Reviewed by:
pollypolly A nice ensemble cast in this above average tale which has two stories running at the same time. One of Polly Kuan's character - the fierce Miss Wang who is out to discover who killed her father and the other main plot revolves around 5 members of an Escort Union who are given the mission to transport some precious loot.
When the loot goes missing, some members of the Union bump into Miss Wang at a tea house. She appears rude at first but soon tags along as it seems as though the person who stole the loot may indeed be the same person who killed her father.
If the plot sounds interesting, I have to say that for the first half at least, the way the script and story unfolds it is a tad confusing and not particularly gripping. The film takes a while to warm up and is not helped by not having a strong main lead character - there are many top stars in the film but most are restricted to supporting roles. After the first 30 mins, the remaining bulk of the film is given to Polly Kuan, Cliff Lok and John Chang who do a good job, with Polly Kuan stealing almost every scene she's in.
Support comes from the reliable Yueh Hua as one of the Escort union members, Lo Lieh who is ridiculously under-used and his appearance about an hour into the film is merely an extended cameo. Philip Kao Fei who disappears from the film after the opening scene returns for the final showdown and gives a sterling if brief performance.
I have to say that the final climatic fight scene is a good one and well worth the wait. In a concept not dis-similar to Red Phoenix (also starring Polly Kuan, Lo Lieh & Yueh Hua) a mysterious Gold masked assailant who has been bumping off members of the cast confronts our heros at Tiger Hill, where after much carnage the traitor is eventually unmasked and I have to say that the revelation of who it is was quite a surprise and refreshingly plausible.
So while not containing a great story, the fights (as bloodless as they are) come thick and fast and the film is never boring. Throw a few nice touches in like ninja's that ambush Polly & John Chang by bursting out of the sand and you have some enjoyable, if a little rough around the edges entertainment.
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