AGAINST THE DRUNKEN CAT PAWS is a cheap Taiwanese martial arts story about a famed blind female fighter who goes around the countryside taking care of business by bringing those of ill repute to justice. It's an odd little film that seems to have stylistic aspirations to emulate the likes of the wandering swordsman films that Shaw Brothers et al were putting out in the late '60s, yet as a cheap chop socky film it's hampered by a low budget and a lack of finesse in terms of narrative drive and plot elements.
Chia Ling is certainly good value as the female protagonist and her fighting skills are superior to those of many rival performers, both male and female. However, it's the unfocused plotting that lets this film down. The villains are never truly villainous enough to hate and the film gets bogged down in all-too-broad comedy scenes like those involving the ridiculous cross-dressing character so that it becomes a chore to sit through. The good news is that the fight choreography is well achieved although hampered by the obviously low budget, so it's not all bad, but truth be told it could have been much, much better.
