Member Iron_Leopard Posted May 30, 2020 Member Share Posted May 30, 2020 Oh boy. Next up on my Chor Yuen marathon are these two bad boys. I cant lie. I'm actually dreading this cause I read some reviews and I'm convinced I will not be able to follow this many characters and this much plot. Is it true this is his hardest movie to follow? If so do you have any tips on what I can do to make this an easier viewing experience? Or is it even worth watching lol? Should I skip it and maybe come back to later? What are your overall thoughts on this epic two parter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tex Killer Posted May 30, 2020 Member Share Posted May 30, 2020 It`s been year or so from only viewing but..."If so do you have any tips on what I can do to make this an easier viewing experience?" do not try to remember every character pops up in #1for a moment only to appear later in flick again... It was not that hard that to follow seem to recall...Part 2 was much easier to keep on track. They are definitely worth watching and if something was left unclear revisit after some time likely helps.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShawAngela Posted May 30, 2020 Member Share Posted May 30, 2020 I wanted to link you to the thread where I reviewed Adam Cheng's series, but I just saw that I didn't write much because there are many reviews on the internet !! I'm going to try to explain the plot a little bit in order that you can follow the movies. The story begins with a swordsman from the Wu Dang clan (if I remember well) who meets a swordswoman from another clan and they fall for each other. During a martial arts meeting, a guy appears (Shih Kien in the series, maybe Lo Lieh in the movies) and kills a lot of people with his dragon sabre (still if I remember well) and he kidnaps the two lovers and they live in a remote island (or something like that) where the woman gives birth to a child : Zahg Wu Ji (Adam Cheng in the series, Derek Yee in the movies) and the killer, who has become blind, if I'm not mistaken) becomes the godfather of the child. Years later, they return to Wu Dang (while the killer stays in his island with the sabre), but for a reason I don't remember, Zhang Wu Ji's father is accused to have wronged all the other schools and to prove his innocence, he kills himself. His wife loves him so much that she kills herself too, and the chief of the sect sends Zhang Wu Ji away in order to save him. Then, a life of errance begins for the child, who is nursed by several clans until he has to escape an evil clan and takes refuge in a cave where he is nursed by a monkey, if I'm not mistaken. When he finally get out of the cave, he is an adult and he meets the Emei sect, lead by a cruel woman whose best student is Miss Zhu (Angie Chiu in the series, Candice Yu in the movies), and they have feelings for each other. Later, Wu Ji becomes the leader of a sect (I don't remember if it's WU Dang or another one) and he meets a woman called Zhao Min (Liza Wang in the series, Ching Li in the movies) and they fall for each other. He doesn't know that she is the daughter of a Barbarian king who wants to rule the country, and he doesn't know either that Miss Zhu is actually ordered by her master to seduce him in order to get the Dragon Sabre from his godfather. As he has saved Miss Zhu's life, he is more or less forced to marry her though he loves Zhao Min, but this latter discovers that Miss Zhu and he sect have found his godfather and keep him prisoner and when she tells him about that, he follows her instead of marrying Miss Zhu. There are a lot of twists that lead to another martial arts meeting where the truth about the killings by Zhang Wu Ji's godfather are finally revealed and the two swords are reunited. The ending of the movies isn't the same of the series. If you really want to understand the movies, I think that you should first watch the series, which is obviously more complete and explains a lot of things that aren't mentioned in the movies. There is an English version of it : https://www.yesasia.com/global/heaven-sword-dragon-sabre-1978-dvd-ep-1-25-end-tvb-drama/1037884486-0-0-0-en/info.html I'm sorry that I can't help better, but I watched the series long ago and I don't remember the whole plot. I just tried to described the most important characters in order to help. This should help you better, I think : http://www.spcnet.tv/TVB-Series/The-Heavenly-Sword-and-Dragon-Saber-review-r1477.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShawAngela Posted May 30, 2020 Member Share Posted May 30, 2020 Sorry, the last link I sent doesn't help very much, but this one is a little bit more explicit. http://www.spcnet.tv/TVB-Series/The-New-Heavenly-Sword-and-Dragon-Saber-review-r767.html Zhang Wu Ji is also called San Mo Kei in Cantonese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Iron_Leopard Posted May 30, 2020 Author Member Share Posted May 30, 2020 1 hour ago, ShawAngela said: I wanted to link you to the thread where I reviewed Adam Cheng's series, but I just saw that I didn't write much because there are many reviews on the internet !! I'm going to try to explain the plot a little bit in order that you can follow the movies. The story begins with a swordsman from the Wu Dang clan (if I remember well) who meets a swordswoman from another clan and they fall for each other. During a martial arts meeting, a guy appears (Shih Kien in the series, maybe Lo Lieh in the movies) and kills a lot of people with his dragon sabre (still if I remember well) and he kidnaps the two lovers and they live in a remote island (or something like that) where the woman gives birth to a child : Zahg Wu Ji (Adam Cheng in the series, Derek Yee in the movies) and the killer, who has become blind, if I'm not mistaken) becomes the godfather of the child. Years later, they return to Wu Dang (while the killer stays in his island with the sabre), but for a reason I don't remember, Zhang Wu Ji's father is accused to have wronged all the other schools and to prove his innocence, he kills himself. His wife loves him so much that she kills herself too, and the chief of the sect sends Zhang Wu Ji away in order to save him. Then, a life of errance begins for the child, who is nursed by several clans until he has to escape an evil clan and takes refuge in a cave where he is nursed by a monkey, if I'm not mistaken. When he finally get out of the cave, he