Witch from Nepal

The Witch From Nepal was a pre A Better Tommorrow vehicle for Chow Yun Fat , at this time was a popular television actor, but had a hard time with success on the big screen. The film itself is a weird mix of fantasy, horror and romance and is held together by director Ching Sui Tung who (at this point) was best known for making cult swordplay/martial arts masterpiece Duel To The Death, as well as being action choreographer on a lot of the Hong Kong movies that you like. Sometimes the film gets a little confusing or hard to follow, but visually looks great with excellent action choreography. Chow Yun Fat's performance and screen presence is good. The Witch From Nepal is not the best film or the easiest to get into, but is still a decent watch and one of Chow Yun Fat's most unusual films.

When it comes to cinema Hong Kong is revered as a prolific source of high quality kung fu flicks more than anything else. If there's only one thing I've learned recently, however, it's that there has also historically been a wonderfully strong horror scene in the region, not least in the 80s. Many Hong Kong horror flicks are effects extravaganzas, while others embrace more of an action-horror approach. Then there are those titles that go even further afield, like 'The seventh curse' or this fellow 1986 release 'Witch from Nepal.' We see here a more lighthearted, fun-loving blend of genres: elements of horror, fantasy, action, and highfalutin adventure, not least as our Every Man protagonist Joe suddenly gets swept up in a lark far beyond his imagination. We get stunts and fight choreography, practical effects and post-production wizardry (the former much more than the latter, to my pleasure), mystery, romance, comedy - and for good measure, some stop-motion animation, not to mention cheeky sound effects. Make no mistake, this is a total romp. It's also really good! That mirthful spirit is fully communicated to the audience, and it's hard not to have a great time.

All those facets I mentioned above are superb - truthfully, the stunts and effects are maybe even bigger and grander here than in some kindred fare - and they're far from alone. Tsui Ching-hong penned a fabulous screenplay with scenes that are obviously built with a mind for finding the best way, at all times, to continue building on the spectacle, or to set up the next such moment to follow in short order. The overall narrative is a blast, sure, but at times feels like a secondary concern to constantly feeding the pure entertainment. Director Ching Siu-tung adopts the same ethos, with bedazzlement coming first and foremost in any scene - but that doesn't mean that the skill, intelligence, or hard work poured into the picture is any lesser for the fact of it. The filmmaker illustrates a keen eye for shot composition at new few points, for example, and Tom Lau's cinematography is likewise rich and flavorful. Lam Manyee's original music is an utter joy, gleefully accentuating and adding to the predominant mood at any time, and I have to assume that the composer was smiling wide with every theme she put together. Really, we get meaningful, admirable contributions from all involved, including the cast, led by icon Chow Yun-fat; the fast-moving nature of the material may somewhat restrict the actors to a corner, but that doesn't make their efforts any less appreciable.

The art direction is gorgeous; from filming locations to sets and props the most basic aspects of the presentation are a delight. That includes the costume design, hair, and makeup, too. With all this having been said, it would be going too far too say that 'Witch from Nepal' is without flaws. The plot truly is secondary, or maybe even tertiary when you get down to it; the story amounts to a wishy-washy declaration of Joe's destiny as a master of something-or-other, and that's about it save for the obstacles that Joe faces in one manner or another. The movie is also surely imbalanced; in a runtime of just over ninety minutes, the first hour is spent on lighter tones of romance, comedy, and joyful action, with tinges of adventure creeping along the edges. Darker airs are woven in by way of the antagonist, who isn't specifically identified, and at that the preponderance of the more serious notes in the tale are left for the last third. We do get scenes of earnest, sometimes gnarly horror, and harder action, and the telling takes a more somber turn in the last stretch. To whatever extent we might say that this is the natural arc of genre cinema, however, the disparity seems extra glaring here, especially given how indifferently Plot tends to be treated.

Still, maybe such criticism is beside the point. I don't think there's any disputing that this flick wanted only to be a romp, and give its audience a good time. No matter how much we might nitpick the feature is invariably a success far more than not, and it definitely achieves its simple goal. 'Witch from Nepal' is built for fun, and from the scenes and characters as written to the scenes and acting as executed; from the stunts and effects to the music and overall vibes - in every capacity, the result is nothing if not highly enjoyable. Under these conditions, perceived faults don't really matter, because no one was striving for perfect craftsmanship in the first place, only perfect amusement; through to the end, that's just what we get. As a matter of personal preference this won't appeal to all comers, but I can only repeat that this is a title designed for one purpose, and I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone that wouldn't have a ball here. There's no need to go out of your way for 'Witch from Nepal,' but if you're looking for something light and uninvolved, something to provide solid entertainment without heavier and more complex emotions getting in the way, then this is almost certainly just what you're looking for.

As a die-hard Chow Yun-Fat fan, I had to see this film just to be completist. Unless you're in the same category, forget it. An embarrassing attempt at a mystic fantasy, this film seemed to be made by people who couldn't decide whether they really wanted to take it seriously or not. As a result you have a film which is so bad that it's scary - not only because of the enchanted testicles which the main character wears around his neck, either. The final battle atop a skyscraper is okay, but the film's only real (albeit momentary) saving grace is the steamy sex scenes between Chow Yun-Fat and Chu Po Yee.

This film is rated as Category II (not for children).

I have the feeling that some viewers go into this one with unfair expectations. If you think it's going to be an action flick just because Chow Yun Fat is the star, or think it's going to be horrific just because it has the word "witch" in the title, you're probably going to be disappointed.

One problem western viewers may have with Witch from Nepal is its inconsistency of mode. The beginning and end are action and horror oriented, while most of the middle portion has the leisurely pace of a romantic drama. Once the viewer adjusts to the unfamiliar genre hybrid nature of the proceedings, however, there's more than enough cuteness, action, and spooky stuff to keep an open-minded audience pleasantly occupied.

Chow Yun Fat stars in a film about an artist chosen to take up the mantle of the protector of a magic necklace and knife in a small village in Nepal. A movie that has a good performance from Chow, some excellent, but nonsensical action sequences, and drive that keeps you watching to the end even though there's a point about half way in when the film stops making any sense what so ever. To be honest the film is close to being a complete and utter mess, but at the same time you can't help but watch because you keep hoping that the film will make sense at some point. It never does. Rationally I should hate the film, but there is there are a couple of things that make it intriguing, the fact that Chow fights some zombies during the later part of the film, something I never thought I'd see in one of his films, that make me begrudging like its incomprehensibility. I can't really recommend it as such, but those who want to see an amusing bit of Hong Kong Nonsense will have a good time.