5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Return of the Deadly Blade...pretty decent movie, August 16, 2001
This review is from: Return of the Deadly Blade (DVD)
The Return of the Deadly Blade....1981
First lets start off with the extras on this DVD. This is part of the WuTang Hidden Treasures collection out out by Ground Zero. It has the same ill opening graphics As Fury in the Shaolin Temple, and Shaolin King Boxer. This DVD lacks the Nice interviews with the stars but it still has the small bio for the stars and pretty Good video fight clips from all of the stars. It has the Wu Tang video for "Da Mystery of Chessboxing" and a wu interview with PaPa Wu who I ain't never heard of before.
It also has two more questions about Martial Arts that are answered by an Abbot And a Tai Chi master. The questions were what are the difference between internal And external styles and what is the conflict between martial arts and fighting...as I recall.
For the movie....It seems to be an uncut version of the original. It plays as a fullscreen Version that is in pretty decent shape. (I'd give the quality at about a 3.95 out of 5). This seems to have been a copy from a video with good sound and very few major Blemishes. (There are some minor artifacts.)
The open has "dumb" fight sequence with Wang Jang Lee fighting Norman Tsui Siu Keung Which is mad nice. This is a hand to hand fight, but then the story breaks into what you would Expect from the title, which was David Chiang weilding the deadly blade. As the movie Played one could get the feeling that this was some kind of prelude to "Duel To the Death" Which also stars Tsui Siu Keung, but this movie had comedy of sorts provided by Yausaki Kurata of all people. Wang Jang Lee's performance was alright and clearly Not the best. Probably because this is a David Chiang vehicle.
Overall this movie was better than Shaolin King Boxer and Fury from the Wu Tang releases, However, I wouldn't say that this was one of those over the top movies. It was good As it had a storyline but with all of the great stars it fails to be a movie that makes you Say Damn! Maybe because I fail to see what is so great about swordplay movies. Swing a sword, watch them die. Swing a fist and see several different ways to watch them Fall...ten times better!
Definitely on for the collectors box especially if you are a fan of swordplay movies.
Overall this movie is a 3.95 out of 5 stars. The DVD for quality and extras is a 5.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An all star cast featured in a sword style film. Good Flic!, August 10, 2001
This review is from: Return of the Deadly Blade (DVD)
Featuring a Who's Who in kung fu films, with stars like; David Chaing, Hwang jang lee, Lo lieh, just to name a few. This story deals with a young man trying to get revenge for his father. He takes the name of the man he searches hoping it will bring him out in the open. the young man even uses his targets weapons as well (the deadly blades). challenging every fighter he can hoping that he can finally get a chance to heal his inner hate and kill teh man responsible for stealing his father. Spectacular sword play, and a showcase of weapons that you will not soon forget (Steel rings, Saw Blades, Spear unbrella, Fans, etc.). I recommend this film not only for the amazing cast but also for the great choreography and story.
Also the DVD has some very interesting extra features including selected fights from each of the movies stars, and a photo gallery, along with some other ver nice added goodies.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3.0 out of 5 stars
Star-studded kung fu film that baffles more than dazzles..., April 3, 2011
This review is from: Return of the Deadly Blade (DVD)
Part of the Wu Tang Clan's "Hidden Chambers Collection," "Return of the Deadly Blade" is a movie that has enormous potential but doesn't quite reach the heights it should have. The first thing you'll notice is the well known cast, with David Chiang (Bloody Tattoo, Shaolin Mantis, Magnificent Wanderers), Yasuaki Kurata (Challenge of the Ninja, Prodigal Boxer, Ninja in a Deadly Trap), and cameos for Lo Leih (Five Fingers of Death aka King Boxer, Fist of the White Lotus, Executioners of Death), Tsui Siu Kueng (Duel to the Death), and David Chiang. This movie is also notable for its action director, Ching Siu Tung, who would go on to revolutionize kung fu fantasy action like the Chinese Ghost Story trilogy (great movies, by the way).
Released in 1980, "Return of the Deadly Blade" is kind of a prototype for the many kung fu fantasy movies that would come in the 80s (notably, "The Zu Warriors of Magic Mountain"). You have characters/supernatural characters here who can shoot fire from their hands, bend swords at will, shoot poison darts while walking up walls, fly through the air, etc. Not that this is a problem for me -- but if reality is important to you, then you might find this a bit hard to stomach.
What might be more hard to stomach is the pacing. Basically, this movie moves at a very fast, convoluted pace. You'll often find yourself wondering what just happened, who is talking, what are they talking about, etc. Fights are dispersed throughout and don't last for very long, and while you are definitely entertained (fights tend to be above average but typical), you also wish you knew what was going on.
What is the plot? Well, you have a swordsman named Lee Wai who kills David Chiang's father at the beginning. Master Lee goes into seclusion, and David Chiang (aka. Disciple of the Sword) trained and now seeks to draw the reclusive Master Wai out by impersonating him. All the while, the Moon Goddess (yes, you read that right) mourns the loss of her lover who Master Lee also killed. And there is the arrogant swordsman The Lonely Winner (Yasuaki Kurata), who is accused of raping a woman and is apparently bored with defeating everyone he fights, so he goes off to find enjoyment elsewhere. As you might guess, the Disciple of the Sword and the Lonely Winner eventually cross paths as they make their way to the Tomb of the Heroes to find and defeat Master Lee. Assorted love interests and fights happen along the way.
The story is okay though you might the ending a bit confusing and abrupt. Can't say too much except that when "the End" appeared, I said "What? That's it?"
As for the picture transfer, this version is obviously a VHS transfer. It is full screen and the picture often suffers for it. You see some VHS pan and scan defects. Some closeups feature people being cut off the screen (including the person talking), which is annoying. Unfortunately, I can't find any other copies of this movie, so until a better version comes along, this will have to do.
Is the movie worth it? Well, it is an interesting curiosity piece with some good fantasy kung fu action. A great cast, too -- too bad they weren't asked to do more and weren't given a better script to work with. As it is, it is an obscure but decent title. Compared to better movies of the genre like "Zu Warriors," it is certainly not higher than a 3, but I've seen worse.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
