Swordsman II

(Xiao ao jian hu zhi dong fang bu bai)
Ching Siu-Tung, Hong Kong, 1991
3.5 out of 4 stars

Wow! Already, from the first scene, it was clear that the sequel was an immense improvement over the original. Even so, it seemed for much of the film that it was mostly an entertaining but jumbled affair. It’s almost shocking, then, to see the whole thing come together at the end with astonishing force and poignancy, as you realize what all the entanglements have been leading up to.

This film would seem like less of a mess at first if they had jettisoned much of the confusing politics involving Japanese forces, which doesn’t really seem to add to the story and makes it more difficult to figure out who’s who. Everything that’s important has to do with the intricate relationships between the hero, played by Jet Li with a level of both comedy and drama that is surprising considering many of his later, somber/bland roles, the two women in his life, and… a hermaphrodite! You really have to see it to believe it. No one comes away clean or completely admirable with regards to this gender-bending plotline, but the results are fascinating, and the filmmakers go farther with it than you would really expect even for most films today.

As for the action, well it’s still very superhero-ish, much as it was in the first one. In that film, I objected to the supernatural foolishness and hoped for some combat where people would actually hit each other. Surprisingly, however, I enjoyed the same kind of outlandish fights here, which seems to suggest that it wasn’t the concept so much as the execution that I objected to in the previous film. When it comes down to it, I’m really surprised that I can recommend this film so heartily (with the caveat that I can’t guarantee you’ll respond to it the same way).

Source: Tai Seng DVD
16 April, 8:23 PM