Item #: 1753DVD Category: MARTIAL ARTS Format: DVD MPAA Rating: PG

Woolly Rating: 6/10 (85 votes)

MEMBER COMMENTS ON THIS VIDEO

Matt	Jun 14, 2002 @ 14:2:21

Polly Shang Kuan & Lo Lieh
First let me state that Polly Shang Kuan, Lo Lieh, and Yao Hwa, all of whom have starring roles in this film, are old Shaw Bros. stars and have been in a TON oof movies. This flick is not steller, but it has a lot going for it in my book: The lovely and talented Polly Shang Kuan gives it her all and in many ways makes the movie for me. The flick is trippy, almost psychedelic at times, and the plot is a bit convoluted (not unusal for a martial arts film), but this so much fun overall there is very little I can complain about. "Pressured by the Manchu government, the magistrate of Lung Wei Village (Lo Lieh) enlists the aid of the Four Dragons to squelch a rebel uprising led by Chu Har Ming. The Four Dragons must discover the true identity of Chu Har Ming, uncover a traitor amongst them, and put an end to the Ching rebellion...A relatively simple theme of hired kung fu masters fighting a group of criminal rebels becomes burdened with the introduction of three other characters also fighting the rebels. The star of the film is actually Polly Shian Kuan who spends most of the film dressed as a man and nobody can tell otherwise, including a female barmaid who falls for her. The situation becomes a love triangle as Polly's character, Chan Qwan Tung falls in love with one of the other fighters trying to stop Chu Har Ming. During all this, the Four Dragons are trying to figure out which one of the four is a traitor while regularly encountering Chu Har Ming who looks suspiciously like the tavern owner. Have I lost you yet? The film seems to run dry near the end as Chu Har Ming is easily drawn out into the open by Chan Qwan Tung and her two companions. A strange ritual dealing with the whole yin/yang, male/female energy featuring some dismally cheap special effects is topped by the first appearance of the great "99 Sword Stroke," a multi-sectioned sword that when assembled fires the sections like rockets at it's targets. We finally get the Scooby Doo/Sherlock Holmes style ending explaining that all the events prior were carefully planned to foil Chu Har Ming. And he would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for that skunk hat (don't ask) and the 99 Sword Stroke. While the intended humor in the film was typically cheesy, the film did provide some genuine laughs thanks to the goofball dubbing and a few creative stunts involving china (the dinnerware, not the country). The video and audio is acceptable with no glaring faults save for some cropping that occasionally cuts out some of the action on the sides of the screen." http://www.kungfucinema.com/reviews/99cyclingswords.htm Yes, the final 99 sword thing was a downer, but I still don't care! Its just a neat fun movie in the end, and one I'll keep (esp. for Polly!) I give it 7 out of 10 stars (for polly, who was having a good time! heh). Check it out! Matt

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