Kujaku ô (1988)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Directors:

Ngai Kai Lam
Biao Yuen

Writers:

Izô Hashimoto (writer)
Heung Sang Kong (writer)

Release Date:

10 December 1988 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Plot Keywords:

Based On Comic | Amusement Park | Asia | Stop Motion | Manga

Cast

Biao Yuen	...	Kông Chùe
Gloria Yip	...	Ashura
Pauline Wong	...	Raga (as Siu-fung Wong)
Hiroshi Mikami	...	Kujaku
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kuo Hua Chang
Tonpei Hidari	...	Satô
Kara Hui
Eddy Ko	...	Jigume
Philip Kwok
Hung Lee
Hong Li	...	Kaimashôgejin
Chia Hui Liu	...	Kubira
Ken Ogata	...	Jikû Ajari
Foo Siu
Takatoshi Takeda	...	Cop
Yan-Hong Wu
Hirokazu Yamaguchi	...	Cop
Narumi Yasuda	...	Saeko Kazama
Sing Yeung
Bun Yuen

Also Known As:

Peacock King (Hong Kong: English title)
Hung cheuk wong ji (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
Kong qiao wang zi (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Legend of the Phoenix

Runtime:

Hong Kong:86 min | Japan:96 min

Country:

Hong Kong | Japan

Language:

Japanese | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15

Company:

Golden Harvest Company

Movie Connections:

Followed by A Xiu-lo (1990)

Best collaboration between HK and Japanese cinema

This was one movie where acting of Hong Kong actors and Japanese actors interaction went extremely smooth. Usually in HK movie made in Japan have HK actor doing lion share of the dialog, and Japanese actors are relegated to small roles where they speak only few simple Japanese words. Not this movie. It's amazing that the actors just went playing their role as if it was done in their native language, and somehow it all looked natural.

When you look at this movie its really difficult to tell who's the Japanese actor and who's from Hong Kong. Genetically, all Asians must be pretty close to one another.

In Cantonese version Yuen Bao is the main character, but in the Japanese version Hiroshi Mikami is the main character. They wrote the script very cleverly that the two characters are interchangeable.

Based on a comic by Makoto Ogino, Peacock King, or Kujyaku Oo is a good translation of the original comic into a movie. The original comic's ordinary person, or situation suddenly morphing into a demonic entity is also translated well into this movie.

I liked Narumi Yasuda's acting as a department worker suddenly finding herself embroiled in the world of Vajirayana Buddhism vs demons of the underworld.

World looked really peaceful and healthy in Japan around the time this movie was made. It truly was the best of times.

Really well made movie of its kind. It's a treat to watch.