Action Member: Tong Gaai

‘Clan Of Amazons’ is an elegant swordplay film that shows how entertaining the genre can be when the various components are properly blended.

However challenging – and at times frustrating – this swordplay drama is, there’s nonetheless enough reasons to stay watching and endure to the conclusion.

‘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.

Fine performances, good cinematography and a well-paced storyline – despite the difficulty on my part to pick out its failings – will offer most viewers a rewarding 100 minutes of entertainment.

The director has taken complicated source material and distilled it into something arresting before, but here he finds too many sub-plots to balance and too many characters to accommodate.

‘Heroes Shed No Tears’ is the kind of complex swordplay film that was attempted after the demise of the Shaw Brothers movie making empire, but often lacked the skilled control that Chor Yuen offered.

‘Heroes Two’ is not one of the definitive collaborations between Chang Cheh and Fu Sheng, but it offers quality in most departments.

There’s weaknesses in some of the plot twists, but there’s also good action, fine performances and the kind of bold visual statements that linger in the mind.

‘Legend Of The Bat’ suffers from the same problems as its predecessor, namely its headache-inducing twists and turns.

Chang Cheh delivers a multi-layered kung-fu drama that is ripe with excellent characterisation and well-choreographed action.

With a studio-bound feel that ages it beyond its years and an ambling storyline that sees the useful sub-plots cast aside, ‘My Rebellious Son’ rarely shines.

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