Gau yat san diu haap lui

Saviour of the soul is a mix of martial arts, shootouts and fantasy. It is obvious that it is a comic adaptation. The story isn't always clear,but it succeeds very well in keeping your attention, although sometimes i wanted to last the action sequences a little longer. There is a lot of humour in it and still succeeds in being serious when it has to. There are some special effects in it that will amaze you (without the use of digital effects which we are used to nowadays). I always enjoy the action sequences Hong Kong movie makers come up with. They really are the best when it comes to action. Saviour of the Soul is certainly a classic when it comes to the wonderful combination of action and special effects. Go see it!

Even when it is obvious that this is a low budget production. You still will be amazed by the beautiful cinematography and artwork. It is like a live action manga. Some special effects are a little cheesy. But they are used in such a way that you won't mind. The action scenes are fast paced and very energetic. There is not much of a story. The main part is about Ching's love for Yiu May-kwan (Anita Mui). There is lot of humor used in this movie. Sometimes it is a bit over the top but in combination with the serious love theme there is a fine balance which overall is very enjoyable. This movie is a showcase what the hong kong cinema is about. The lack of budget never is a problem for hong kong movie makers to be creative and come with a good product. When it comes to action Hong Kong cinema is the best. Saviour of the Soul is proof of that.

Saviour of the Soul radiates innovative action and gawping visuals for a non-stop hour and a half, spinning a tale of star-crossed lovers in a haze of delirious pandemonium. Aaron Kwok brakes test tubes and inhales colourful gases to possess his opponents, running through the torso at warp speeds and stealing their life support. As the cloak-cladded ‘Silver Fox', Kwok is the most dazzling out of the young cast (mostly made up of Cantopop starlets), yet not to be upstaged by the talented Anita Mui who takes on a clever duel-role as two sisters, one a fashion-conscious jabbermouth, the other a sultry law-abider named May. Fundamentally a futuristic sci-fi thriller (its glossy mise-en-scene and specialised camerawork dominate proceedings), May is the victim of a vengeful Silver Fox, longing to seek revenge for his master's subsequent killing, while Andy Lau plays the charmer after her heart and summarily her protection. Hectic showdowns involve flying daggers which explode on impact, Andy's nifty yo-yo that doubles as an extendable wobble-sword, and a completely surreal stuck-in-a-mirror routine that'll leave you both puzzled and enthralled. This film is just awesome, and there's nothing really quite like it.

This film demonstrates to young and novice film makers what can be done if you have real talent. The composition of every shot in every scene is what many film makers can only wish to achieve.

The story apart as this is a corny movie, this film will show you perfect camera angles, superior editing and how to use light, shadow and colour like a master. Please bear in mind that this was all achieved using basic film techniques and no digital effects.

You will see great washes of colour and lighting to which the actors are set against and into, the use of water and lighting is seen to produce a magnificent feel and add great drama and movement to scenes.

Andy Lau, seems to have located or created locations that reflect the scene being shot by the colours and lighting used and plays on this by not being restricted to primary colours.

Too me, this film seems like a test bed for superior camera work and set design and succeeds to that end.

Also to note is the direction of the actors. Their movements are measured and seem to strive for perfection. It seems like the most minute actions were included to endorse the objectives of the characters, so that even the most impossible actions can be seen as plausible in the world this film is set in.

Listen for the "your the one that I want" line sung in engrish in the scene before the toilet fight. Travolta eat your heart out.

Ugh. It's quite rare that the English title of a Hong Kong movie is better than the original Chinese one but I'm sure they gave this movie its Chinese name (which translates to '91 Condor Heroes) solely to capitalize on lead actor Andy Lau's popularity from his role as Yang Guo in the classic TVB series, Return of the Condor Heroes. Any connection between this movie and that series is loose at best and I didn't really pick up on it, especially since the plot of this movie is all kinds of ridiculous. Apparently Wong Kar Wai co-wrote this. No wonder it barely makes sense to me, ha.

The direction of this movie was bad as well - scenes could go from comedy to action to melodrama in the course of a minute without any regard for flow, though the fighting sequences, choreographed by luminary Corey Yuen, were good whenever there wasn't an over-reliance on special effects.

The dearly departed Anita Mui is classy in every role she plays. Yes, even in her dual role of the twin sister who gets shot in the butt.

As for Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok, well, there's a good reason why they only won their respective first acting awards 9 and 14 years after this movie.