Rating: **
Review Date: 4/2/00
Hmmm. Who would have thought that Hong Kong would produce two films called "Iceman Cometh" within a year of each other? And even though this film was made first, the title is completely meaningless. What we've got here is a role reversal on the popular "boy falls in love with ghost" story. In this, a warrior from the underworld loses his sword, and spends a few days in the world of the living trying to find it. A young and beautiful woman takes cares of him and falls in love with him, even though he's being blamed for all sorts of horrible things that are happening in the village. The young girl finally manages to retrieve the ghost warrior's sword, and he's able to avenge himself against the evil fox spirit that made him lose it in the first place.
What a bizarre film. It barely makes any sense, but at least it has a linear storyline. There's not a single recognizeable face in the film, but the girl who plays the lead is quite cute and charming, and reminded me of Charlie Young. The sets and cinematography are beautiful, and that's really the film's saving grace - it's pretty to look at. There's little action to speak of, apart from a bizarre fight at the beginning of the film, and the sword fighting climax at the end. There's also some nasty and unnecessary animal brutality in the middle of the film. Ick. Probably a waste of time for anyone who's not a rabid Hong Kong film enthusiast.