This Shaw Brother's film is a strange mix
of Wuxia action and family melodrama with the melodrama sitting in the front
seat. It is directed by Ho Meng-hua who was to become a fan favorite a few
years down the line with Black Magic, Oily Maniac, The Flying Guillotine,
The Mighty Peking Man and the two great female revenge films, Kiss of Death
and The Vengeful Beauty, both with Chen Ping. But at this point he was just
knocking out a number of standard Wuxia films - often starring female action
figures. These would be Killer Darts with Chin Ping, The Jade Raksha with
Cheng Pei-pei, this film with Chin Ping again, Lady of Steel again with Cheng
Pei-pei and The Lady Hermit with Cheng Pei-pei and Shih Szu. Before these
he had just completed the four films in The Journey to the West series. So
he was a man of any genre as were most of the directors at Shaw. None of
these Wuxia films are considered classics but they are all well-made and
enjoyable. As is this one though for my taste it hangs on to the melodrama
for too long.
Zhi-shan (Tang Ching) heads a security business and he is often away from
his wife and baby daughter for weeks. And while the cat is away the mouse
will play. His wife (Kao Pao-shu) is carrying on an affair with another head
of a security company - one of the three dastardly Long brothers. When Zhi-shan
gets home he has a welcoming party waiting for him - to kill him. The Long
brothers and his wife. But he is the holder of the Golden Dragon Blade that
can destroy other swords. So he sends them packing and tells his wife "Here
is a vial of poison. Drink it and you will be dead in an hour. A money back
guarantee." And then turns his back. A word of advice - if you tell your
spouse to kill themselves, don't turn your back. Basic quality control. Watch
them drink the poison and die. Instead she is able to dope him so that he
cannot see and the Long Brothers come back, take his Blade and he barely
escapes with his life and with his daughter and loyal servant (Pang Pang).
He is badly injured and saved only when a herbalist (Ku Wen-chung) finds
him and nurses him back to health but Zhi-shan will have a bum leg for life.
The herbalist also kills about ten men who come looking for Zhi-shan with
one throw of sharp wooded needles - all into their eyes. Acupuncture from
a distance. He is taking care of a young boy.
18 years go by. In the blink of an eye. Just like in real life. They are
all living out in the boonies where no one can disturb them. The boy has
grown up to be Qing-song (Yueh Hua) and the girl to be Xiao-yan (Chin Ping)
and like all kids they have learned swordplay, kung fu and jumping from the
ground up to the roof. Xiao-yan keeps asking dad who his enemies are so that
she can kill them. What a sweetie. How many of your daughters ever offered
to do that. Sorry, honey - he answers - you are not ready but someday I will
tell you. Someday comes faster than expected when she gets lost in the nearby
town and finds herself in front of a brothel. That her mother runs. Her mom
tries to get her for a customer. Mother and daughter reunion.
The parents squabble over who should have custody of the girl. Xiao-yan discovers
all the past misdeeds and decides it is time to start the vengeance train.
And suddenly we have an action film with a high body count and geysers of
blood but it took nearly 60 minutes to get there. Turns out she was more
than ready. Chin Ping is a cutie - not the most authentic fighter at her
size which is close to Hobbit size. But it is fun to watch her put on her
"I am about to kill you" face.
