Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants (2025)

Tsui Hark's latest film is a cinematic adaption of the novel by Jin Yong (actually chapers 34 to 40). It has been mined for numerous other films over the years (including  THE BRAVE ARCHER series which I love.) with each set of filmmakers putting their own stamp on the tale.

The film follows the adventures of Guo Jin, a member of the Song, who was raised as the adoptive son o Genghis Khan. He had set out to find his way in the world and had fallen in love with a young woman name Huang Rong. She helped him become a great martial artist however they had a falling out, however when they calmed down they began to try and find each other only to end up in the middle of the war between the Mongols and the Jin armies. Complicating matters is the fact that a master named Venom West is seeking the secret of the Novem Scripture which will give him unlimited power.

This time out its a sprawling epic action/romance/fantasy that is heavily enhanced by computer effects. In all honesty if they didn't use effects this film could never have been made. Armies that big and wonders than enchanting don't exist in real life. Once you decide to ignore the uneven nature of it this film is a great deal of fun.

I had a blast with LEGENDS. Its a big epic of the sort few people attempt any more. The action is spectacular with a couple of bits resulting in my talking out loud. More importantly we have great characters. Sure some like Venom West are cartoony, but we still care about them.This is the sort of film that will make people fall in love with crazy martial arts epics...

...or mostly.  The problem here is that as good as the ends of the film are there is a deadly middle section that slows it all down. In the middle Guo returns to the Mongols and is heralded a hero. He is loved by princess, who had just rescued Rong from Venom West just before Guo's return. What follows is roughly an hour of soap opera as the two women pine for their man, the Princess unaware that Rong is the woman Guo threw her over for. It's not bad but is slows the film to a crawl.

That said the film picks up in the final third and it's full of rousing action.

I had a grand time with the film. I actually wish I had a chance to see this in 3D because some of the shots would have been amazing with extra dimensions.

A couple of people I spoke with compared this film to Hark's classic ZU WARRIORS  films, but honestly I liked this more. I appreciated that the film had a more solid plot than the earlier ones.

If you can get out and see this in a theater before it gets pulled, do so. It truly is a big screen movie.

Recommended.

THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN (2015) NYAFF 2017

NYAFF is screening THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN in 3D. If you've never seen seen the film, or if you've only seen the film 2D now is your chance to see something spectacular. Here is my review from when the festival first ran the film two years ago.

Tsui Hark glorious mess of a film is full of enough crazy action that you won't mind that it takes about 45 minutes before it makes sense.

The film begins on New Year's Eve in New York Chinatown as a young man pops in to see his friends before the ball drops. Seeing a Peking Opera version of the Tiger Mountain story he travels back to China to see family. We then flash back to 1946 and the story of a group of PLA soldiers who battle well armed bandits for control of a village and surrounding territory.

Based a true incident which spawned a well loved novel which spawned a Peking Opera play which gave the film it's name TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN is a batshit crazy action film that simply overwhelms the senses. Tsui Hark has fashioned a crazy 3D confection that has all sorts of things exploding into your lap. As pure popcorn powered motion picture goes this film is top of the heap. The extended battle sequences are jaw dropping (one reminded me of the end of Miike's 13 ASSASSINS) and the rest of the action sequences aren't bad either (though the mid-end credit what if sequence is also mind blowing). As a ballet of wild motion this film can't be beat.

The problem with the film is it takes a good 45 minutes to get into it. The plot is so comvuluted that unless you have read the novel you won't know what the hell is going on or worse who is who. As it is some of the mid-film action gets bogged down by the uncertainty of which side are we seeing now. If director Hark didn't have a decades long reputation from throwing the plot out (the ZU MOUNTAIN films or 7 SWORDS anyone?) I would have packed up shop and gone home. Eventually it does all click and then goes like gangbusters, but for a while its really confused.

A minor problem, which depends on how you see the film is that the film was shot for 3D. Watching the Bluray at home one of my brothers wandered in and wondered why the special effects looked so weird to which I responded "this was shot for 3D". "That explains it" he said before he wandered off. The effects are heavy CGI and are full of things created to blow up or crash in the audience. I'm thinking it looks great in 3D but in 2D it looks really weak.

Still this is a kick ass film and one that is highly recommended for the action film lover.

