Customer Reviews

Swordsman

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First of all, this is a TV series that was made in mainland China in 2001 (or 2000). It has 40 episodes. Each DVD release here only contains 5 episodes. So, we have a few releases to go to see all 40 of them.

The main spoken language is Mandarine, not Cantonese, since it wasn't made in Hong Kong. When I watched it on the TV channel, it has Chinese subtitles, but this version only contains English. It goes so fast that I don't know how non-Chinese viewers are going to read it.

The movies "Swordsman" and "Swordsman 2" were adapted from the same source material, but strayed from the book plot quite a bit (I guess for movie adaptation purpose). But this TV series follows the book quite closely. At least I am very happy with it.

The plot from the book is extremely convoluted and complex. If Chinese culture is foreign to you, grab a Chinese friend with you while watching this. He/she can help explain things better. The first 10 episodes are laying foundations for the great story to come. So, be patient and you will be greatly rewarded. There are a few good fights coming after episode 10 that are totally jaw-dropping. Hope they will release them soon.

The production value is quite high, with stunning cinematography. Acting is pretty quite good, at least compared to the older versions I have seen. If you have read the book, you will be happy about this adaptation.

My rating is completely arbitrary and included only so I can post this remark, for reasons explained below: in short, that this page is hopelessly combining two different works.

Okay, there was a 1990 Hong Kong movie with the title "Xiao ao jiang hu"; the English title was Swordsman; it was based on a Louis Cha novel; it spawned two sequels. There appears to have been a 2000 TV series also called "Xiao ao jiang hu," based on the same novel. If the IMDB is to be trusted, the English title (in Singapore, at least) is "The Legendary Swordsman." Okay: Two different adaptations of the same book.

The cover picture, price, and date in the title suggest that this is the TV series; but the list of directors and stars suggests that this is the 1990 film. The various comments and reviews are mostly about the 1990 film. Something has gone terribly wrong here.

For some reason, this movie has always seemed to polarize opinion (when people could actually find a copy-- it's been notoriously hard to find until now). People either love it or hate it. After recently viewing the DVD, I'm leaning toward the former camp.

The plot revolves around various parties attempting to recover a scroll that contains a powerful martial arts technique. It's as simple as that, really, and the complexity of the plot stems from the fact that there isn't always a clear line between the good guys and the bad guys-- with the exception of the aptly-named "Laughing Swordsman," the central character of a series of novels upon which this film was based. And I always considered depth of character to be a GOOD thing in a movie.

All told, there really isn't a lot to distinguish this from a typical (typically solid, that is) Hong Kong actioner. However, the notable feature is that it involved no fewer than four directors. Getting top billing is the legendary King Hu, although the better-known Tsui Hark has made an obvious mark. While too many cooks usually spell disaster for a movie, this feels like a genuinely cooperative effort. Hu's eye for atmosphere, color and photography is apparent, while Hark keeps the action sequences looking dynamic and tense. It adds up, amazingly, to an admirable directorial job.

Another asset of the film is its willingness to be dark. Some of the most memorable Hong Kong films feature villains that are really worthy of the viewer's hatred (The Heroic Trio, for one), and there are some vicious scenes in this film. To me, that added to the overall effect.

No, it's not a slapdash story. No, it isn't the mess it could have been, and no, it isn't non-stop wirework and fake action. Swordsman might not earn itself a place as a genuine classic of Hong Kong cinema, but it's a strong effort that's well worth a look-- not only for its historical pairing of several famous directors (let's not forget Ching Siu Tung), but because it's genuinely entertaining.

I found this by accident but decided to watch it because it sounded good and i am always looking for something to watch. it is a great story and has memorable characters. for anyone who is a fan of historical chinese dramas this is a great one. and because it is a series there is more character development than in most other movies. definatly worth checking out

This is the first in a series of at least 3 movies about warrior clans in China, based on the novels of Jin Yong. This film has the most coherent plot of the three (which is not saying much), and gives a lot of useful background information for Swordsman II.

The second film, however, is by far the best in the series, with Jet Li taking on the lead role. If you want to understand what's going on in Swordsman II, watch this one first (or read Jin Yong's novels). If you just want to get straight to the "essence absorbing stance" and Brigitte Lin blowing people up using sewing needles, you can safely skip this one. It's still an enjoyable movie in its own right, falling somewhere between 3 and 4 stars from my perspective.

