| Can't sit through four volumes of "Brave Archer"? Do you fall asleep whenever you try to watch another Shaw Brothers movie? Maybe you need to watch "Trilogy Of Swordsmanship".
Three separate stories make up this release. Chang Cheh is credited as the director or co-director of each feature, although the last seems to bear his style the most. Each story is between 30 and 40 minutes. Surely you can spare that much time to watch some entertaining fare?
The first story is reminiscent of "The Odyssey": a young girl can only be wed by the man who is strong enough to draw the bow and shoot an arrow that belonged to her dead father. A spoiled noble tries to win her affections, but is disrupted by a wandering stranger.
The second story is a cool love triangle featuring Lo Lieh as a bandit who hides his affections for a girl. With a price on his head, does their relationship stand a chance? Watch and find out!
The third story is your basic martial arts world throwdown featuring some unusual weapons, like the bell-and-rope net. Chang Cheh? You bet! The most fighting scenes of the three. It also features the dynamic duo of Ti Lung and David Chang.
Some real good vintage Shaw acting and action vehicles in small enjoyable portions. About the worst I can say is that the title might be a bit misleading: I don't recall a lot of scenes involving swords. Bows, spears, sticks and nets are mixed in with the odd sword. Recommended. |