Kung fu, swordplay, ninjas, horror and murder are the main ingredients for the 3 Famous Constables, also known as, The Elimination Pursuit. Starring the ever popular Roc Tien and Pearl Cheung (Chang Ling) both of who are in one of their last few roles, I actually found this to be a highly entertaining wu xia thriller!
The action is fast and plentiful, and although dated in comparison to what Hong Kong was dishing out at this time, its still choreographed very well and works. Directed by the Method Man himself, Peter Chang (also known as Peter Chen), the film is a bizarre mix of horror and martial arts, beautifully shot - enough so that I would love to see a restored, cleaned up version - with many nicely lit, night-time shots complete with smoke-filled backgrounds which I love. Along with Chang, fight directors Wang Chiang Liang and Yau Pang Sang had both starred in a number of kung fu classics each, such as The Rebellious Reign, Chinatown Kid, Iron Neck Li and, Jackie Chan's Magnificent Bodyguards.
Between them, they bring a hefty amount of kung fu action, made even more exciting by fantastical characters, ninjas and Roc Tien in a samurai-esque role rocking a pretty sweet blade...
Strangely enough, Ching Siu Tung's incredible classic, Duel To The Death, went into production in the same year. I can't say what came first, but if anything, I'd say this took quite a bit of inspiration from it, along with a few sprinkles of Sammo Hung's 1980 master-piece, Encounters Of A Spooky Kind. But I say that with totally positivity, because the 3 Famous Constables is far from boring, and although probably lower in budget than its Hong Kong counterparts, it still shows some great production value and is far from boring!
Overall: Stylish old-school wu xia action that's worth the watch!
