It's perhaps ironic that I watched this film on 'Children In Need' day; after the insane opening credits we are informed that this film is dedicated to children. Indeed 'Demon Of The Lute' shares the same predilection towards making famous faces embarrass themselves for a cause as 'Children In Need' does. But whereas the annual charity event throws up weathermen doing routines from 'The Full Monty', 'Demon Of The Lute' gives us Lee Hoi San with a big red afro (that gives him special powers), a hero with a gigantic pair of golden scissors, a impish young star with one of the most shrill dubbed voice in history, a fight between a hero and an Alsatian drawn carriage (and I do mean the canine variety), dolls emitting fireworks that warn of danger, villains with extending beards and appendages... the list of madness goes on and on. It seems that only kids subjected to constant mental abuse by the array of loud, in-your-face shows of 'Cartoon Network' and 'Nickelodeon' are likely to escape a viewing of this unharmed.

Hidden deep within the bowels of this infernal locomotive is some half decent action. A few moments are wildly inventive, showing exactly the kind of imagination and vigour that put Hong Kong cinema firmly on the map. These scenes, though, are sunk beneath a barrage of quickly cut fantasmagoria that pulsates from the television like an atomic blast. Even the scenes of dialogue seem to take place at a hastened pace; words are spurted out, answers lashed back, then characters arise with an undercranked spring in their step. All of this amounts to a confusing, exhausting, overwhelming 100 minutes of mayhem.

Mainstream Hong Kong cinema has often embraced the bizarre and the baffling, but 'Demon Of The Lute' may be a step too far for many. An all star cast makes matters more bearable as do some colourful moments of inspiration, yet this is a film that very obviously came near the end of the great Shaw Brothers' period. If all that was needed for an entertaining production was a band of familiar faces overacting for the entertainment of children, this would be a near masterpiece. Most will want a bit more than that to be impressed.

Some movies try to inform. Others try to innovate. Most at least try to entertain. Then there are a very small number of movies that detonate from the first reel with a ceaseless barrage of unrestrained absurdity that floors the viewer with a 10-megaton palm blast to the senses. DEMON OF THE LUTE fits the bill as a fantasy wuxia pian created to end all fantasy wuxia pian with distinctive chi-powered fighters battling like Super Saiyan gods as driving guitar and synth rock erupts amid a steady stream of eye-catching visual effects and stunt work.

It is as if martial artist and first-time writer-director Dang Tak-cheung had unloaded every idea he had ever absorbed or conceived of in over 12 years of stunt work, acting and action directing in over 50 Shaw Brothers classics beginning with RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN in 1969. There is never a dull moment as MR. VAMPIRE star Chin Siu-ho and leading martial arts actress Kara Hui headline an eclectic cast of talented performers in a family-friendly (by PG-13 standards) update to the classical Chinese fantasy genre.

The story unfolds like a twisted children’s fable, as if Terry Gilliam had directed a Hong Kong movie. The plot itself is standard genre material, but its presentation and the energetic cast performances keep it very lively.

Kara Hui is Feng Ling, an animal-loving sword heroine wielding the power of fiery balls, spider’s silk and a remotely-controlled Rainbow Flying Sword. She is sent by her master (Kwan Feng) to put a stop to a would-be jiang hu conqueror known only as “Demon of the Lute.” This villain has threatened the entire martial world ever since he got his hands on a rare lute strung from the ligaments of six pre-historic monsters, with its body reinforced with steel and capable of making music to put the smackdown on even the greatest of kung fu masters. Ling’s best hopes rests in locating a “fiery bow and arrow,” the only weapons capable of destroying the lute, and secure the help of a top kung fu expert to battle the demon.

Along the way Ling befriends an odd assortment of quirky martial heroes who come to her aid. First there is Venoms star Philip Kwok as The Thief, a three-armed Robin Hood character who is thoroughly upstaged by his young onscreen son Xiao Ding-dong (Kei Gwong-hung). He’s a fearless, pint-sized bundle of destruction who plays a critical role in saving the day despite his small stature and lesser skills. His special attack is the “Ding Dong Flying Kick.” This child actor is fantastic, especially when he has to play drunk after he winds up downing some wine.

