The third installment of the Jane-Bond style series, Muk Lan-fa, the Black Musketeer, featuring a pair of Robin-Hood-like-sisters-turned-police-agents, written by popular martial arts novelist Ni Kuang (here using another pen name, Wei Li), screenwriter of many Chang Cheh’s swordplay films. The producer claims that the film was made “with the assistance of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps and the regiment's provisions of ammunition and armed weapons.” Indeed, by Cantonese Cinema’s standard, the film has more than enough gun fire and kung-fu action to rival any Western spy thriller and the scenes are all well-designed and filmed, thanks to Lau Kar-leung and Tong Kai’s exhilarating action choreography and Law Chi’s taut direction. Chan King-sam contributes to the thrills by a number of exotic set pieces featuring the secret headquarters of Japanese godfather Katsu Saburo (the Hell’s Gate of the film’s Chinese title.) Also of note is the performance by Suet Nei, whose subdued sexiness is undeniably something that makes the film consistently watchable.

23/9

(Sun)

7:00pm

Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

10/11

(Sat)

4:15pm

Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive