Xin bi xue jian

Its taken me a while to see this little gem of a film, and it was not what I was expecting at all...

It felt about 3 hours long, not in a bad way, but just because it had so much going on!

Yuen Biao plays a fast kicking constable who is trying to take n criminal Sharla Cheung Man as the martial world battles around him. With many great faces of Hong Kong cinema portraying kung fu masters, the Sword Stained With Royal Blood becomes a who's-who of cameos and supporting roles that only adds to the madness that ensues!

From the get-go, we soon realise that this is not to be taken seriously, even though for a good portion of it, there is heavy drama, tear jerking deaths and some serious characters, but with that said, this plays like a companion piece to the corny and fantastic Flying Daggers with Tony Leung and Jacky Cheung.

From that movie, we have once again in hilarious form, the incredible Ng Man Tat who provides the most laughs throughout. That's in between all the swordplay, crazy effects, wire-fu and drama.

So yes, I guess at the end of the day, the Sword Stained With Royal Blood is a typical 90's Hong Kong classic, and all fans of Yuen Biao, Danny Lee, and HK fantasy films should really check it out!

Great fun!!

Made in the same year as his other swordsman style move classic Deadful Melody, Yuen Biao stars in this impressive seminal classic.

Directed very differently by Cheung Hoi-Ching, Yuen Biao plays a chief constable on the tail of the mysterious Golden Snake Man who also appears to be a killer, (played very impressively by Danny Lee).

Unlike most one-dimensional 'bad guys' who are in most movies, director Cheung Hoi-Ching masterfully weaves a complicated back-story of the Golden Snake Man's (Danny Lee) past. While Danny Lee's immaculate playing gives his character a three-dimensional shape.

Also, director Cheung Hoi-Ching surrounds Yuen Biao with a dynamic cast filled with wonderfully varied characters played brilliantly by the cast (which includes Ng Man-Tat, Anita Mui and the impressive Man Cheung). The two love stories between the two main protagonists (Yuen Biao and Danny Lee) are both diverse and complicated.

Although some people have complained that the story-line is too difficult to follow, this is probably because the current flow of films are very brainless (unfortunately) so nowadays most people complain when an movie which appeals to a person of an IQ of over 5 comes out.

Although made in the same year as the wonderful Deadful Melody, these two swordsman style movies are very different. This movie contains a haunting soundtrack, immaculate performances from the whole cast. The direction and the cinematography itself is nothing short of wonderful.

What director Cheung Hoi-Ching does so masterfully is surround himself with all of the above with a beautiful site at the end. And unlike most swordsman movies, Sword Stained with Royal Blood has a huge diverse universe of characters all with a back story, with an intelligent storyline and a bitter-sweet denouement with the love story between Yuen Biao and Man Cheung.

The Sword Stained with Royal Blood is an uncommon piece of swordsman style move. Assured, intelligent, patient, meditative and different.

Easily my favorite wuxia.

One of the best movies I've ever seen. The whole cast does a great job. It is a magical movie. The soundtrack, the story, the comedy... Movies just don't get better than this. This movie has the most amazing mix of comedy and drama I have ever experienced. Get this movie immediately if you a fan of wuxias. SOrry for the short review, but I don't want to give anything away. You have to see it for yourself. Blah blah, words words words. Sorry, I am trying to type enough words so this reviews posts. Stop reading and go get the movie right now. the World Video DVD is really cheap.

This version of the Louis Cha novel has little to do with Shaw's 1981 film of the same name - the one with the Venoms - which is a shame because that's by far the superior picture. This one is a typically muddled wuxia movie of the early 1990s, with elaborate wirework stunts and crazy practical effects, but it really labours in the confused plotting which'll have you scratching your head throughout. Yuen Biao is the nominal hero, a constable caught up in treachery and double-dealing and accompanied by four women of various hues. Danny Lee plays a magical swordsman and lots of other familiar faces have more minor roles. Good visuals, but they really needed to work on that plot...

Sword stained with royal blood is a movie with a very weird story. The action scenes are numerous but they are far too short to satisfy a swordplay movie fan. And Yuen Biao doesn't even let us the chance to see his martial artist capacities. But the end fight is well orchestrated with the wires as you witness an aerial fight between two men , for real ,without seeing the wires. This movie remains good to rent but no to buy, buy Duel to the Death or Swordsman II for a good swordplay movie instead. 7,1/10