goes in search of Wen Yi finding the thief Wen Qing instead.
Phillip Kwok was a talented martial artist who was also quite acrobatic. Kwok (Lizard Venom) worked once again alongside two of the other Venoms---Lu Feng (Centipede Venom) and Chiang Sheng (Venom apprentice). Cheng Zhi was not only an accomplished kung fu fighter and swordsman, but diplomat as well. Everyone around him was slice first, ask questions later. Despite Cheng Zhi’s early attempts at stopping the fighting, in the end, limbs would be lopped off and the blood would flow. There was a cross-dressing romance with Candy Wen’s Ching Ching, one of the more annoying female leads during this time. Her mother’s romance in flashbacks played a strong role in the present. I tend to find long flashbacks annoying and a real momentum killer, but I actually enjoyed the revenge and love story from the past that tied everyone together in the present.
The Sword Stained with Royal Blood had too much story with too little time to tell but did the best it could. Kwok made for a moral hero who wasn’t a total drip. I guess it helped that Cheng Zhi had the skills to back up his polite entreaties. There were fewer fights than one might expect from 1981, but the fights offered were fast and well-choreographed. Worth a try if you like these old kung fu flicks.
31 March 2025
Trigger warnings: At least three dismemberments and one torture scene.
Was this review helpful to you?
Lung and Tiger were orphans taken in by Master Tien. When Tiger betrays the school for money, he’s kicked out. After second thoughts, Master Tien sends Lung out to retrieve the wayward student. Tiger falls in with Ah Suk’s motley gang and helps spring a dangerous prisoner, Master Kam. Lung is mistaken for Tiger and becomes entangled with Sheriff Sang Kwan and his family.
The story was thin, even as kung fu flicks go, but it provided a framework for numerous fights beginning with a Lion Dance. Back when Lung was chastised as a lazy fighter. Somehow, he became a more proficient fighter as the story moved along, all without the benefit of a training montage or new master. The story had continuity issues, perhaps because of editing for time. Chan fought with just about every fighter in the movie-Fung Hak On, Lee Hoi Sang, Yuen Biao, Sek Kin, Lily Li, Wai Pak, Fan Mei Sheng, Yue Tau Wan (& friends), and the big finale with hapkido master-Hwang In Shik. The final fight showed off Hwang’s fighting skills and Chan’s pratfalls for nearly 20 minutes before Chan finally ate his spinach and was able to do more than fall down.
Comparing it with other films from the era, the fights were well choreographed. Fung Hak On and Lee Hoi Sang tended to move at a faster speed in their fight against the prison guards. Chan’s fights were more deliberately styled, often with props, which slowed things down. His fight with Sek Kin (and Sek’s double) was entertaining. The old veteran brought nice acting skill to his scenes as well. I lost interest in the last fight other than being impressed with Hwang’s diverse kicking techniques. There were only so many times I could watch Chan fall down before it became monotonous. The Young Master was entertaining, but often felt a bit self-indulgent and uneven. 7.25 rounded up to a 7.5.
31 March 2025
Trigger warning: Nekkid men’s buttocks
Was this review helpful to you?
Anything you can do, I can do better!
Heroes of the East aka Shaolin Challenges Ninja was a lighthearted Shaw Brothers production directed by Lau Kar Leung and starred Gordon Liu. The movie started out as a battle of the sexes over whose martial arts was better between a newly married couple and graduated to an understanding and respect for the different styles and weapons of martial arts in China and Japan.Ho To resented his father for forcing an arranged marriage on him. His wealthy father who often worked in Japan arranged the marriage with a Japanese business partner. Once Ho saw how beautiful Kung Zi had become, he had a rapid change of heart. The way of love was not smooth as Kung Zi was dedicated to her martial arts practice and looked down on kung fu. Ho To believed karate was inferior to kung fu. The garden and furnishings took a beaten when the two quarreled with the servant Shou often literally stuck in the middle. When Kung Zi angrily returned to Japan, Ho To issued her a challenge. If she could beat him in any form of martial arts, he would admit he was wrong. Kung Zi’s life long friend, Takeno, saw the challenge and took it as an affront. His sensei gathered different masters and off to China they went in order to take up Ho To’s challenge!
Lau Kar Leung is one of, if not my favorite, martial arts director from this time period. His love for martial arts shown through in this film. Instead of stereotyping the Japanese as evil and painting the screen in blood, he respectfully showcased different skills from both countries. No one died, and there was only one tiny trickle of blood. The fights were quick, complex, and thoroughly entertaining whether using fists and kicks, swords, spears, or nunchaku. Lau also acted in the film as Beggar So, demonstrating the drunken style, magnificently I might add, to the young martial arts students.
