Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 04/07/2024 Chor Yuen once more adapts a story by Gu Long, and it's all very familiar... the problem with being at the top is there's always someone who wants the spot and you can't just give it to them, they have to take it. These adaptations tend to be rather similar to each other, but I like that they seem to exist in their own world - a jiang hu whose rules and logic flow like a dream, with an aesthetic that seems to be attempting to crystallise the essence of beauty into its opulent sets. The action always seems to be a bit of an afterthought - even if there is a lot of it here. The choreography is fairly basic and the camera seems more concerned with artistic framing of the sets than drawing us into the combat. It is what is - other directors were doing ground-breaking work in that arena at the time but Chor Yuen's attention was elsewhere. Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: pjshimmer Date: 03/22/2005 Summary: Great movie In less than 90 minutes, this wuxia tale packs in a complex story with (nearly) unpredictable plot twists, which means the pace has got to move REALLY fast, and it does just that. These Chu Yuan wuxia films mostly aren't polished, but they are entertaining. [8/10]

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 12/07/2004 Summary: One of the better SHAW brother movies The movie itself is one of those kung fu mystery movies, where Ti Lung is plunged back into the martial arts world being accused of something he didn't do. While this is occuring, who has stolen the deer cutting sword? The action is above average The plot is a little difficult to grasp as there are many characters and plot twists and i felt the plot twists went a little overboard. The suprising twists at the end was a little bit much!! But still, this is one of the better SB movies out there 7.5/10

Reviewed by: balstino Date: 06/18/2004 Summary: Top Shaw, one of, if not THE BEST Wuxia. The story, suspense and mystery in this one was superb. The fights are great and the chemistry between Ti Lung and the female lead was electric. The only thing I would say is it can be a bit Robin Hood/Maid Marion sappy in places (with dodgy music), but OVERALL it is by far the best shaw I have seen.

Reviewed by: batgirl Date: 03/20/2004 Summary: spectacular and complex This was a lot of fun. I haven't read the novel it's based on, and the plot is fairly complex, but I was able to follow it well enough. The martial arts aren't anything much, being in the dance-opera style of a lot of the costume epics, but the costumes, the sets, and the variety of characters were great entertainment. Ti Lung (with a beard) plays the unconventional knight-errant with a good heart and no regard for appearances. Lily Li plays a swordswoman with a tendency to get naked and a useful ability to paralyse people for 24 hours by hitting the right nerve-points. Then there's the Iron and Steel Zombies, a man and woman with pale faces and mummy-like bandages on their bodies; the four lethal Feng brothers, who wear white robes and fight in unison; an androgynous and deadly villain called Little Lord (played by a woman, but all the characters take her for a boy, so I guess the viewer is supposed to as well); and a mysterious hermit who has been abducting heroes of the martial world and shrinking them into puppets - all of them after the mystical Deer Cutting Blade. It might not be quite up there with Killer Clans and Legend of the Bat, but it delivers the same sort of pleasure.

Reviewed by: samchuyuen Date: 12/06/2003 Summary: Another great film by super-team Ku Lung-Chu Yuen With an unusual beared Ti Lung, this movie makes justice to the novel of the same name. It's really great how the director gives such ambience and tension, using red focus and surrealistic backgrounds, make you feels into the movie. I really enjoy this one.