Duel to the Death

The Tick would be proud!! Anyway, I happened to see this on a lark one Saturday on the Action Channel and fell in LOVE! I rushed out and found it on DVD, much to my little kung fu heart's surprise. The plot is a little hard to follow in places, but it makes for fun viewing, especially the NINJAS! They make some great entrances, coming in on kites being the best! Mommy, can I get my very own Ninja Kite? And you haven't lived until you've seen a NAKED ninja (hmm, never learned THAT move in Tai kwon do)! Just go with me on this one. Find it, buy it, rent it, kill if you must! This is one of the best/silliest kung fu movies you'll ever see.

This movie has it all! Fast paced combat scenes, beautiful cinematography, compelling characters, and an epic plot of honor and betrayal. As I watched this movie, it was at once a really cool kung fu film and an intelligently written, acted, and directed film. Trust me on this one! If you're a fan of this genre at all, then check this film out.

Beautiful, confusing, chaotic. Motivations hard for us westerners to understand. (The great combat is fought not for riches or territory, but only for honor.) Gleefully bends the laws of physics, and plays with your reason in the finest HK (Hong Kong) tradition.

I have shared this film with folks who had not previously experienced HK film, and they were instantly captivated. Or should I say captured. By the Ninjas.

Because -- this film's certainly got the Ninjas! Surf Ninjas! Sand Ninjas! Exploding Ninjas! Tree Ninjas! Flying Ninjas! Roof Ninjas! Giant Ninjas! Kite Ninjas! Naked Girl Ninjas! (Oh, that long-haired Naked Fu...)

Just as with life, every time things quiet down in this film, you may be sure the Ninjas will pop up to keep things lively.

Watch this and be captured. You have been warned.

Duel to the Death has such a slight plot that even with a runtime of under 90 minutes, it still feels like it has some padding. There are two people that need to fight, and the movie builds up to that fight. There are a few extra complications introduced towards the end, but it's generally very straightforward. They make up for it with some increasingly wild things that happen throughout, which was appreciated. It feels less and less like a grounded martial arts movie as it goes along, with some wonderfully bizarre stuff popping up out of nowhere at certain points.

And I think it's generally entertaining enough to end up being a solid film. The action's creative and well-choreographed. The score sounds weirdly similar to Gone with the Wind's main theme, though. That was a bit distracting, or it could just be me.

This is one of the five best swordplay movies I have ever seen as it includes the contrast between two oriental countries: China and Japan.The story is summarized by: The greatest warrior of Japan comes to China to obtain a ''Duel to the death'' against China's greatest warrior: and this story leads to a series of superb sword confrontations showing each country's style of swordfighting. Ching siu-Tung does not only emphasizes on the action but also includes some nice elements that will become his trademark in terms of visual effects and camerawork. This one is a must-see for his many esthetic qualities and for the breathtaking swordfights!! 9.5/10