Tag Archives: Wu xia
Review: Face Behind the Mask (Hong Kong 1974)
Chen Chi-hwa’s Face Behind the Mask is a solid piece of wu xia entertainment. It’s not revolutionary, and it really doesn’t do anything that hasn’t been done before. However, all the elements come together nicely to create a quick-paced piece … Continue reading
Review: Reign of Assassins aka Jian Yu (Taiwan/China/Hong Kong 2010)
Reign of Assassins is one of the best wu xia films of the past decade, marrying old school pleasures with comic book aesthetics and inventive action instead of relying on the grim seriousness mandated by the Hero model. Characterization is … Continue reading
Review: The Treasure Hunters (Hong Kong 1981)
Certainly not one of Shaw Brothers’ best, this wacky kung fu comedy stars Alexander Fu Sheng and his brother Chang Chen Peng as petty crooks out to steal a big treasure. Everybody does their usual schtick – Fu Sheng is … Continue reading
Review: The Black Tavern (Hong Kong 1972)
An obscurity from the Shaw Brothers’ libraries, this film is definitely staffed with the Shaw B-team but still manages to be an energy-filled take on King Hu’s classic Dragon Inn.