is an adult and he meets the Emei sect, lead by a cruel woman whose best student is Miss Zhu (Angie Chiu in the series, Candice Yu in the movies), and they have feelings for each other. Later, Wu Ji becomes the leader of a sect (I don't remember if it's WU Dang or another one) and he meets a woman called Zhao Min (Liza Wang in the series, Ching Li in the movies) and they fall for each other. He doesn't know that she is the daughter of a Barbarian king who wants to rule the country, and he doesn't know either that Miss Zhu is actually ordered by her master to seduce him in order to get the Dragon Sabre from his godfather. As he has saved Miss Zhu's life, he is more or less forced to marry her though he loves Zhao Min, but this latter discovers that Miss Zhu and he sect have found his godfather and keep him prisoner and when she tells him about that, he follows her instead of marrying Miss Zhu. There are a lot of twists that lead to another martial arts meeting where the truth about the killings by Zhang Wu Ji's godfather are finally revealed and the two swords are reunited. The ending of the movies isn't the same of the series. If you really want to understand the movies, I think that you should first watch the series, which is obviously more complete and explains a lot of things that aren't mentioned in the movies. There is an English version of it : https://www.yesasia.com/global/heaven-sword-dragon-sabre-1978-dvd-ep-1-25-end-tvb-drama/1037884486-0-0-0-en/info.html I'm sorry that I can't help better, but I watched the series long ago and I don't remember the whole plot. I just tried to described the most important characters in order to help. This should help you better, I think : http://www.spcnet.tv/TVB-Series/The-Heavenly-Sword-and-Dragon-Saber-review-r1477.html I actually thought about watching the series first cause it was listed ahead of the Chor Yuan movies. But I had already started the first movie when I saw your reply. I just finished Part 1. And its....not bad. I think its definitely worth watching at least once. The first 30 minutes did have my head spinning with everything happening but I hung in there. But when Ching Li finally showed up with 20 minutes left I really started to get into it. Shes like the female Ti Lung. Her presence alone can make any movie better. Also a big fan of Norman Chu's Green Bat character lol. Not sure if there are many Candy Wen fans on here but I'm really digging her so far of what I've seen from her. Shes so animated and has a lot of character in her performances. Thought it was also kind of funny how at the end of the movie the narrator basically told you everything that will happen in part 2. Did the word SPOILERS not exist in 1978? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Iron_Leopard Posted May 31, 2020 Author Member Share Posted May 31, 2020 I got halfway through Part 2 and then had to pull the plug lol. It's just not doing it for me. I feel like this is his worse directed movie cause I'm two steps ahead of everything that is happening on screen. It's so predictable its painful. I think the whole production is too epic for it's own good. This is just classic Chor Yuen overkill. There seems to be so many tv versions of this story also. 1986 2009 2019 and others I'm sure. Best version? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShawAngela Posted May 31, 2020 Member Share Posted May 31, 2020 For me, it's Adam Cheng's 1976 version, but some people say that it's the 1986 version. I still haven't watched it, so, I can't say. And I read somewhere that the more recent versions aren't faithful to the book at all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member LuFengLover Posted May 31, 2020 Member Share Posted May 31, 2020 I love the film even though I had a hard time following it. I had to watch it several times to understand it completely. I still think I am missing a few things though. Here is a podcast on the movies: https://bedrockgames.podbean.com/e/heaven-sword-and-dragon-sabre-1978-discussion/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Iron_Leopard Posted June 15, 2020 Author Member Share Posted June 15, 2020 On 5/31/2020 at 6:32 PM, LuFengLover said: I love the film even though I had a hard time following it. I had to watch it several times to understand it completely. I still think I am missing a few things though. Here is a podcast on the movies: https://bedrockgames.podbean.com/e/heaven-sword-and-dragon-sabre-1978-discussion/ How did I miss this reply. I love podcasts. I will listen to this for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Iron_Leopard Posted July 13, 2020 Author Member Share Posted July 13, 2020 I just rewatched these movies again and I have to say I enjoyed them much more this second time around. I think the problem the first time is I was on Chor Yuen burnout. I watched around 8 of his movies in 4 days. So by time I got to these movies i was just needed a break. I also just listened to that pod cast. Really enjoyed it. Cant wait to listen to more of their episodes cause it looks like they've done episodes of some other favorite movies of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member HeavenSword Posted July 16, 2020 Member Share Posted July 16, 2020 On 5/31/2020 at 6:32 PM, LuFengLover said: I love the film even though I had a hard time following it. I had to watch it several times to understand it completely. I still think I am missing a few things though. Here is a podcast on the movies: https://bedrockgames.podbean.com/e/heaven-sword-and-dragon-sabre-1978-discussion/ I’m a fan of the podcast! 😎 You should do the third film , Hidden Power Of The Dragon Sabre , next . It’s a lot easier to follow and is special effects crazy lol. Plus the mighty Ti Lung tags along for this one also . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member HeavenSword Posted July 16, 2020 Member Share Posted July 16, 2020 On 5/31/2020 at 6:32 PM, LuFengLover said: I love the film even though I had a hard time following it. I had to watch it several times to understand it completely. I still think I am missing a few things though. Here is a podcast on the movies: https://bedrockgames.podbean.com/e/heaven-sword-and-dragon-sabre-1978-discussion/ Although i forgot it may be a tough find since it’s not on Amazon Prime . Whoops 😬lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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