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Brave Archer 2
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List Price: N/A
Our Price: $5.41
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Red Sun
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: DVD
EAN: 0876543225770
Format: Letterboxed
Label: Red Sun
Manufacturer: Red Sun
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Red Sun
Region Code: 0.0
Running Time: 110
Studio: Red Sun
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Number 2 in a 4 part series
Comment: For those reading this review, this info might be unnecessary but anyhoo; director Chang Cheh, the godfather of HK cinema & screenwriting guru, I Kuang, decided to translate Chin Hung's epic Brave Archer novel to the screen in 1977. Can't say that I've read the novel, but I did hear it's a sprawling, multi-character, multi-plotted epic so I guess they did the correct thing and break it up into four parts. I haven't seen the last two, but I did see (and own) the first two installments. Being a huge Shaw Brothers fan and Chang Cheh completist, even I'll admit that both movies are confusing, it's as if Chang & Kuang were high when they wrote the script. Characters appear, then disappear; sub-plots are brought up, then forgotten about. Personally, I don't really care, but I do recommend this series to die-hard genre fans (like myself) only.
Part 2 was given to us by Red Sun (Morgoth has written a lot about them), and they did a fabulous job remastering the picture; blemish free print and 2:35:1 widescreen. I believe it's uncut at 110 minutes, and this version offers a Mandarin & English soundtrack. Don't bother with the English channel, it's incomplete & is accompanied by a loud hissing sound that makes it barely audible, flush it. Stick with the Mandarin version, the subs aren't that bad. They're in the black bar on the bottom, but sometimes they flash on a bit too fast.
As far as the movie goes, despite some confusion and a slow middle (except Sun Chien's cameo), there is some good fu on display choreographed by Liang Ting, Lu Feng & Robert Tai. Most of the actors from part 1 are back in character, but I did notice some changes. The actress who played Fu Sheng's intended (Tien Niu) was replaced. Also, Kuo Chui & Danny Lee weren't given to do much, and Simon Li hardly had any fighting scenes. Some of the martial arts was strange magical stuff, like Johnny Wang's "frog style". For me, the meat of the movie comes at the end when Fu Sheng & his girl get captured by the Beggar Clan. Look for Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng(R.I.P.) & Tu Lung, all playing different roles since they're characters in part 1 died. The end fight between Fu Sheng & Lo Mang (who's character in the Weird Six was replaced by Tan Chun-Tu) was awesome. I must have rewound that fight like three times in a row, I just wish it was longer.
Like I said, for the completist and hardcore fan. If you like and enjoy old-school, Shaw Brothers, Chang Cheh, the late Fu Sheng & the Venoms (especially Lo Mang), then you have to own this, case closed.
Customer Rating:
Summary: THE STORY CONTINUES...
Comment: This movie continues the Brave Archer Movie series of which there are 5. This second one serves mostly to continue the story and there are not as many well choreographed fights as in parts 1 and 3 and 4. As a collector of venom movies or Fu Sheng movies its a must have but don't expect too much. The saddest part for me is all the lost footage that is apparent from the flashbacks in the story. Priceless film left on some cutting room floor in Hong Kong lost to us collectors forever. Oh, this is one of the few films that Wei Pai appears in with the other venoms but if you blink you'll miss his appearance. It's in a flashback of a subplot. This movie's english title "Kung Fu Warlords" is so much more appropriate for this classic tale adapted from a famous novel. The first 2 parts are best enjoyed as a marathon.
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