Ling also enlists the aid Yuan Fei (Chin Siu-ho), a wild young man with a facial birth mark, weaned on agility-enhancing stalactite drippings and raised alone in a cave with only a skeleton, instructional kung fu hieroglyphs on the walls and a mutt to keep him company. Although quite able, it takes the strength-enhancing and meridian point-clearing powers of Skinny Elf (To Wai-wo) and Fatty Elf (Chiang Kam) to unlock his true potential. Yuan Fei doesn’t have a special attack, but gets to wield the powerful (and phallic) Elf King Sword that feeds on his inner strength to extend in length.

Acrobatic stunt actor and successful action director Yuen Tak (THE MYTH) also threatens to steal the show as Old Naughty, Feng Ling’s perpetually drunken brother with a mass of white hair who rides around on a horse that trots backwards. He’s a Monkey King-like trickster wielding oversized Golden Scissors.

The heroes may be strange, but the villains are stranger. Harkening back to the earliest days of Chinese cinema is the Eagle Man (Ngai Tim-choi), a soaring birdman looking something like DC Comics’ Hawkman. His fellow henchmen include the gender-bending Hermaphrodite, the Viking-like Demon of Horn and The Long Limb Evil, whose arms stretch out like Mr. Fantastic to deliver punishing blows from a great range.

The main threat Feng Ling and her friends face is the Demon of the Lute himself, along with his masked bodyguards. The Demon is also masked initially. He’s a killer baddie, definitely rock star potential born to front a band like Spinal Tap. He ends up in a titanic clash of spinning mayhem with the Woodcutter (Lung Tien-hsiang), his old nemesis and a reluctant ally to Feng Ling. The Demon’s use of the lute as a weapon should be familiar. Yuen Wo-ping worked with the same idea in KUNG FU HUSTLE when he crafted the memorable CGI-infested fight featuring two harpists.

First prize in this pageant of kung fu clowns goes to Lee Hoi-sang for his turn as the Red-Haired Evil. He has the best kung fu around. Balding viewers everywhere will be tossing away their Rogaine in favor of learning his secret to rapid hair growth as he transforms into a Super Saiyan with red troll doll hair. This power allows him to wield a flying axe the size of an economy car. Genius.

DEMON OF THE LUTE is a brilliant live-action cartoon that will keep you amused from start to finish and possibly left bewildered. It could easily be compared to a lot of fast-moving action anime and some of Japan’s more bizarre fantasy movies such as Takashi Miike’s THE GREAT YOKAI WAR (2005). What sets it apart is the high-caliber wirework and acrobatic stunts that are unique to Hong Kong. Live-action effects that turn a horse cart, an enormous silver orb and multiple weapons into bouncing, twirling and zooming objects of ruination hold up very well by today’s standards. Limited animated visual effects and a cheaply animated opening credits sequence are quaint at best, but do have a certain style of their own, like any medium. With the added visual flair of Shaw Brothers’ house art direction, the film looks a lot more vibrant than most of the early ‘90s wirework films such as KUNG FU CULT MASTER.

Dang Tak-cheung only wrote and helmed one other movie, LONG ROAD TO GALLANTRY, where many of the cast members from DEMON including Kara Hui returned. It’s too bad he didn’t have more opportunities to direct. With this film he not only shows a mastery of the most elaborate wuxia and fantasy action, but also displays an interest in trying new things like casting a young child as a prominent kung fu hero. The film itself is shot with kids in mind, hence the opening dedication to children, the many animals featured, and cartoon action and visuals designed to hold the viewer’s attention indefinitely. This idea of making martial arts movies from a kid’s perspective has rarely been exploited as successfully until films like SHAOLIN POPEY and MY FATHER IS A HERO came along a few years later. While talented young wushu performers were featured, all of the characters in those martial arts movies pale in comparison to the mighty Xiao Ding-dong and his Flying Kick!