Three Heroines (Part 1) (1968)
Reviewed by: ButterflyMurders on 2002-01-14
Ah, golden oldies.

The film starts off with our hero, (a very young) Kenneth Tsang, is saved from an attack by a woman, who leaves behind only a white, embroided handkerchief. Determined to show his appreciation to his saviour Tsang, with an "old man" (actually Suet Nei in disguise) advising him, first journeys to the "Lost Love Mansion", then to the house of another local heroine, played by Lydia Shum (!). Meanwhile, the Skull And Crossbones Cult are creating havoc in the world...

And that's all I can say without writing up a spoiler :)

Like most films of its time, the storyline is relatively simple and straightforward. Some of the props used are marvellous, like the giant skull mural with flashing eyes, and the wonderful spark-shooting skulls embedded in the walls. And a few of the weapons are quite interesting...a giant paintbrush can be used as a killing weapon? Kewl! Compared to more modern films the fight scenes are quite dated and seems to be quite heavily based on Cantonese opera movements, but are still watchable. As for the actors - they didn't have to do much for most part, but Shek Kin was well-suited to his role as the slimy, lecherous villian.

When compared to other films of its era, it probably ranks around the 7+ mark, although I'm loath to rate it mainly because of the generation gap between it and me - this movie harkens back to more innocent times :) The pace is a little slow, and there are a few fast-forwardable parts, but still, not a bad film. Watch it especially if you want to see very young versions of Kenneth Tsang and Lydia Shum!