If you’re looking for fast-paced or stylish swordplay action you won’t find it in BEAUTIFUL SWORDSWOMAN. What you will find is a routine, familial revenger with tidy, yet simple choreography, heavy dependence on thrown and short, bladed weapons for dispatching foes in a ludicrous manner, and a slow-moving dramatic tale with an easily-decipherable twist.

The title lives up to its name. Actress Wong Ling is indeed beautiful, as is her co-star Kong Ching-ha, a gal till now I’ve only seen in small matriarchal roles in genre pics throughout the 1970s. Ling hasn’t appeared in much since this film, although she did appear with Sammo Hung in the classic kung fu comedy FILTHY GUY. These two women make a fine fighting pair, not so much because of any great screen fighting skills, but because the camera, which is handled very well, loves them. They always hit their marks, strike the best poses and look attractive whether dressed in gowns, sturdy fighting garb, unconvincing male attire, or even as dirty beggars. I wish the plot they inhabit was as appealing.

Trouble starts from the get go when Yuan-yuan (Ling) and her guardian the Governess (Kong) go around assassinating various people for seemingly no reason. Gradually, it becomes apparent that Yuan-yuan is killing martial brothers to her father Shiah Jeou-wei (Ma Kei) at the request of her secret martial arts instructor, whom she owes loyalty to. Yuan-yuan is leading a double life, playing the dutiful daughter opening and quietly killing through disguise and subterfuge for reasons she doesn’t really know.

It takes a while, but finally the Governess drops the big revelation through a mammoth flashback sequence in response to Yuan-yuan’s dismay after being instructed to murder her own father. Her response to this news predictably leads to more bloodshed, but even a greater level of hammy, angst-filled drama full of laboriously drawn out death scenes and drippy dialogue repeated over and over again by multiple actors.

Veteran genre star Ma Kei gives the best acting performance as Yuan-yuan’s father. He’s is one of those dependable character actors like Shaw Brothers contract player Ku Feng, who manage to improve just about any movie they appear in. BEAUTIFUL SWORDSWOMAN can use all the help it can get.

Big chunks of this movie are laughable. Starting with the action, many of the kills are way over-the-top and neither of the two lead actresses possesses even remotely convincing screen fighting skills to sell them. There is no power or panache in their movements, although I do credit them for displaying clear and relatively efficient killing strokes. Even when mediocre, this older, more natural style of choreography is a welcome retreat from the clich

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