Lover's Blades (HK 1980)

Rating: **
Review Date: 10/14/00
Cast: Wei Ying Hung, Wang Lung Wei, Yuen Tak (?)

An intolerable and tiresome attempt at kung fu comedy, saved only by the grace and beauty of kung fu diva Wei Ying Hung. A pair of lover's blades are being taken to the emperor as a gift, but they get stolen by a bickering married couple. After a fair amount of silliness, the swords are again stolen by Wei Ying Hung and a mysterious scholar. Together they learn the secret of the blades - when used by a perfect couple, the blades are invincible. Meanwhile, royal guard Wang Lung is furious that the blades have been stolen and uses all of his resources to recover them, leading to a satisfying kung fu finale.

Like many kung fu comedies, the film is full of annoying characters and painfully unfunny humor. The diarrhea gag with Wang Lung is inexcuseable. However, the fighting is very good and makes the film just barely watchable. Beautiful Wei Ying Hung performs some excellent and graceful fan fighting, and Wang Lung's kung fu expertise at the climax of the film is very rewarding to watch. Unless you're a Wei Ying Hung fan, you're better off passing this one up.