| Lau Kar Leung's debuted as director at Shaw's with this mixture of comedy, martial arts and spirit boxing. The Spiritual Boxer therefore pre-dates acclaimed efforts such as Snake In The Eagle's Shadow and Encounters Of The Spooky Kind. I truly wish I could say Lau had the full upper hand on both those, in particular Sammo's classic, but The Spiritual Boxer doesn't outdo its opening reel. That features Wilson Tong, Ti Lung and Chen Kuan-Tai demonstrating spirit boxing but when we're subsequently introduced to the con artist Wong Yue plays, it's quickly apparent that he's not cut out for a lead, or even comic lead. Here's what a strong figure alongside Wong would've helped but Lau rejects that notion early when exiting Chiang Yang from the picture. So what's left is thankfully not a broad comedy but uneven due to Wong Yue flying solo.
Admittedly director Lau effectively does toy with the audiences minds that Wong Yue's Siu have come to adopt the powers of spirit boxing in his various con scenarios and really, anything with Lau's hand on it AND produced at Shaw's should come with some entertainment. The Spiritual Boxer does but after waiting many years to see it, a sense of disappointment is hard to hide. This is where it started for Lau Kar Leung the director though, something you'd want to be there for.
Lau's action is rather sparse and there in sporadic bursts but before the finale, enough glimpses of entertaining and intricate martial arts are on display to breathe life into the picture. The finale, while not up to the levels of subsequent works of Lau's, is still a joy to watch for his expert skill as a choreographer. As always, Shaw's populated their movies with then known and later known faces, in this case Lin Chen-Chi (Dangerous Encounter - 1st Kind) Tin Ching, Fung Hark-On, Lee Hoi-Sang, Eric Tsang and Lau Kar Leung himself, who steals the movie during his brief stunt as a village fighter. |
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