The Mysterious Heroes
Director: Chan Siu-pang
Year: 1978
Rating: 6.0
The film begins with lessons for all of us. The three stars of the film
demonstrate 8 Steps of Mantis, 13 Swords, Close Attack, the Dragon Tail,
the Snake Bite and Over the Moon, Blocking the Way. The last three are sword
attacks as well, I expect if I can watch this a few hundred times and follow
it, I will be a Kung Fu Master. I need to buy a sword though maybe a fork
will do. This is a solid Taiwanese martial arts film with a good if often
seen cast. I wonder how many films Carter Huang and Polly Shang-kuan co-starred
in together. A lot. This also has the great Shek Kin who always brings some
class and authenticity to a film. And Wang Hsieh plays the villain - not
Sek Kin for a change! Cliff Lok as well and Teresa Ha Ping and Phillip Kwok
though I can't think who those two were.
Once again it is during the Ming Dynasty and Baron Su Ching (Wang Hsieh)
has hired mercenaries to keep him in power. His main adversary had been Lo
Tien Feng (Sek Kin) with his famous Green Crested Sword but he disappeared
twenty years ago and nobody knows where. Into Dragon Town come a few strangers
- a young man and woman (Carter and Polly) - and he claims to be Lo
Tien Feng. Bad idea. If anyone even mentions the name the Baron's men will
kill him. No questions asked. Just dead. A beggar has wandered in as well
(Cliff Lok) and plays the fool. In a similar role to his in The Invincible
Swordswoman in the same year, where there is also much more to him.
Carter wants to track down Lo Tien Feng and challenge him in order to get
the Sword and to proclaim himself the greatest in martial arts. Polly pouts
about this because she loves him and doesn't want him to die. Lo is clearly
alive and when they are all together they are either fighting each other or
the Baron. Lots of action but in an interesting twist the film ends up with
a message of peace - that violence will only spawn more violence. That to
be at the top only attracts other killers until finally one gets you. Sort
of like gunslingers in the old West. There is a subbed video on YouTube but
the picture is a bit murky but is watchable and is widescreen. For Polly fans
this is a good one - an equal amount of pouting and fighting. In the end
she finishes off four villains on her own who have come to kill Sek Kin.
