Year:
1993
Studio:
Mandarin Films
Movie:
2/5
DVD:
0/5
Like it's sequel, this is an unremarkable movie. We open up with Zhuo
Yi-Hang (Leslie Cheung) on a wintry mountain protecting the sacred
flower. It's been ten years since the events told in the movie. Which
means that the movie opens at the time of the sequel.
Anyways, Yi-Hang was destined to be the Joint Chief of the Eight Big
Clans and the Chief of the Wu Tang Clan. But he was a pacifist at heart
at a time when the Chin Dynasty was becoming more and more brutal in
its effots to protect itself.
The Clans have to deal with the rise of the Evil Death Cult, led by the
Siamese twins Ji Wushuang (Francis Ng and Elaine Lui). For the last 20
years Ji Wushuang has trained Lian Ni-Chang (Bridgitte Lin) as their
champion. She is the fabled wolf girl, brought up by wolves and taming
them with her flute playing.
Yi-Hang and Ni-Chang meet in the forest. Yi-Hang is smitten and woos
Ni-Chang. They fall in love. She then goes away to leave the Death
Cult, which is quite an ordeal and I believe that scene is the
inspiration for Xena's scene in "The Gauntlet". But while she's gone
the Wu Tang clan is attacked and decimated.
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The sole
survivor claims it was the Wolf Girl leading the cultists. Yi-Hang has
doubts. When Ni-Chang shows up, the rest of the Wu Tang tries to kill
her and she kills them in self-defence. Yi-Hang joins in. Outraged at
the betrayal, Ni-Chang's hair turns white (this is with about 10
minutes left in the movie) and she really goes to town, killing
everyone except Yi-Hang.
When Yi-Hang comes to, he sees Ji Wushuang dressed up like Ni-Chang in
her Wolf Girl combat garb. It was all a ruse to frame Ni-Chang! Yi-Hang
tries to fight Ji Wushuang but is losing. Suddenly Ni-Chang shows up
and together they kill Ji Wushuang. But there is still the betrayal, so
with a last look between the two Ni-Chang leaves. The End until part 2.
Like the first movie, there is a bit of unrequited love in this film.
Yi-Hang's childhood schoolmate Ho Lu Hua (Kit Ying Lam) wants him.
Unfortunately she turns out to be as harsh and evil as the rest of the
ruling class, which repulses Yi-Hang.
I guess if you're going to watch one of the movies you should watch
them both to get the whole Yi-Hang/Ni-Chang arc. I still the think the
martial arts are not that good. Everything is slow-motion jump-cutting
with lots of closeups. You don't really get the feeling of the flow of
the fight. And that's the whole point of a Hong Kong action film, so I
can't recommend this movie.
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