Gordon Liu was his usual competent, fast self, even while wearing a horrible wig that must have been glued to his head. Kurata Yasuaki played the Japanese ninja who was in love with Ho’s wife. Due to their real life skills, he and Gordon were able to fight believably with Crane vs Crab techniques. The purple smoke and disguises weren’t really needed but were fun. I was happy to see Japanese actors and fighters cast instead of Chinese actors playing the Japanese roles. The only reason I wasn’t able to rate this an 8.0 was due to the character of Kung Zi. She was ridiculously destructive and entitled in the first hour of the film. She became more sympathetic in the second half and then pulled a ninja move by disappearing.
Despite proclaiming respect for each other’s skills, the film was a Chinese film so kung fu was shown as more elegant and effective. Ho was also accomplished with numerous weapons and different fight styles while the Japanese were relegated to only one form each. The Japanese also bent the rules to give themselves advantages. Nearly half of the film focused on fighting whether between husband and wife or Ho and the Japanese masters. Each of the fights was unique instead of regurgitating the same moves over and over as some films do. Gordon and Kurata in the same film with Lau’s choreography made this a must see film for me. I wish they’d done a better job writing for Mizuno Yuka in her Taming of the Shrew role, but she sold her fight scenes well. The movie has been restored and looked beautiful. For fans of the genre, it’s one to check out.
26 March 2025
Was this review helpful to you?
Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
The Dragon and the Tiger Kids aka Hell’s Windstaff (or Wind Staff) was made in the spirit of Drunken Master without the drunken part. The film started out featuring two goofball young guys stumbling through comedic scenes. As often happens in these films the laughing turns to crying followed by a revenge filled training montage and rampage.Tiger Wang and Shih Hai Lung are proficient with kung fu but spend most of their time causing problems for the adults in their lives. Tiger’s dad hires a traveling entertainer to train his son in kung fu. Tiger tries to rid himself of his new teacher, but Ching Wan Li is too crafty for him. When Tiger and Shih end up in trouble trying to run human traffickers out of town, it is Ching who comes to their defense. But will his abilities be enough to defeat Lu Shan Tu and his Devil Staff when he comes calling?
Despite the early comedy, this was an old school brutal kung fu blood fest. I watched this for Hwang Jang Lee and his glorious porn stache. Actually, for his incredible kicking techniques. Like Lo Lieh he was often relegated to villain roles which he did well. It seemed perfectly within reason that the heroes would need at least three guys to bring him down. Hwang did a variety of amazing stunts with fists, kicks, and the staff. I had to rerun and re-watch his three for one kicks all done in a single jump. Mang Hoi reminded me of a kung fu Samwise Gamgee. An excellent martial artist in real life and often a martial arts director, this was a rare leading role for him. Meng Yuen Man as Tiger was considered one of the “Seven Little Fortunes”. The two good guys were extremely acrobatic and performed complicated stunts together and alone. There were several martial arts directors including Hsu Hsia and Corey Yuen. With most of the cast more than capable, the choreography was complex and relatively fast. The fights still had the basic rhythm of most of these early kung fu movies but moved quicker than many of their counterparts. Nothing was sacrosanct, there were numerous hair pulling, eye gouging, and pants dropping fights! Bonus points for Jason Pai Piao who played the courageous and clever Ching Wan Li. I really enjoyed his character.
Hell’s Windstaff would have benefited from a stronger lead performer than Meng Yuen Man. However, the copious fights were well staged and exciting. Hwang Jang Lee was given the opportunity to display his quickness and martial arts abilities which made this movie worth the price of admission. It also had a comedic and gruesome surprise ending. If you enjoy old kung fu flicks this is one to give a try.
20 March 2025
Trigger warning: Snake!
Was this review helpful to you?
Did not meet wig-spectations
36 Deadly Styles was two different movies consolidated into one which was odd enough, then the costume department apparently must have run out of money and raided a high school drama department and janitor closet to find enough wigs for everyone.Wai Chi and his uncle are being chased by a red-nosed bad guy and his henchmen. They escape into a shaolin temple and are aided by Huang who fights off the bad guys. The uncle dies and Wai Chi is allowed to stay as long as he does menial tasks. Wai Chi meets Yu Ti the soy milk provider for the temple. She is also adept at kung fu as she demonstrates by taking him on when he has no money for the milk he ordered. Eventually, Wai’s belligerent attitude gets him kicked out of the temple just as the villainous brothers hunt him and the mysterious Huang down.