Derek Yee’s Sword Master

What happens when a supporting character hijacks a film away from the protagonist? It almost necessarily feels slightly unbalanced, but there is sure to be a lot of cool stuff going on. In this case, the director might have had a been-there-done-that attitude towards the central hero, because he has. In 1977 Derek Yee broke out to superstardom playing the so-called Third Master in the Shaw Brothers’ classic, Death Duel. Now he re-interprets Gu Long’s source novel as the director and co-screenwriter of Sword Master, produced and co-written by Tsui Hark, which is now playing in New York.

Dreaded swordsman Yen Shih-san (you’ll notice we’re starting with him) has always wanted to claim the title from the Third Master, Xie Xiaofeng. To intimidate opponents, Yen had a skeletal tattoo inked on his face, but the macabre image soon altered his behavior. Having worked his way up the ladder to challenge the Third Master, Yen experiences an existential crisis when he learns his rival died shortly before his arrival. To make matter worse, Yen receives a fatal medical diagnosis soon thereafter.

Unbeknownst to Yen, Third Master faked his death and has been working as a lowly brothel cleaning boy under the assumed name of Ah Chi. Repenting all the death and suffering he caused, Xie/Ah Chi has sworn to never kill again. He would also just as soon avoid Murong Qiudi, the cruel leader of the Seven Stars Pond martial arts clan and the former fiancé he jilted at least twice. Yeah, awkward. Ironically, the mopey Ah Chi develops a friendship with Yen, who has become the town’s unlikely hero as part of his own campaign for redemption.

Of course, the truth will eventually come out, forcing former adversaries to choose up sides. Frankly, it takes some pretty horrible attacks on the innocent from the Seven Stars Pond clan to get Third Master back in the game, but when he gets with the program, the martial arts sequences are pretty spectacular.

Yet, Peter Ho steals every scene he saunters into. He has some terrific fight scenes of his own, but he is still an electric presence even when he just grouchily kvetches his way through the village. Kenny Lin is maybe too reserved as the brooding Ah Chi, but he still develops some rather sweet romantic chemistry with Jiang Mengjie’s Xiao Li, the junior most courtesan at the brothel. Her eyes just melt the camera, whereas Jiang Yiyan makes Murong a wickedly fierce ice queen.

One can definitely see various stylistic elements of Tsui’s productions in Sword Master. There is a good deal of whirling and swirling in the action scenes and some of the best duels are fought against appropriately mystical looking wuxia vistas. Real followers of the genre will also appreciate the themes Yee, Tsui, and their third co-screenwriter, HK veteran Chun Tin-nam. In the world of Yen and Third Master, rivalry means something more than the mere clash of swords. It is something deeper, more primal and indelible, which Ho perfectly conveys. Highly recommended for fans of grand wuxia, Sword Master opens today (12/9) in New York, at the AMC Empire.

A few words on Young Detective Dee and the Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013) Chinese New Year 2014

I regret not seeing this when it played in theaters in the middle of 2013. This is a film designed to be seen big and in 3D and not seeing it that way kind of lessens things.

The plot of the film is set before Detective Dee and The Mystery of the Phantom Flame and follows Dee as he comes to become part of the royal court and investigates matters concerning a sea dragon that sank an entire fleet in  the opening set piece.

You'll forgive me for not going into greater detail of the plot but to be perfectly honest I didn't catch everything. I got lost in the images and the motion, plus some of the subtitles came and went rather fast so I let details slide. Yea it's one of those movies that you need to see a couple of times so that you can get past the OH WOW factor and get back to the plot. I will say that the film does tie in nicely with the first film setting up when and how Dee met several characters from the first film and Mark Chao makes a good younger version of Andy Lau.

While the film is a bit too heavy on CGI and some of the earlier sequences with it are okay, the film for the most part is truly spectacular. The locations, the monsters, everything is just epic. The action sequences are wonderful and the sort of thing you'll want to play over when this hits DVD (in about 2 weeks)

I really liked this film a great deal and I'm planning on squeezing in another viewing sooner rather than later...

Mondocurry NYAFF report vol. 11.2: The Cut of THE BLADE

For those looking for evidence that this was a special year for the New York Asian Film Festival, Monday night was it. Starting with THE BLADE, which was overflowing with raw energy, the evening would continue on a high note with its screening of DETECTIVE DEE AND THE PHANTOM FLAME, which I did not stay for but could see gathering momentum as the crowds gathered en masse on the theater. In between screenings, Tsui Hark would take the stage to receive an achievement award, bringing things full circle for the festival, which began ten years ago by putting together a retrospective of his films. There was a buzz about these screenings worthy of quite possibly every guest at the festival who was still in New York. I passed by MILOCRORZE director Yoshimasa Ishibashi as he left the screening of THE BLADE. Subway Cinema’s twitter feed indicated that the man behind CITY OF VIOLENCE and THE UNJUST, Ryoo Seung-Wan was on hand to watch the film as well. It also became apparent why there were no movie screenings at Japan Society that night, as Samuel Jamier who has been programming the excellent selection of films in the Japan Cuts lineup, made his way up the stairs for the award ceremony and screening of DETECTIVE DEE.

