Swordsman II (1992)
[dir: Ching Siu-Tung; prod: Tsui Hark; writer: Hanson Chan, Yong Jin (novel), Pik-yin Tang, Tsui Hark]
Cast: Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia, Jet Li Lian-Jie, Rosamund Kwan Chi-Lam, Michelle Reis, Fennie Yuen Kit-Ying, Yang Yee-Kwan, Waise Lee Chi-Hung, Chin Kar-Lok, Lau Shun
Running Time: 110 Min
Plot: With an entirely new set of actors, this movie continues the story from Swordsman (1990). Jet Li plays Ling, a student from the Blue Mountain school of martial arts, who, along with fellow students and Kiddo, find themselves embroiled in a country-wide political/clan war with the Highlander clan in the forefront of the battle. The plot takes a twist as Jet finds himself attracted to the leader of the Highlander clan, known as Invincible Asia, who possesses supernatural power bestowed by The Sacred Scroll. The climactic final battle pits Jet along with Kiddo, Master Wu, and his allies against Invincible Asia and her forces.
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Tsui Hark and Ching Tsiu Tung reached the apex of their collaboration with this masterpiece. It’s a bloodfest. It’s an actionfest. It’s a flying-peoplefest, one of the very best ever. It’s a fest, all right. And it features another of Brigitte Lin’s most iconic roles (all originated, until her brief flirt with the art film at the end of her career-see Chungking Express-by Tsui Hark and his fervent imagination), a spitting portrayal of machismo in the most startling of transformations.
She plays Asia the Invincible, a highland warrior prince who has laid his hands on the secret scroll that was appropriated in Swordsman I, the lesser preceding movie with the completely different cast. The scroll, it seems, has instructed Asia to achieve ultimate power by castrating himself. Asia has complied, and now finds himself transforming into a woman.
Freudian complications abound, as well as Ching Tsiu Tung’s most delirious fight sequences ever, including Ninjas who ride their throwing stars through the air, whistles that summon snakes, people hiding inside of trees, and villain Brigitte, a force of nature, who only has to wave her hands in the air to tear people limb from limb.
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