You are currently displaying Big5
水滸傳之英雄本色 (1993)
All Men Are Brothers - Blood of the Leopard


Reviewed by: STSH
Date: 10/30/2010


Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: j.crawford
Date: 03/23/2008
Summary: comedy action film

Blood of the Leopard is one of a myriad of period wuxia that flooded local cinemas in the early 90's. This is a comedy action film where the comedy is language-based and requires a lifetime of cultural and historical background to understand. The martial arts action scenes are, of course, all kinetic and furiously fast paced. This film is quite similar to Kung Fu Cult Master which came out around the same time. The best reason to see this movie nowadays would be to savor Elvis Tsui Kam-Kong's legendary, award winning performance.

more at happyfortune.org




Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: mrblue
Date: 03/20/2002

Based on a chapter of a popular novel (hence the wordy title), All Men are Brothers tells the story of a righteous general (Tony Leung) who is framed for a crime by a corrupt official. This is fairly standard stuff plot-wise, and the movie meanders about a bit with some comedy that doesn't quite seem to fit, and is outright annoying in some parts. However, the action is quite good, using enough wire work to make things interesting without going too over the top, and the actors do well -- especially Elvis Tsui, who plays Tony's best friend. He puts in a career-best performance (one that garnered him a Best Actor nomination for the Hong Kong Film Awards) and puts All Men are Brothers above the usual wuxia fare. It's not anything mind-blowing, but All Men are Brothers should provide some solid entertainment for fans of the genre.


Reviewed by: Trigger
Date: 11/20/2001
Summary: Pretty Good... Worth a Look.

The Film - 6/10

It was a decent flick - it started off rather slow, but picked up 1/3 of the way through. Elvis Tsui was outstanding in this film - his best work I think. Tony Leung was good too I thought. Lots of flying-fu in this, but it was not as much of the wire kind as it was the trampoline kind and quick cuts. Still it was fun to watch. The male bonding bordered on going beyond "brothers" to being a little bit on the gay side (not that there's anything wrong with that)... I felt they tried a little too hard to illustrate how good of friends these two were.

The Plot - 5/10

It's a period film with flying swordplay. Basically this military general who is honest, loyal and respected meets up with this uncooth monk and they become great friends and constantly fight with each other for fun. They swear brotherhood and then the general guy gets framed and is sentenced to death and the monk comes to the rescue blah blah... it's just good friends vs. evil guys. It's like a buddy-cop film in historical China. Nothing groundbreaking.

The Action - 6.5/10

Decent fights, but nothing too amazing. The beauty of it is that there is so much of it. This film is packed with fighting.

The DVD - 5/10

Colors were well saturated and looked nice. Decent Transfer. Sound was ok. Subtitles were burned-in, but mostly easily readable.

What I Learned -

I learned that two men can love each other and take baths together and it doesn't make them gay. :)

Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy
Date: 10/16/2000
Summary: OK-ish

This is a typical sword fighting movie whos plot......well there ain't too much of one!! It focusses more on Tony Leung and Elvis Tsui, who become brothers, yet are on opposite sides of the law.

The fighting is those extremely long leaps (almost like flying) so if you like that style of movie, you'll like the action in this.

There is also some comedy in this which is quite funny, but Tong Leung playing such a serious characters makes you feel like he goes out of character when he is in those scenes.

i agree with jfierro about Elvis Tsui, who's performance alone makes this worth watching!! I think it's his greatest performance!! He plays a crazy yet loyal monk who keeps talking and talking, even to himself!! Watch out when he asks his horse for advise!!!

Also see a young Lau Ching Wan who plays a minor role in this!!

Overall, it is a average flying sword fighting movie, with a ending which may make you feel unsatisfied. Elvis Tsui makes this movie watching!!

Only because Elvis Tsu is so good in this, i give this more marks than it deserves:

7/10


Reviewed by: meixner
Date: 08/30/2000
Summary: Entertaining and enthusiastic, if rather po faced version of episode from the Water Margin

Lin Chung, Tony Leung, is an extremely devoted and virtous military official in the Sung dynasty, unfortunately his fellows are not as upright. Due to court intrigues he is deprived of all he loves and posseses, and only two of his friends stand by him.

A story of perversely strong loyalty in the face of persecution, this movie is almost a catalogue of degradation. Lin Chung is like the devoted revolutionary sent to the gulag, yet still enthusiastic in his support of the party. A somewhat dull movie with some solid performances and a few good fights.


Reviewed by: jfierro
Date: 12/21/1999

It's hard to tell whether this movie is supposed to be taken seriously. Leung Ka-Fai is so serious and philosophic, you almost think he's parodying other martial arts movies. The action is good, but the movie tries to cover too much of the original story. However, Tsui Kam-Kong is absolutely fantastic as the temperamental monk, and he alone makes the film worth watching.


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

I loved this one. It's based on the same story as Shaw Brothers' "Pursuit." (you may even say its a remake). Tony Leung plays Lin Chung a leader of the troops who befriends a monk Ru Chi-Shen (played by Tsui Kam-Kong) and they become brothers. General Kao's son lusts after and even tries to rape Lin's wife (Joey Wong). Lu Chien and General Kao set up Lin to look like an assassin and then try to execute him on the spot (luckily, the prime minister, played by Wu Ma saves him). On the way to trial, they try to kill him again, but the monk saves him. Lu Chien makes Kao's son kill Lin's wife. Then its all out bloodshed and revenge. This has tons of great fighting and a good plot. I highly recommend this one. It is interesting to watch both this and "Pursuit" and to compare them both. Pursuit is much more sombre, has more mood and less action (still has some good fights). This movie has tons of action, but spends less time building up the characters and the mood. I still highly recommend both. Also, Fan Mei Sheng was great as the lovable, crazy blood thirsty monk Lu Ta in Pursui- Tsui Kam-Kong is also amazing as the monk in All Men are Brothers.

(3/4)



[Reviewed by Adam Scott Pritzker]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

Based on part of the classic story "Shui Hu Chuan" (AKA "All Menare Brothers", "Man of the Marshes", "108 Heroes", or "Blood Brothers" in various English translations.)

[Reviewed by Anonymous]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

A dogmatic general of the Sung Dynasty will not betray his corrupt government to join the bandits of Liang Mountain even after being wrongfully exiled for disloyalty, but when his enemies kill his wife after a botched attempt at rape, he wipes out the armies of his foes.

[Reviewed by Eric Yin]


Reviewed by: spinali
Date: 12/08/1999
Summary: NULL

Rambling saga about Lin Chung (Leung Ka Fai), a loyal general who falls prey to a plot that exiles him and leaves his wife (Joey Wong) dead. But thanks to a good hearted brigand-monk who shouts all the time (Tsui Kam Kong), justice is served and the conspiracy upended. Loads of flying fu, and a sprinkling of martial arts giggles.

(2.5/4)



[Reviewed by Steve Spinali]

Reviewer Score: 6