THE LEGEND OF THE SWORDSMAN (1992) Review
Fennie Yuen returns as Blue Phoenix for this sequel to SWORDSMAN, but almost everything else has changed. Cost overruns which drove the original into the red prompted producer Tsui Hark to scale back production on the sequel as much as possible and replace the cast for the returning characters. Most significantly, Sam Hui was replaced in the lead role of Ling Wu-chung with the much more dynamic Jet Li, who had just become a Hong Kong superstar via his portrayal of the legendary Wong Fei-hung in ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA.
The other great standout role belongs to Brigitte Lin as Master Invincible Asia of the rebellious Sun Moon Sect, who has castrated himself to gain supernatural power from a sacred scroll, and as a result is gradually changing into a woman. Asia recruits Japanese ninjitsu warriors Hattori (Waise Lee) and Saru (Chin Ka-Lok), who have been operating as pirates along the coast of China since being driven out of their homeland by Emperor Toyotomi. Using a combination of bribery, captured firearms, and supernatural swordplay, Asia plans to conquer all of China. He/she crosses paths with Ling on the way to attacking a platoon of Emperor Soon's soldiers, spilling his wine and killing the horse of sidekick Kiddo (Michelle Reis, so much taller than Cecilia Yip in the role that even the other characters comment on it). Ling has decided to retire from the Martial Arts World and live on Ox Mountain, but still dreams of Chief Ying (Rosamund Kwan).
Ying is having her own problem with Asia's ninjas, who have come to challenge her powerful whip and Blue Phoenix' pet snakes to take over leadership of the Sect. Ling and his Wah Mountain Clan comrades find Ying to be missing and her men massacred, and go to look for her. Ling comes upon Asia while he/she is practicing his/her elemental magic, and the he/she shares a flirtatious and anonymous drink of wine with him. Reunited with Ying that night, Ling vows to help her find her father Master Wu (Yam Sai-kwoon), whose disappearance began the Sun Moon power struggle. Sneaking into Asia's camp to look for Wu, Ling finds himself inadvertently defending his enemy from treacherous Saru's invading ninjas. After an evening of odd romance, Ling is captured, but he and Wu team up to escape from the dungeon. But his followers find the returning Wu a changed man, who has become mad for revenge and power, and has secretly secured the sacred scroll. Inevitably, colossal internal and external conflicts erupt when Ling discovers his worst enemy is his dream girl, and his friend's father has become a destructive monster.
Link 1 (Youtube)
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