I was one of the “BLADE virgins” that night and was in store for a rare vision of inspired chaos. Adding to the air of intrigue was the explanation that a policy change on the part of the film’s holding company would prevent it from ever being screened again (along with any other film in its possession that lacks an official mpaa rating).

THE BLADE was a dark, sinister maelstrom of whirling bodies and clanging steel. It begins with the unsettling image of a stray dog unwittingly making its way into the crushing grip of a bear trap laying in the street. Our attention is then turned towards a vision startlingly reminiscent of Shinya Tsukamoto’s TETSUO 2: BODY HAMMER, as a sea of bronzed bodies inhabits the dim industrial space of sword production company Sharp Manufacturers, welding shards of steel into edged weaponry. In an interesting twist, the narrative is shaped by the company owner’s daughter who takes amusement in the subtle manipulation of her favorite workers into an imagined conflict with one another. If this is all sounding rather contemporary so far, bear in mind that the film was made in the not-too-distant 1995. It is, however, a take on the classic One Armed Swordsman tale, set in a stylized conception of ancient China.

After the workers are admonished for an unsanctioned confrontation against a roving gang of marauders, I felt like I was losing the thread of the story, as with the older Wu Xia movies shown at the festival (a check-in with connoisseur of all arts martial Mr. C suggested that I had pretty much gotten the gist ). Not to worry, though, as this movie truly is all about the action. It is shown that noble employee On’s father was savagely murdered by the gang, and a burning quest for vengeance accompanied increasingly frantic fight scenes gets under way.

One of these battles costs On his arm, but it doesn’t diminish the action at all. The spinning style of the swordplay is so fast and out of control it skirts the line of complete incomprehensibility. The final action scene adds chains and a return of those nasty bear traps to the mix, making it one of the fastest and most impressive combat sequences around.

While these intense clashes of steel against steel are the film’s highlights, scenes that come in between are also compelling. Fellow employee Iron Head and the conspiratorial daughter are on the move, looking for On, and encounter shadowy cities where all manner of mental and physical enslavement are taking place. There is talk down the line of the travelers’ need to be on the move, unable to settle down or embrace any long term peace. This is quite a beautiful nightmarish vision, one that may never be experienced on a big screen again.

The Q & A that followed the screening, which you can watch by clicking on the clips below, was moved along by Grady Hendrix at a rapid clip to make way for the award presentation. During it, Tsui Hark discussed how he incorporated the company owner's daughter into a more prominent role during shooting, the carrying out of the film's action sequences, and his thoughts on its bleak tone.







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Mondocurry NYAFF report vol. 9: Go Hark Or Go Home - ZU plus Q & A with Tsui Hark!

Today the New York Asian Film Festival’s focus on Wu Xia films continued while at the same time, its celebration of director Tsui Hark began. Both were carried out with a screening of ZU: WARRIORS FROM THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN and a conversation with Tsui Hark!

The film was a trip and then some. It’s the kind of thing that would probably leave me lost, confused, and disinterested after a few minutes had I watched it at home. Yet, on the big screen I was still very lost and confused, but also in a constant state of fascination with the swirling images tearing across the screen.

The story is extremely confusing and highly irrelevant. There is a very witty opening sequence that finds warriors from different groups caught in the middle of a battle between other warrior clans. Their allegiances are marked simply by the color of their robes. From there, it’s all mystics and their disciples and a quest to destroy a powerful evil entity.

There is an awesome interlude along the way that takes us to the lair of a group of female mystics. Their costumes and flying powers are as exotic as the airy hall they inhabit. The effects may be dated, but are incredibly imaginative. Laser-like beams zip across the screen, huge statues float and, as the conclusion draws nearer, close-ups of the goddess Li I Chi form hypnotic psychedelic imagery.

