venoms5
12-24-2007, 01:19 PM
THE WINGED TIGER 1969 Act. ***1/2 /Blood ***/ Movie ****
Chen Hung-lieh(Guo Jiou Ru), Angela Yu Chien (Cai Fa), Tien Feng (King of Hades), Cheng Lei (Winged Tiger Deng Fei), Paul Wei (You Ming), David Chiang (Jade Face Bai Yun Sheng)
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The chief of Hua Shan and the leaders of Eight Schools sends famed martial artist, Guo Jiou Ru to locate a coveted manual written by the late King of the Martial World. Split into two parts, the manual details skills to turn the practitioner into a supreme fighter. The Yin family possesses one of the books while the villainous Winged Tiger, Deng Fei has the other. In a bid to secure the manuals for himself, the King of Hades sets up his sister to marry Deng Fei. Guo, with his proficiency in ventriloquism and comparable skills to Deng Fei, is to impersonate him and infiltrate the Yin household to steal away the other manual. Much intrigue and double crosses ensue leading up to an exciting finale inside the Yin Forest.
A really well directed and enjoyable Wu Xia mystery movie. Director Shen Chiang was definitely a talented director. Some wonderful twists and turns populate the film and the subterfuge and deceptive tendencies aren't as overwhelming as you would often see in other Wu Xia movies particularly those of Chu Yuan
where you sometimes would get two or three treacheries revealed in the same scene. Here, such devices compliment the film, not overwhelm it. Shen Chiang directed the excellent Wu Xia movie THE RESCUE (1971). A film that had light touches of humor and dollops of gore as well as a rare big role for Bolo Yueng. Shen also directed the average SWORDSWOMEN THREE (1970). A passable sword picture with a good story and a very violent ending.
The lead in WINGED TIGER (1969), Chen Hung is an unusual choice for the lead hero considering his usual bad guy roles so while watching this movie I was expecting him to feign his heroic intentions later in the film but it doesn't happen. He doesn't look the part at all but handles himself well enough. He employs his ventriloquism to great effect in a superbly crafty scene designed to turn the tables on those who wish him harm. His identity is constantly questioned and things heat up a great deal once two corpses turn up both believed to be that of the real Winged Tiger and his sidekick the Soul Sucking Kid.
With each plan the villains come up with Guo seems to have a counter for them although he slips up once resulting in his capture and near death. His charms once again allay his death a second time when he sweet talks the beautiful Yin Cai Fa to not reveal his location temporarily until his wounds heal. After making her believe he loves her after making love, Guo uses Cai Fa's emotions to obtain the manuals but by the end, his ploy becomes real when she helps him a THIRD time after Guo is caught inside a cave replete with a trap that supposedly conceals the martial arts books within a large urn.
Tien Feng again doesn't disappoint as the villain, Master Yin, the King of Hades. Feng sometimes played good guys like ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967) or 12 DEADLY COINS (1968) but he excels in bad guy roles with THE SWORD OF SWORDS (1969) being probably his most supreme and veritable villain performance. The most outrageous role I've seen him in is the gore drenched excess of OATH OF DEATH (1971), a film that would be remade two years later in a much more polished and amazingly, far less violent form from Chang Cheh as THE BLOOD BROTHERS (1973).
The stunning beauty of Angela Yu Chien is on hand as the ill fated love interest for Guo who, despite being deceived on numerous occasions by him, is torn between her feelings for him and following the orders of her evil brother. There is a brief nude shot in the film but I'm sure it's not Yu Chien but a body double. she gets to fight a bit during the finale in the forest.
David Chiang has an unusual villain role here as one of the Three Officers, Bai Yun Sheng. He doesn't get to show off much but he is seen throughout the film plotting with the other rogues on what to do with Guo once he's proven to be an imposter. Chiang also got to play an imposter in Pao Hsu Lieh's film THE IMPOSTER (1975) where he uses various disguises to nail Chen Kuan Tai, a thuggish police captain. Chiang does nothing in WINGED TIGER (1969) that is overly memorable and I assume he did this before he appeared in INVINCIBLE FIST (1969).
Muscular actor Cheng Lei was a regular in Chang Cheh's movies like his star turn alongside Jimmy Wang Yu and Lo Lieh in THE MAGNIFICENT TRIO (1966). He seldom survived to the end in his films and can be seen in supporting roles like THE ASSASSIN (1967), THE ANONYMOUS HEROES (1969), HEROIC ONES (1970) and THE
DEADLY DUO (1971). Here, Cheng plays the Winged Tiger and at the beginning until he is intercepted by Guo. His sidekick, the Soul Sucking Kid appears for all the world like a very young Wang Li. The resemblance is striking. I don't know if it is in fact him or not but his role is brief as is Cheng Lei's and both exit the film at the same time.
A well crafted Wu Xia film with a large smattering of intrigue and twists laced with fights. Although the wirework is hit and miss, the time period must be taken into consideration. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Recommended for any swordplay fan.
