Blade of Fury (1993)

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Yes, here there be spoilers!The heroes of Blade of Fury are on a mission from the Emperor to force a conservative local king to embrace the Imperial reforms. He won't. Through various intrigues, incl. martial arts contests, betrayals, and be-headings by best friends (!), our heroes end up... losing! Ahhh!But, while the ending is less than satisfying, the movie as a whole features amazing action scenes with more martial arts choreography than in several hundred Western action movies put together. The characters are interesting (if not terribly well-developed) and the story is complex (as well as messy), and there are plenty of funny moments.Cynthia Khan is cocky and headstrong, and interesting to see in a period piece (since she's mostly starred in movies taking place in modern-day settings). Ngai Sing - Seraph from Matrix Reloaded - is an appealing actor, but he doesn't have that much to do in this movie. Sammo Hung's part is very brief (blink to miss him!), and his kung fu moves are obviously inhumanly fast.It really is too bad about the ending - the main characters were too likable to deserve such a fate. But all in all it is a very entertaining experience that I can only recommend, though you'd probably to have to be a fan of kung fu movies in order to appreciate it.My rating: 7 out of 10.

This movie suffers from poor english translation and hence questionable voice-overs. For the most part, action is well choreographed with some interesting wirework which can be taken either as humorous or quite fascinating, creating a strangely magical effect. It depends on what mood you're in as to how you'll take the wirework.The action can't really be faulted and there are a few of those fights which you find yourself watching eyes wide open, refusing to blink incase you miss a vital move. But that aspect of the film can only add a degree of interest to an otherwise average title which wouldn't really be worth watching were it not for competent fight scenes. The poor script translation takes alot away from the film at times especially when one or two proverbs are translated like they expected the audience to be five year olds. Overall: 6/10

A very good Chinese classic period swordplay story. A humble, but very skilled kung fu fighter helps defeat a large troup of bandits who are attacking an official convoy. A very high-up official thanks and befriends the kung fu expert. As the story progresses, it becomes more evident that the high official is a very cruel and ambitious person. The anti-hero friend becomes critical of the official and gets into trouble over it. He refuses to back down even when threatened with his life. This is a very violent movie, enough to rate a category III in Hong Kong (no adult scenes are in this-so it is all from violence). Really excellent performances from the entire cast. Incredible fight sequences make this a must-have for any hard-core enthusiast of classic period swordplay films (with lots of wirework).

This movie has some of the most interesting fight scenes I have ever seen in a martial arts film. Sammo Hung choreographed these and also makes an appearance as a prison guard. The constant use of wires to give the illusion of being able to jump impossible heights and do multiple flips is visually arresting although it does get a little predictable after awhile.What made this movie the most interesting was trying to comprehend the plot from the extremely butchered English translation. Typos and mistaken verbs and pronouns made it almost impossible to understand what was really going on.Also, the character of 9 Catties was played by a woman but referred to as a man in the movie. I couldn't figure out enough from the translation to understand why.Overall an enjoyable experience, if you are watching for the acrobatics and costumes.