Torgo Tours Hong Kong While Dodging Bullets

Cantonese original audio. Always. Dubbing is for lowlives and something you should never choose over the original audio if you have a choice.

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

I actually have a download of the cantonese version but no subtitles because every Asian film I know of has about 6 different versions.

Swordsman and Enchantress - Throwback



Fans of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are bound to enjoy this Shaw Brothers wuxia since it is one of its many inspirations. It kicks off with a walk in the woods reminiscent of the one in Rashomon and the beauty doesn't let up until the end whether it's from the natural world or the fantastical one. The latter, thanks to the multi-colored lighting and skies of perpetual twilight make you feel like you're watching a moving painting. Aesthetics are not all this movie has going for it, though: for one, there's the political struggle with its quest for the deadliest sword in the land shared by royals, the ever-charismatic Ti Lung's usurper and quadruplet enforcers, all of which resembles the plot of a Game of Thrones season. There's also the myriad sword and spear fights, none of which are dull or make you tire of that sweet "ping" sound whenever weapons cross. There's even a tiny village and a magical tea that, when drank, shrinks its victims so they become imprisoned inside it! All that's missing is Zoolander being told that people can fit inside the building. Oh, and there's one of the hallmarks of this genre that is also a highlight of Crouching Tiger: a forbidden romance between Ti Lung's Xiao and Li Ching's Shen, which is full of quality will they/won't they tension.



Again, the political struggle in this movie satisfies in the same way that the one in Game of Thrones does, especially for how it proves that the pursuit of power is empty if it's at the expense of what really matters in life. However, to bring up George R. R. Martin's brainchild one more time, it's as if an entire season of the series were crammed into the movie's 90 minutes. In other words, subpar subtitles in the version I watched are partially to blame, and even though the conclusion left me satisfied, I can't say I entirely understand everything that happens in this movie. Other than that, it's bound to start or perpetuate an obsession for the wuxia genre. It will also do the same for one Ti Lung.

My guy (or gal): Ti Lung, obviously. An even cooler Clint Eastwood - yes, I went there - of Shaw brothers wuxia.