Here'a a film that relies WAY too much on fantasy magic, tricks, wire/flying, and lacks real action. Having seen what Du Lu Jun is capable of producing in the Bastard Swordsman and Holy Flame of the Martial World, Demon of the Lute is a disappointment. Surprisingly, its box office figures is one of Shaw Brothers' strongest I've seen. But the content really lacks quality. Not even Chin Siu Ho spends 1 minute performing kung fu, and Hui Ying Hong is obviously just a "pretty girl" here. And the plot, it's not that good either. In fact, hardly any part of the story made logical sense. It's a typical "Whatever the director wants it to happen" plot, and hardly any supporting elements are present. See it and you'll see exactly what I mean.

On another note, this movie has the same title as Deadful Melody (1994), which stars Brigitte Lin and Yuen Biao. I do not hesitate one second to decide for myself that Deadful Melody is 100 times superior than Demon of the Lute. Having watched both films, and keep in mind that they both have the same title, I am getting the feeling that they are not adapted from the same novel. There's not one character from one film who is present in the other, and the stories are just totally different. Nevertheless, it's interesting to see both.

[6/10]