The Eight Escorts
Director: Pao Hsueh-li
Year: 1980
Rating: 5.5
What an unruly and messy kung fu film. No doubt the dubbing doesn't help
but the editing is so sloppy - whether the original or this version who knows
- that at times it made no sense. One minute a guy is near death from a poison
knife and the next time we see him he is fine and fighting, a guy picks up
a dagger and throws it at an opponent - we never see where it lands - that
happens twice in fact. People show up and disappear like they have bad stomachs.
They will be gone for 30 minutes and then re-appear for no reason. One expects
better from Pao Hsueh-li who directed many films for the Shaw Brothers. I
expect there is an answer but no idea what it is. There was a time or two
that I thought maybe the reels had gotten mixed up.
For one thing there are two many characters - maybe eight is more than enough
- and to keep them straight you need to take notes. And they all fight each
other - they meet - they fight - for no reason other than it is time for another
action scene. I can't complain for a lack of action - there is probably too
much of it and most of the time I had no idea why they were fighting. Boys
will be boys. Except there is a woman too who is the worst of all. The title
might lead one to think these eight escorts are on the same team - far from
it - most of the time they are trying to steal the valuables or killing one
another.
A black hooded man has been attacking the escorts of valuables and killing
everyone. One of the people killed was the brother of Miss Wu (the lovely
Hsu Feng) but she continues the business and two years later gets a job to
transport a collection of jewels. She along with a mute friend drive off and
arrive at an inn to spend the night. Among the customers is Shadow Knife (Ling
Yun), Dorian Tan who initially pretends he knows no kung-fu - we know better,
Wang Chung, Lili Li LI-li, Danny Lee, Mang Chin-sung with the poisonous needles
and I think a few others. It gets confusing. Are they there to help or to
steal - sometimes both it seems. It is a mess. If the action choreography
was sharper and more imaginative it would be easier to ignore that but most
of it is just hit-hit-hit till the film moves on. On hand also is Wu
Ma as the cross-eyed owner of the inn with about six children that he uses
as bouncers and Michael Chan as a late entry.