Chen Hung-lieh(Guo Jiou Ru), Angela Yu Chien (Cai Fa), Tien Feng (King of Hades), Cheng Lei (Winged Tiger Deng Fei), Paul Wei (You Ming), David Chiang (Jade Face Bai Yun Sheng)
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The chief of Hua Shan and the leaders of Eight Schools sends famed martial artist, Guo Jiou Ru to locate a coveted manual written by the late King of the Martial World. Split into two parts, the manual details skills to turn the practitioner into a supreme fighter. The Yin family possesses one of the books while the villainous Winged Tiger, Deng Fei has the other. In a bid to secure the manuals for himself, the King of Hades sets up his sister to marry Deng Fei. Guo, with his proficiency in ventriloquism and comparable skills to Deng Fei, is to impersonate him and infiltrate the Yin household to steal away the other manual. Much intrigue and double crosses ensue leading up to an exciting finale inside the Yin Forest.
A really well directed and enjoyable Wu Xia mystery movie. Director Shen Chiang was definitely a talented director. Some wonderful twists and turns populate the film and the subterfuge and deceptive tendencies aren't as overwhelming as you would often see in other Wu Xia movies particularly those of Chu Yuan
where you sometimes would get two or three treacheries revealed in the same scene. Here, such devices compliment the film, not overwhelm it. Shen Chiang directed the excellent Wu Xia movie THE RESCUE (1971). A film that had light touches of humor and dollops of gore as well as a rare big role for Bolo Yueng. Shen also directed the average SWORDSWOMEN THREE (1970). A passable sword picture with a good story and a very violent ending.
The lead in WINGED TIGER (1969), Chen Hung is an unusual choice for the lead hero considering his usual bad guy roles so while watching this movie I was expecting him to feign his heroic intentions later in the film but it doesn't happen. He doesn't look the part at all but handles himself well enough. He employs his ventriloquism to great effect in a superbly crafty scene designed to turn the tables on those who wish him harm. His identity is constantly questioned and things heat up a great deal once two corpses turn up both believed to be that of the real Winged Tiger and his sidekick the Soul Sucking Kid.
With each plan the villains come up with Guo seems to have a counter for them although he slips up once resulting in his capture and near death. His charms once again allay his death a second time when he sweet talks the beautiful Yin Cai Fa to not reveal his location temporarily until his wounds heal. After making her believe he loves her after making love, Guo uses Cai Fa's emotions to obtain the manuals but by the end, his ploy becomes real when she helps him a THIRD time after Guo is caught inside a cave replete with a trap that supposedly conceals the martial arts books within a large urn.
Tien Feng again doesn't disappoint as the villain, Master Yin, the King of Hades. Feng sometimes played good guys like ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967) or 12 DEADLY COINS (1968) but he excels in bad guy roles with THE SWORD OF SWORDS (1969) being probably his most supreme and veritable villain performance. The most outrageous role I've seen him in is the gore drenched excess of OATH OF DEATH (1971), a film that would be remade two years later in a much more polished and amazingly, far less violent form from Chang Cheh as THE BLOOD BROTHERS (1973).
The stunning beauty of Angela Yu Chien is on hand as the ill fated love interest for Guo who, despite being deceived on numerous occasions by him, is torn between her feelings for him and following the orders of her evil brother. There is a brief nude shot in the film but I'm sure it's not Yu Chien but a body double. she gets to fight a bit during the finale in the forest.
David Chiang has an unusual villain role here as one of the Three Officers, Bai Yun Sheng. He doesn't get to show off much but he is seen throughout the film plotting with the other rogues on what to do with Guo once he's proven to be an imposter. Chiang also got to play an imposter in Pao Hsu Lieh's film THE IMPOSTER (1975) where he uses various disguises to nail Chen Kuan Tai, a thuggish police captain. Chiang does nothing in WINGED TIGER (1969) that is overly memorable and I assume he did this before he appeared in INVINCIBLE FIST (1969).
Muscular actor Cheng Lei was a regular in Chang Cheh's movies like his star turn alongside Jimmy Wang Yu and Lo Lieh in THE MAGNIFICENT TRIO (1966). He seldom survived to the end in his films and can be seen in supporting roles like THE ASSASSIN (1967), THE ANONYMOUS HEROES (1969), HEROIC ONES (1970) and THE
DEADLY DUO (1971). Here, Cheng plays the Winged Tiger and at the beginning until he is intercepted by Guo. His sidekick, the Soul Sucking Kid appears for all the world like a very young Wang Li. The resemblance is striking. I don't know if it is in fact him or not but his role is brief as is Cheng Lei's and both exit the film at the same time.
A well crafted Wu Xia film with a large smattering of intrigue and twists laced with fights. Although the wirework is hit and miss, the time period must be taken into consideration. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Recommended for any swordplay fan.