Movielogr
Legendary Weapons of China (1982)
Directed by Liu Chia-Liang
Twitter Facebook Google+Most recently watched by sensoria
Overview
Legendary Weapons of China is a martial arts fantasy film taking place during the late Qing Dynasty when Empress Dowager Cixi dispatches her agents to various factions of the Boxer Rebellion in order find supernatural martial artists that are invulnerable to western bullets. When one of the leaders of these groups disbands his forces, assassins from the remaining factions are sent out to kill him.
Length 101 minutes
Actors
Liu Chia-Liang | Hsiao Ho | Alexander Fu Sheng | Kara Hui | Gordon Liu Chia-Hui | Lau Kar-Wing | Chu Tit-Wo | Wong Ching-Ho | King Lee King-Chue | Lam Hak-Ming | Cheung Chok-Chow | Wang Han-Chen | Mak Wai-Cheung | Jackson Ng | Cheung Kwok-Wah | Lui Tat | Tony Tam Chun-To | Steve Mak Fei-Hung | Ho Kei-Cheong | Liu Hok-Ming | Sai Gwa-Pau | Yeung Wah | Ng Kit-Keung | Ming Fung | Chang Seng-Kwong | Lau Cheun | Gam Tin-Chue | Chan Ming-Wai | Man Ngai-Tik | Leung Sam | Ying Tan | Chan Kwok-Keung | Stephen Chan Yung
Viewing History (seen 2 times)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/15/2021 | TV | Streaming | Video on Demand | 7.5 stars |
| 07/02/2013 | TV | DVD | Rented | 7.5 stars |
| (Average) 7.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
Lau Kar-Leung recently passed (June 25, 2013) and in the many tributes to this legend of Chinese cinema I realized that I still had not seen this film. I immediately bumped to the top and viewed when it arrived. It has all the style and finesse in addition to the convoluted plot you’d expect.
Basically there are various factions searching for a deserter of the Boxer Gang, Liu Gung, a master of the 18 Legendary Weapons. These factions include the spiritual boxer Gordon Liu, the Maoshan Clan, and the magic fighters. The first half is a little slow with a few bursts of action and more comedy. But the second half is one sequence after another until the ultimate showdown in which nearly all Legendary Weapons are used.
Then it simply ends abruptly. Weird. Wouldn’t consider this an ultimate classic but definitely has some amazing choreographed fighting. Also having Kara Hui as one of the primary leads gets an automatic ratings bump. She is so terrific.
11 years ago
That abrupt ending style repeats itself over and over again once you start delving into the Shaw Brothers catalog. Makes me laugh every time too.
11 years ago
yeah I recall the same reaction viewing other Shaw films but it always surprises me each time. So weird.
11 years ago
I actually laugh out loud every time because it still takes me by surprise.