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紅粉動江湖 (1981)
Ambitious Kung Fu Girl


Reviewed by: kiliansabre
Date: 08/18/2007
Summary: An Ambitious Kung Fu Film

Though our lead, Tian Se Se (Michelle Lai), is certainly ambitious, her kung fu isn't quite up to par thanks to her rich father hiring challengers to lose to her in fights. Not wanting to be stuck in the arranged marraige to the presumedly ugly and unvalourous Yang Fang (Yuen Tak), Tian Se Se sets out to find her idol Qin Ge (Chen Kuan-Tai) who she hopes to marry as he empitomizes a perfect hero, and better yet a perfect man. When she finds herself sold to a whore house, her father puts out a reward for her return which attracts all sorts of trouble. Will Tian Se Se escape the mess she's found herself in? Will she find her idol and a perfect husband? The several levels of plot that run though this movie keep the story fresh and interesting as it progresses, and the humor and fight scenes make this an overlooked classic. There are no goofy and anoying characters, and the humor while never taking itself too seriously, is certainly not the goofy slapstick that litters much of the productions from this era. The fight scenes are interesting and well thought out, there is some use of wire work, but this certainly isn't a wire-fu movie. Wires are used in ways that actually compliment the fights instead of detracting from them. Some great cinematography and editing definately doesn't hurt either. If you're a fan of some of Lui-Chia Liang's entries such as Dirty Ho, My Young Auntie, and Lady is Boss this should be right up your alley. It has the same sort of feel as those films with a brand of humor that perhaps was perhaps the inspiration for (as Mr. Booth mentioned) Stephen Chow. One scene in particular in the brothel feels an awful lot like a similar scene in Forbidden City Cop. Definately a standout film for Tony Lui Jun-Guk and a worthy addition to the Shaw Brothers legacy.

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: MrBooth
Date: 01/24/2006
Summary: 9/10 - a minor revelation

With a great Gu Long story turned into a script that's genuinely very funny, this parody wu xia feels almost like a Stephen Chow film. The excellent fight choreography is just icing on the cake!

Michelle Mei Suet plays the spoilt daughter of the richest man in the land, who dreams of marrying the great hero Qin Ge - and certainly not the unfamous young swordsman she's betrothed to (Yuen Tak). She runs away to find her idol, but quickly gets caught in a web of intrigue whose unravelling contains all the twists you'd expect from Gu Long, but delivered in a much more satirical manner than any other adaptation from this era that I can think of.

The action is quite progressive, featuring lots of wires and some imaginative choreography. What really stands out is the humour though, being quite smart and subtle compared to most of the kung fu comedies of the day. The film is highly entertaining from start to end. A minor revelation in fact!

Reviewer Score: 9