Benny Lai Keung-Kuen, Billy Ching Sau-Yat, Brigitte Lin
103 min
TLDR
So… Will someone ever make a direct adaptation of Legend of the Condor Heroes?
What it's about
China, Song Dynasty. Prominent kung fu master Ouyang Feng and the cousin he’s in love with schemes to take over the kingdom. The third princess discovered their treason, so, by the advice of her master, seeks a mystical tome that would teach her all the skills she needs to defeat them.
The take
Usually, when your film is over budget, you rewrite scenes, cut down production costs, or maybe even try to renegotiate with suppliers and crew members to fit within the budget. Allegedly, when Wong Kar Wai was making Ashes of Time, however, his friend Jeffrey Lau decided to help him out by creating The Eagle Shooting Heroes, a parody of the same source novel Legend of the Condor Heroes. It is very silly, and the costumes are very stereotypical. But for fans of Hong Kong mo lei tau, and fans of either directors, it’s an interesting double watch, seeing all the actors that made viewers cry in Wong’s dramas now make us laugh with their antics instead.
What stands out
What is it about the Hong Kong film industry that they have to make all their casts do such silly things?