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The Magic Blade

1976

Director: Chor Yuen
Action directors: Wong Pau-Gei, Tong Gai
Producer: Runme Shaw
Writers: Ni Kuang, Sze-To On
Cinematography: Huang Cheh
Music: Frankie Chan
Editing: Chiang Hsing-Lung

Stars: Ti Lung, Lo Lieh, Ku Feng, Tang Ching, Ching Li, Lily Li, Fan Mei-Sheng, Chan Shen, Norman Chu, Tanny Tien Ni

Not rated; contains IIB-level violence and nudity

The Magic Blade's story centers around a swordsman for hire named Fu (Ti Lung), who has been hired to take care of Yen (Lo Lieh). It seems Yen's a popular guy, since a group of thugs sent by the evil Master Yu (Tang Ching) also shows up at the same time with Yen's blood on their minds.

Yen manages to convince Fu to help him to kill Yu, which will not be easy, since the only weapon powerful to do so, the Phoenix Dart, is well-guarded. Complicating matters further are a series of five extremely potent assassins sent by Yu, each more powerful than the last.

Okay, yeah, the plot's not going to win any awards, and the acting's nothing special either. Ti Lung in particular looks to be nearly sleepwalking in certain scenes where he really does nothing more than put on his best imitation of Clint Eastwood in a Leone western. And since this is a Shaw Brothers movie, some parts look incredibly cheap -- the Phoenix Dart's "special" power looks like it consists of some smoke bombs and strobe lights.

Magic Blade

What really makes The Magic Blade special are the action scenes. Ti Lung has a gimmick of a spinning blade which is pretty cool in and of itself, but each fight presented here has its' own flavor, whether from the fighter's style, their weapon, or the environment around them. The cinematography and editing are also a little more dynamic and fluid than what you might expect from a movie of this type.

The Magic Blade might not be one of the more well-known Shaw Brothers releases, but if you're looking for some very solid oldschool action infused with a bit of fantasy, then it's right up your alley.

RATING: 7.5

DVD Information

The release from Image Entertainment's "Eastern Masters" line is solid for the most part, with the transfer coming from Celestial's remaster. Of particular note are the extras, which consist of a large amount (nearly three dozen) of original Chinese trailers, which can be played in sequence, rather than having to go back to the menu for each one. If you're a trailer junkie, it almost makes the purchase of this DVD worthwhile just for that, especially given the relatively low price.

The DVD is available from Amazon.

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