Cast Member: Fan Mei-Sheng

A movie worth seeing if you need bringing down a peg or two, but not recommended for those with a depressive nature.

‘Death Duel’ is a bleak, nihilistic swordplay film that embodies all of the qualities that one expects from a Chor Yuen adaptation of a Gu Long story.

It’s very strange how such a well-polished and highly entertaining film has come under such criticism from some Hong Kong film fans.

This film could be recommended alone for it’s exceptional fight action, but as you’d expect from this cast there’s much more on offer.

Without any argument, ‘One-Armed Swordsman’ is therefore a quality swordplay film that has much to offer to viewers today.

It was impossible to match the original classic, but Chan pulled out all of the stops to make sure he gave it his best.

Not the best example of heroic bloodshed from the golden age but an entertaining footnote in the careers of heavy hitters Chow Yun-Fat and Andy Lau, and certainly worth checking out for completists.

Loaded with larger-than-life characters and absolutely overflowing with gore, ‘Riki-Oh: The Story Of Ricky’ is an insane outing that hops from one bizarre confrontation to another.

Unfortunately ‘The Brave Archer’ is one of Chang Cheh’s least assured efforts as he foolishly tries to fit in all of the sub-plots and characters of this vast novel.

Unfortunately, for veterans of old-school flicks, the choreography on display here is nothing new, and a lot of it takes place in the dark, which makes it less than easy to follow.

Even fans of the convoluted martial world of the swordplay genre may find ‘Jade Tiger’ a tiresome 90 minutes.

The amusing antics of the Monkey king and Pigsy always seem to make for good movie material and I’m happy to report that this film is no exception.