Nine-Ring Golden Dagger Film Review

These days China knocks out wuxia films as if they are on an assembly line. Stuffed with CGI and the personality of a plastic cup. So it was really nice coming across this one from first-time director Feng Xiao-jun. I would guess that Feng overdosed on 1990s Hong Kong wuxia films because this would have been a good fit. He eschews the dreaded overuse of CGI and makes a very old fashioned wuxia film that relies on wires, martial arts, fast editing, fine choreography, a simple but good plot and sympathetic characters. And an inn. Where so many great Hong Kong films took place. This film will no doubt bring Tsui Hark's New Dragon Gate Inn to mind for many viewers.

It is also about the legendary Yang family, the subject of many films such as Saving General Yang, the 14 Amazons, Legendary Amazons and numerous TV shows. General Yang was a real life hero during the Song dynasty. In one battle, he destroyed a much larger army from Liao, but in another battle he was betrayed by another General and fought the Liaos practically on his own, reputedly killing many before he died. Which is where this film begins.

In a fierce fight, General Yang with numerous arrows sticking in his back takes on the Liao army but is finally brought down and his Nine Ring Golden Dagger (a sword really) is taken. His two daughters (Yanqui - Zhang xin-tong and Yanying - Liu Xin-lei) feel the need to honor their father and get the sword back. They disguise themselves as Liao male soldiers and infiltrate the Liao headquarters and steal the sword. But that is just the beginning.

Yanying is wounded and they need to stop at an isolated inn to treat her. The inn is owned by Jiao (Song Tian-shuo) who just happens to be an ex Song soldier who served under General Yang. The many pursuers soon arrive at the inn and the fun begins. First trying to pretend that they are Jiao's sisters and when that doesn't work, the film basically turns into one long action set piece for the rest of the film. I don't want to oversell the film, but it felt good watching this that is so grounded in Hong Kong wuxia traditions.