I agree with the guy who says the people here are confused. THIS IS NOT A MOVIE! THIS IS A 40 EPISODE SHOW! And each episode is like, 30 minutes long...so you have QUITE a while to watch this. I took most of my summer popping this in and watching it, and let me just say that I was really losing my patience with the series in the beginning. It was bugging me so much: the subtitles would go kinda fast on some random parts, and there was stuff going on that I had no idea about, because I have never read the novel that this is supposedly based on...but I hung out through it...and paid as much close attention as I possibly could. Why? THE VISUALS ARE ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! I don't know where in the heck in china they filmed this movie in, but the locations are gloriously beautiful (pretty much, I can say with confidence, to rival Lord of the Ring's New Zealand). Plus the acting is fantastic, the fight scenes were just incredibly done for such a show (there is a part where the main character has to fight these villians in the rain which is now one of my favorite fight scenes in all the martial art movies I have seen...they show it in the opening, so at the begginning of each episode, you know that there is some good stuff ahead). But for the story, I didn't realize that it was such an ENORMOUS epic. I mean, not until I got to episode 20 or 25 was I used to the characters already, AND I was beginning to understand that there are like, 3 clans or something, who is in what clan, and what was going on. All of the characters have their own stories, and it flows smoothly together right at the end...which...the ending, I must say, was just plain awesome.

This is now one of my most favorite chinese shows, and now at this moment has me looking for more. I hope more people are able to enjoy this hidden gem, because beyond the subtitles, and the enormous storyline that is easy to lose you if you are not paying close attention, it really is a fantastic experience.

And before I forget, the opening is great too. I really wish I could find a soundtrack for the songs. See if you can look up this show's opening somewhere, that way you will get some inkling on what the show is like!

5 stars = duty I like it! I love it! NO doubt!! This is the GRATEST action movie!!! The story, the action, the music...everything GREAT! I'm sorry...I'don't need American action movies anymore. I can't explain why this is so good. At first WATCH IT!!!! Thank you Great creators, actors and actress!!!!

Note to Tai Seng - maybe you wouldn't have to put your "REPORT ALL BOOTLEGGERS" notice on all of your videos if you could actually perform a decent video transfer that actually keeps all the subtitles on the screen. Maybe then people wouldn't be clamoring to buy bootlegged copies of laser disks and the work of people sitting in movie theaters with camcorders.

This is the Worst and I mean the WORST example of video transfer coming out of Tai Seng video. They should hang their heads in shame, but they aren't doing that because they know that you aren't going to get Hong Kong movies anywhere else. So you suffer through this billage. The screen is murky, the colors are not sharp, you can't make out the faces, a scope movie is made into pan and scan, and THE SUBTITLES GET LOST. I know that there is a real clamoring for hearing the language, but I want to know what they are saying. This would be great if I was taking a Cantonese class, but since I am NOT trying to learn Cantonese (I'm having enough trouble with Hebrew, thank you) I just want to read the subtitles every so often. It's even worse than you think since the subtitles inevitably come on for that Hero of Heroes song that just won't stop being played. EVER.

Ok, the movie itself.

It's not bad. It's not great, but it's ok. A drunken swordsman who can't stop playing that same stupid song over and over again. There is a eunuch trying to find Secret Scrolls and a lot of flying sword fights. Really a fun little movie, but it doesn't measure up to the sequel. But then again the sequel had Brigitte Lin and Jet Li and some one actually did something with those scrolls.

So if they ever remaster this movie (or if it is playing at your local Hong Kong movie festival), consider this to be a three star review or even a four star one. But as it stands now, it's a very very irritating video transfer and I would personally recommend buying the bootleg made by the guy with the camcorder over this version, just because Tai Seng deserves the grief.

Reviewers seem to be reviewing the two Swordsman movies based on the same material as was laughing in the Wind. The movies were horrible by comparison. I was totally hooked on this series after the first episode and am so happy to have experienced the whole amazing series. I have seen Legend of Condor Heroes (1983)(59 very good episodes),two versions of the Return of the Condor Heroes (40 episodes each. The one from the '80's much better), Fov Volant of Snowy Mountain (40 episodes very good), but Laughing in the Wind to me is as good as it gets. I whole-heartedly recommend this series, however make sure you can watch all 40 episodes--the last 10 episodes are extremely hard to find with English subtitles. There is a Korean release of all 40 episodes titled Swordsman. If you can find it, buy it. It will be worth every penny.

I had very high expectations from this movie. First its the reason why I signed up to amazon, couldnt find Swordsman I anywhere after falling in love with Swordsman II. Plus Iv'read all the feedback in here and people are saying things like "action every 15 minutes" hmmm... maybe quantity is good, but quality is much better. Anyway, not enough swordsfight, and when one happens its too short.

Like another viewer says, this movie helps u understand SwordsmanII better, might be the only valuable reason to see it.. and i miss jet Li :(