Wai Chi and Yu Ti ended up being the two halves of the “8 Gods Fist” style of kung fu. For some reason Hwang Jang Lee had killed Wai’s dad and other relatives years ago and was still after Wai. Another completely unrelated story, but gave the movie its title were two old kung fu masters with a 10 year old grudge. Kwong Wu Chan had possession of the “36 Deadly Styles” manual, something Yuen Ching Tien was willing to kill to have. Given that Hwang Jang Lee only appeared in the last 15 minutes of the film with a stuntman doubling for him in earlier fights they could have combined the two stories.
The fights were standard early 1970s kung fu posing. Mark and Jack’s fight was slower than I would have anticipated from them. I watched this film for Hwang Jang Lee and his Thunderleg but there was precious little of it. Even when he was showing off his kicks, the camera was so close you couldn’t see the full effect. Another problem with the fights were the terrible wigs. Poor Bolo had the worst wig I have ever seen in anything. It looked like someone took a mop and did macramé with it. Lau Kwok Shing was stuck with a burned-out blonde wig not matching his beard and eyebrows. Hwang had a fried gray wig. All three men could be seen adjusting the monstrosities during fight scenes. Nick Cheung Lik seemed to have his own hair but was relegated to a Jackie Chan light role. All the men had great fighting chops but the choreography by Max Lee did not measure up to their skills.
Like many kung fu comedies the body count was quite high. I truly have no idea why director/writer Joseph Kuo shoehorned the secret book and old masters’ story parallel to the revenge tale, especially since he didn’t establish a strong enough reason for the blood feud with Wai and the abominable wig villains. Graded on a curve, and only for Joseph Kuo fans (maybe) or Bolo fans though why see the poor guy with that embarrassing mop hanging off his head.
19 March 2025
Trigger warning: a rather gruesome snake skinning and eating.
Was this review helpful to you?
"You're not the only hero with a sad story"
Blade of the Immortal cut through 30 volumes of manga (none of which I’ve read) condensing them into a two-hour movie. Manji, “The Killer of 100,” who was tired of living found a spark of life in helping a young girl avenge the deaths of her parents. The cyclical nature of revenge and the price people pay for it was woven throughout the endless bloody fights.Manji is a wanted man after killing for his lord and then discovering the order was a murder to hide his boss’ illegal actions. Unable to live with that dishonor, he killed his boss and his boss’ bodyguards. After a key death drives him to the edge, he is ready to die after killing 100 men, or at least a lot of men. But death was not found so easily as an ancient crone puts a curse on him. He is destined to live forever with his guilt, assisted by creepy bloodworms that can heal his body, even reattach limbs, an ability that will be used often. After 50 years, a girl named Rin finds him and asks him to help her avenge her parents’ death. A cruel group of assassins led by Anotsu is eliminating traditional dojos in an attempt to become the preeminent martial power. Manji and Rin will face every bad guy, corrupt official, and nutjob in Japan on their path to revenge.
In the 50 years leading up to meeting Rin, Manji must not have touched his swords. Without his miracle worms, he would have died very early in the movie as he was often dominated by baddies with a sword, simply outlasting them. Every few minutes, a member of Anotsu’s crew or a bounty hunter from the Shogun’s Suicide Squad met him on the road or in an alleyway. Arms and legs flew everywhere, including Manji’s. This is not a movie for the squeamish. I had to look away when severed body parts were flung about or when the worms played Florence Nightengale.
The multitude of fights were well choreographed. Manji managed to hide numerous weapons in his clothes (seriously, how big were his pockets?) so that he could show off different skills. I liked Kimura Takuya’s turn at the world-weary warrior searching for a modicum of redemption in protecting Rin. Sugisaki Hana as Rin was stuck with the formulaic female part of running headlong into trouble and mistaking yelling as strength. Even though she’d studied the sword at her father’s dojo, Rin was completely inept with it. Fukushi Sota’s Anotsu was pretty though not nearly menacing enough. Anotsu and Rin’s interactions illustrated how revenge begets revenge which begets another cycle of revenge.
The continual parade of new bad guys to fight began to wear thin. At one point it became humorous when Manji was fighting an army, Anotsu, and then another villain showed up to confront him! Even as a fan of samurai movies, 140 minutes of nearly continuous hacking and blood spewing of random soldiers and villain cameos became monotonous. Despite these reservations, I did enjoy Blade of the Immortal. The movie was well shot and acted with only the severed bodies "disarming".
16 March 2025
Warning: So many body parts
Was this review helpful to you?
