Jiang hu ban ba dao

I always appreciates movies that spoofs of a serious genre in the very same period that genre rules. It's the case of this averaged BROKEN SWORD, starred by Ko Shiao Pao (a fatty-character in almost 300 movies, mostly Wushapian and Gongfupian), in a typical story of swordsmen and swordswomen. I saw Pao in almost everything, but I never saw him as a leading star, so that's why I rated this a broken 6, moreover the opening credits in cartoon style are a welcome change in a so abused genre like Wusha. Among the others in this intentional parody, Taiwan's superstar Ko Chun Hsiung and Lui Ming (THE BAMBOO BROTHERHOOD). The nice Ko Shiao Pao/Got Siu Bo died in 2000, age 71, survived by his father Ko Hsiang Ting, a famous actor too (A GIRL FIGHTER and others 256 movies) who died in 2010 at 94.

I watch a lot of these old martial arts movies knowing in advance they are not good but it is with optimism that there just might be a single moment when something is done just right, something unexpected and well done can pop up even in a steaming pile. Or perhaps, yes it was bad but only if! Then I have something to think about. Nothing like that happened here. Action director Poon Yiu-Kwan with credits such as "A Touch of Zen" is either falsely credited here or came to work drunk that week. There is no action direction in this movie. That's not slow motion special effect – the actors are really moving that slow. The stunt men are not helping either as they are as animated as mannequins. Then there is the most unlikely of action heroes – Got Siu-Bo. I must respect any man appearing in 273 films. It's just hard to believe that 273 times the script called for a fat guy and the word went out "Get Got Siu-Bo!" Since he is so easily identifiable I recognize him from many other films. Typically in small parts, the actor is still more capable than the one joke fat guy he portrayed here. When it's finally over the only thing positive I have to say concerns actor O Chun- Hing. Nice smile and great teeth.