Reviewed by: Chungking_Cash Date: 04/23/2007 David Chiang is the grinning, gravity-defying Wandering Swordsman who in the tradition of Robin Hood robs from the rich and gives to the poor. The pace finally picks up an hour into the 107-minute runtime but everything that precedes it is a complete bore. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: cal42 Date: 08/04/2006 Summary: Deception and Redemption A young hero known only as the Wandering Swordsman (David Chiang) travels the land dealing out his own brand of justice – which usually means robbing from the robbers and giving the proceeds to the less fortunate. He encounters Siao Ning Ji (Lily Li) who is escorting treasure on behalf of the Security Bureau. The Wandering Swordsman is deceived into thinking that Kung Wu (AKA “Fail-Safe”) and his gang of bandits are actually on the side of righteousness and helps in their plan to steal a horde of valuable treasure. When he learns that he’s been duped, he must seek his own redemption and recover the treasure. First of all, a warning. If you’re turned off by wireworks on a large scale, avoid this film at all cost, as it is rather reliant on the technique. Still with me? Good… WANDERING SWORDSMAN is quite unique in that it doesn’t feature Ti Lung at all. Not even a cameo. Perhaps he was on holiday, but knowing the Shaw Brothers treadmill he was probably off somewhere else shooting another film while this was made! Instead, we have Lily Li as co-star and the teaming isn’t as bad as you might imagine. I’ve often voiced the opinion that Chang Cheh couldn’t really direct women very well, but at least in this he didn’t try too hard in forcing some kind of romantic relationship between the two leads. It IS there, but beneath the surface - implicit rather than explicit. Thankfully, there are no tacky love scenes to slow things down. The film remains a bit of a wasted opportunity however. Although the story and characters are strong, the whole Wuxia angle never really lights up the screen like you would expect, and sometimes feels a bit of a damp squib. That said, there are flashes of greatness and one great special effect when Chiang bursts through an inn roof. The finale also has some stirring moments. I don’t think it would be giving too much away to reveal that the Wandering Swordsman is a doomed character, but his swansong is at least uplifting and his attempt at redemption heroic. Nice theme tune, too. There’s a few early appearances by actors who would become Hong Kong regulars, such as Wu Ma (who sports a very unconvincing beard), a very young Yuen Shun-Yi (who would specialise in playing complete nut-bars in classics such as DREADNAUGHT and DRUNKEN TAI CHI), Yuen Woo-Ping’s brother Yuen Cheung-Yan, and of course everyone’s favourite bad guy Yeung Tze (AKA Bolo Yeung). David Chiang indulges in a fair bit of horseplay in this one, verbally sparring with his foes. While the effect isn’t likely to get you rolling with laughter in your seat, it is nevertheless a change from the usually staid lead characters usually served by Chang. If only we had a bit more “oomph” in the swordplay we could have had a bone-fide classic on our hands. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: c9a8l Date: 12/05/2005 Summary: Young Leads David & Lily...GREAT COMBO !!! I really enjoyed this movie very much !!! It showcases a young David Chiang & Lily Li in their debut movie together as Leads. It's great to be able to see young stars in the beginning of their careers. David Chiang plays a naive young Robin Hood...stealing from the bad & giving to the poor. The movie shows David, wandering from place to place getting mixed up with various baddies. I enjoyed the scene when David was in the restauraunt getting ready to pay for his meal. Another funny one was when David was in the Casino gambling. Lily & David shine in this hidden gem, I enjoyed the music and the slow-mo towards the end. I probably favor this movie more so than others, because this was the one film I saw as a little girl and from that day on...fell instantly in LOVE with David Chiang...

Reviewed by: pjshimmer Date: 08/23/2004 Summary: David Chiang is slightly bearable This period adapted movie would have been all right without the bloody murders and the awful David Chiang as lead. It seems like Chang Cheh really wants the audience to view how every person in the movie dies, even though they all get slaughtered the same way. So everyone-even the slightest passer-by-gets sometime to show off as he/she lets out a cry and dies. Overall another early film with leads who don't look like they know how to fight. The bloodletting and the violence are a bit beyond my tolerance. [5/10]