Country: Hong Kong

It’s not a perfect film by any means, but it succeeds in painting an interesting portrait of an aging gentleman looking for a little redemption.

‘The Bodyguard From Beijing’ had the potential to be remembered as a classic action film, but Corey Yuen has failed miserably compared to his other wonderful classics.

Law Ma has crafted an ensemble kung-fu comedy that has a good number of intricately constructed showdowns and a few moments that manage true pathos rather than tacked on emotion.

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.

It can not be regarded as a classic of the genre, but can be hailed as a valiant attempt at faithfully adapting difficult source material.

The three films are of course better if viewed as one long film, but that is partially the undoing of this third instalment due to it’s comparatively slow pacing following the hectic earlier instalments.

Yu’s extravagant use of colour and innovative camera techniques are extremely pleasing, but in no way make up for the lack of depth missing from the rest of the film.

‘The Buddha Assassinator’ offers little new in terms of storyline or narrative twists. What it does offer though is some top-quality action from a very able set of actors and another classic stand-off between hero and villain.

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.

With an apparent allusion to the multi-layered swordplay novels of Gu Long and Louis Cha, this is a story that revels in its twists and hidden motives.

It entertains, titillates and amuses, as well as throws in a hint of social commentary as afterthought, but it’s a giddy, gaudy way to spend some time, providing of course that the subject matter itself doesn’t offend one’s sensibilities to begin with.

The term ‘low-key’ was perhaps invented for this enjoyable and slightly off-beat comedy/thriller.