Reviews & Ratings for
Jade Tiger More at IMDbPro »Pai yu lao hu (original title)

4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Medieval Chinese Morality Play, 16 September 2004

Author: kenichiku from San Francisco, California

An absolutely diabolical & manic wuxia satire of the clan feuds variety. Like the best of medieval Shakesperean tradition, a fanatical air of twisted alliances between members of both sides blur the line between good & evil. Sell out the ones you love to veil deception and to maintain their antic dispositions. You even sell out your headless self. For in the end, you justify your own morality with arsenic in your raised chalice and declare your crest the victor (if anybody's still alive that is).

Surreptitious loyalties exist in a maniacal framework switching sides as many an occasion as there's a hidden blade within a blade within a blade and with this, Chu Yuan's Jacobean flavored prism of blood, we are staring into two mirrors directly facing each other. Ti Lung walks the tightrope against type with his squeaky clean screen image. Like an evil inbred brother to the more insular 'Soul of the Sword', 'Jade Tiger' is Ti Lung and Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers at it's swashbuckling darkest. Yea anon, sharpen ye rapiers and let the bloodletting begin. Three and a half outta four kills.

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
The Duality of Loyalty, 14 October 2004
Author: Roberto Azula (razula)

"The Jade Tiger" is definitely one of the Shaw Brother's darker films. This selection has one the most bittersweet endings I've ever seen in this series of Late Old School films (1977-1983). The film has so many double-crosses and loyalties masquerading as betrayal that it's a task unto itself to keep track of the "good" or "bad" guys. And that's the whole point. Eventually the hero realizes the self-perpetuating absurdity of violence. Why are we killing this clan? To gain dominance over the Martial Arts World? To what end? This would be the sort of chopsocky movie Hayao Miyazaki would have directed if he had grown tired of doing kiddie anime.

"Jade Tiger" is beautifully shot, with the yet another flawless Ti Lung performance. It's a good companion piece to watch with "The Boxer from Shangtung," with which it shares many similarities. I had no idea Chinese dining could be so dangerous!

Solid action, with the trademark Shaw Brothers wacky scenes...look out for the guy with the exploding eyeballs!

1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Good Shaw production with a dark side, 21 January 2006

Author: Chung Mo from NYC

Some interesting concepts are contained in this absurd but dark sword film. As in other Yuen Chor films there are a number of characters to keep track of but Ti Lung holds it all together. There a good number of wild martial artists including one with exploding eyeballs! It's a very watchable film filled with fights and extraordinary weapons. Unfortunately for me the drama went a bit too unbelievable and the plot twists required Ti Lung's character to be naive at one point but brilliant and cunning at another. A little more character development might have helped.

A good film with more introspection then the typical kung-fu movie.

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