returns from Mexico with a new vision for making palm trees from scratch.
(5.00)I recently picked up this "special edition" DVD of this movie, also known as Butterfly Swords, Butterfly and Sword, and the original title Xin liu xing hu die jian. It's a remake of 1976's Killer Clans, both based on "a popular swordfighting novel by Ku Lung."
As the movie eventually explains, several street children formed a kung-fu alliance to survive, and now as adults are a powerful group serving a kung-fu master in the middle of a fight for kung-fu dominance (there's also a subplot about the Emperor trying to control the factions).
Master Sing (Tony Leung) is a kung-fu warrior masquerading as a merchant. He loves Butterfly (Joey Wang), the daughter of a kung-fu chief, but she is opposed to kung-fu. Sister Ko (Michelle Yeoh) is the boss of their kung-fu group, and she secretly loves Master Sing. Yip Cheung (Donnie Yen) is another warrior in their group, brooding due to his unrequited love for Sister Ko.
Under the direction of a kung-fu master, Sister Ko directs her minions to infiltrate and fight rival kung-fu clans.
To be honest, the plot doesn't make a lot of sense. So just enjoy a lot of over-the-top kung-fu battles with a lot of people flying through the air (wire action), a kung-fu fighter forming a bow out of her own body to fire another kung-fu artist like an arrow, and a romantic scene with lovers flying through a forest.
There's a twist at the end, and another twist, culminating in a big battle, and an abrupt ending because unless you have the Taiwan version, the intended ending has been cut.
Rated R for kung-fu violence.
It's fun to watch, the effects were top-notch for the time, but the plot is just a mess. The performances are fine.
Can you game it? This would easily convert to a wargaming campaign, if you can find suitable high-powered kung-fu rules.
I can't really recommend the movie, but it has some fun parts.