Legend Of The Bat (HK 1978)

Rating: **
Review Date: 2/16/16
Cast: Ti Lung, Yun Ling, Yueh Hua, Wang Chung, Ching Li, Derek Yee, Norman Chu (Tsui Siu Keung)

A loopy kung fu fantasy about master swordsman Liu-Hsiang Chu (Ti Lung) traveling to the mysterious Bat Island to buy some rare Indian poppy seeds and figure out why someone has put a price on his head. The crazy plot really doesn't make much sense, and it didn't take long before I stopped paying attention. The sets are quite elaborate and drenched in bright colors, which gives the film a very surrealistic look and feel. When Lung and his companions finally make it to Bat Island they're faced with a number of devious traps, but the extended scenes of them trying to escape the acid cave, fire cave, and ice cave are disappointingly dull and drag the film down. The kung fu is fun and energetic, and Yun Ling's fiercely stoic performance steals the show.