I can’t emphasize enough how this is a movie for the big screen, which in turn, speaks to why the New York Asian Film Festival and what they do is so essential. Yes there are copies of ZU and other classic movies out there. But these images should not be compressed onto a television screen. They should be appreciated sprawling across a theater wall to capture the grand scale on which they were imagined.



Tsui Hark did not introduce the movie and reportedly expressed bewilderment at the excitement over it. He did join the audience for a Q & A and humbly discussed how he presented the concept of ZU to producing company Golden Harvest, his earlier days spent in New York City, and his ambitions as a film maker. The substantial audience responded enthusiastically, setting the tone for NYAFF’s screenings of other Tsui Hark films which the director will also attend.





DRAGON INN (produced by Tsui Hark) plays Sunday, July 19 at 4:00 pm
THE BLADE plays Monday, July 11 at 6:00 pm
DETECTIVE DEE AND THE PHANTOM FLAME (Hark’s lastest film) plays Monday, July 11 at 9:00 pm. It’s a sold out screening, but standby tickets will be available.

All screenings are at Walter Reade Theater and all will include a Q & A with Tsui Hark!

mondocurry Asian cinema corner report from the Tribeca Film Festival

This year, the Tribeca film festival offered up some interesting gems from the realm of Asian cinema, some officially signed off on by the gurus of moving images from Asia at Subway Cinema. I scheduled myself a 3- day line-up of the more outrageous offerings, and the following is a bit of a report on the proceedings.

Part 1

Detective Dee and the Phantom Flame

This outstanding film directed by veteran Tsui Hark left me slack jawed, hairs standing on end, and otherwise amazed. Recently, my interest in Asian cinema has gravitated mainly towards Japanese and Korean productions, leaving most films from China on the out. This movie challenges that position considerably.

Tsui Hark’s recent films have not created the buzz they once did. For me, his older works were also a bit rough around the edges visually. Here he has delivered a seamless blend of fantasy, period piece historical drama, and hardboiled mystery in one enormously entertaining package. It has been a long time since I have found myself so disarmingly overjoyed with a big screen movie adventure based out of any country.

What impressed me most is that the story weaves a through and through mystery, complete with red herrings, hidden intentions, and hard earned clues that move the plot forward. The fantasy element doesn’t overwhelm other aspects of the story, nor is it ever used to give an easy out to inexplicable plot points.

The focus is on Di Renjie, a sleuth who is released from confinement to solve a series of mysterious murders that take place around the construction of a massive Buddha statue. Since these incidents threaten the proceedings of soon-to-be Empress Wu’s official inauguration, she reluctantly frees the skilled detective so that he can solve the case. The empress was also the one who had Dee imprisoned in the first place for acts of treason, and there you have a sense of the complicated nature of the relationships and motives affecting characters in the story.

Di Renjie is teamed up with the empress’ most trusted assistant (or “right hand woman” if you will), and one of her military’s lead investigators in a very volatile partnership. There is plenty of suspense and intrigue as the formidable trio faces unknown perils while each of them also tries to outwit and vet their suspicions of the other two members in their makeshift alliance.

It wouldn’t be a bona fide Chinese epic action movie if the protagonists weren’t multi-talented. So it almost goes without saying that they are all accomplished martial artists. As the pieces of the puzzle slide into place, there is plenty of stylistic action galore.

The point where fiction meets reality is its dealing with Empress Wu’s rise to power. While the details of course have been changed to include far more fantastical elements, there is a shared aspect of ruthlessness with which she is believed to have taken grasp of power.

Everything about the film from its panoramic scenes to its high stakes finale is on a big scale; the same can be said for the themes it deals with. Notions of revenge, loyalty, and putting the greater good ahead of personal feelings come into play as the story draws nearer to its conclusion.

I have noticed the term steampunk come up in promotions and reviews, and was curious if it actually did play a role in the movie at all. In fact, fans of this budding genre that embraces stylized depictions of real and imagined pre 20^th century technology will likely thrill to the lovingly rendered details of the grand Buddha statue’s inner workings. Also of note is the weaponry employed by many of the characters. Rather than rely primarily on blades, they wield many technically engaging mechanisms that snap, spring, and whir into action.

The director was not on hand to talk about the film. This was a shame because, of the three entries I’ve seen so far, this is the one where the director would have received a standing ovation from me and likely the other members of the very enthusiastic packed audience. It’s likely, though, that Hark is still making the rounds in his native China, where the movie recently swept the Hong Kong film awards. Expect more Dee and more great things from Tsui Hark in the near future.