Now available from Arrow Video
Following up on part 2’s reviews here and here, we have the third volume of these incredible box sets. This review will also be split in half for sheer volume of films involved here. Buckle up babies, here comes Volume 3!
The One-Armed Swordsman (aka Du bei dao) (1967)
The first of a trilogy included in this set, One-Armed Swordsman follows the story of a swordsman who loses an arm in a fight and assumes his life over, until a gang of bad swordsmen go after his teacher. The film here is from writers Cheh Chang and Kuang Ni with the former directing as well. The film plays with themes of tradition, legacy, and filial piety to make a story that keeps the attention and makes the most of the cast’s talents. The fights here are well done and make the most of said skills on top of being choreographed carefully and deliberately. The film here is fun, entertaining, and has some interesting themes. It is, however, a bit too long and suffers from pacing issues here and there.
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (Du bei dao wang) (1969)
Coming 2 years after the first, this sequel plays with some of the same themes, but it not as good as the first film. The pacing issues here are worse and lead to losing the viewer’s attention here and there and having difficulty getting it back. The film here is written and directed by Cheh Chang, returning from the first film. The story here is ok and the performances work decently. Where the strength of the film lays is in the fight sequences. These are well choreographed, well performed, and well shot while the rest of the film is less well shot than the first which is frustrating. There is more blood in this one’s fights for those who may not want to see blood and for those who may want more blood.
The New One-Armed Swordsman (aka Triple Irons, aka Xin du bi dao) (1971)
This sequel is more interesting and entertaining than its predecessor with a leading man that may just be preferred (by this viewer at least) to the leading man of the second film. This third entry in the trilogy comes from director Cheh Chang with Kuang Ni coming back as a writer which may be the reason this one is better than the second film. Leading man David Da-Wei Chiang is fantastic as Lei Li, Ching Lee is charming (in a way) as Ba Jiao, and the rest of the cast does quite well as well. The film looks good and sounds good while giving the viewers the fights they came for in grand style.
The Lady Hermit (aka Zhong kui niang zi) (1971)
This entry is not a one-armed swordsman film, but it still follows the theme of having an arm cut off. This one is written by I. Fang Yeh and directed by Meng-Hua Ho and stars Pei-Pei Chang as the Lady Hermit, a part she shines in. The cast here also includes slew of familiar faces who all do their best to give solid performances and fight the best they can. Now, for a funny bit of this film, the fights are very clanky in this one, something that some will love, and many will be annoyed by. For this viewer, this adds to the fun. The Lady Hermit is a fun entry in this set with a badass titular character who brings that extra lady-fighter goodness to the films included in this film.
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (aka Ai nu) (1972)
This rape-revenge film will not be for everyone, but for those who can bypass the rape scenes (which are mostly happening off-screen), the rest of the film is interesting and has some decent fights with a lot more gore than these box sets have prepared the viewers for. Written by Kang-Chien Chiu and directed by Yuen Chor, the film has its issues but overall, it works decently without too much downtime or slow moments. The cast here is led by Lily Ho who fans will recognize and enjoys as she gives a solid performance here. Joining her and doing well also are Hua Yueh, Betty Pei Ti, and Lin Tung. The film here isn’t perfect, but once the rape-y part is over, it’s a pretty straightforward revenge story.
The 14 Amazons (aka Shi si nu ying hao) (1972)
From writer Yang Kao, writer-director Kang Cheng, and director Shao-Yung Tung, this one is a bit of a mess. There are some good scenes, and the fight sequences are entertaining with a cast that works quite well. When it comes to the cinematography, it’s a mess and looking at the list of 7 people who did the cinematography, the uneven look and the shots that look like they do not belong make sense. This also explains why there are some scenes that just don’t fit and that the finished product looks cobbled together from other films or perhaps multiple sources. Also, there are some sequences here that make no sense and some decision that are downright dumb (a human bridge, really?). The film here has issues and may be entertaining in a so-bad-it’s-good way, but as a straight up good film, it misses the mark.
The Magic Blade (aka Tien ya ming yue dao) (1976)
This one seems unusual for a Shaw Brothers film with a story about mortal enemies who team up to find a weapon of legend. Written by Lung Ku, Kuang Ni, and On Szeto, and directed by Yuen Chor, this may be an unusual Shaw Brothers film, but it is decently entertaining with decent writing, direction, acting, and fights. The decor here feels nostalgic and seems to perhaps have been reused from previous Shaw Brothers films, something that is not an issue here and adds to the Shaw Cinematic Universe charm of this film. The Magic Blade is well done on just about every front and is a highly entertaining film with some fun fights, entertaining squabbles, and a whole lot more.
Part 2 of this set coming in a few hours!