Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 07/24/2023 A CITY CALLED DRAGON seems to have been another Union Films production designed to keep the staff busy/fed whilst King Hu worked on A TOUCH OF ZEN. This time his AD steps up to direct yet another tale of patriotic rebels resisting Manchurian invaders. This is perhaps the only other film from the studio that stands comparison with King Hu's, being well plotted and well-filmed. The camera work is impressive, bordering on avant-garde at times, and Hsu Feng is a commanding presence. It's one of Shih Jun's better roles, even though he is not in it all that much. It's not an action-heavy film, but when action does break out it kind of pops, with some esoteric editing and impressionistic camera work it presages some of the more fantastical action of later decades, though in a very rough form. The film can be watched for free on TaiwanPlus but the subtitles are badly out of sync. Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: Bruce Date: 06/01/2009 Summary: Arty Taiwanese martial arts film starring Hsu Feng. This was a generally excellent film, with a strong story, inventive camerawork, and solid direction. For fans of Hsu Feng, this film is required viewing, as it was her first major role, and perhaps her biggest role in a martial arts film. Until the film's climactic battle, she is the lone heroic figure in the film, fighting alone inside the walls of a hostile city. Unfortunately, the martial arts scenes are weak (with the final battle particularly unsatisfactory, in small part because the villain's weapon is so ludicrous). But despite the film's flaws, it stands artistically far above most of the Taiwanese martial arts films of the late 1960's, and is very enjoyable. Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: STSH Date: 08/09/2003 Summary: Good direction but ...... Good direction still seemed to matter in the late 60s and even into the early 70s in Taiwan and HK. The camerawork is very good here, apart from being much too dark in places. The intercutting of viewpoint changes, the sound design and the acting all work together in a very professional manner which is noticeably lacking in movies made later. Hsu Feng is young and very pretty here, and she heads a very good cast. Unfortunately, the mixture of these great ingredients just doesn't work. Twnety minutes in, I found myself not caring about any of the characters, including Hsu Feng, despite being in obvious peril. Pity. Reviewer Score: 1