Yao hun (1983)

Director:

Yuen Chor

Writer:

Ying Huang (story)

Release Date:

1 January 1983 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy

Plot:

Cast

Erik Chan Ka Kei
Kwok Kuen Chan
Yung Chan
Kuang-hung Chi
Miao Ching
Man Yan Chiu
Norman Chu	...	Yun Feiyang
Pei Chi Huang
Feng Kuan
Kuan-chung Ku	...	Swordsman Yu
Philip Kwok		(as Kuo Chui)
Wai Lam
Heng Li
Chih Hung Ling
Tony Liu		(as Liu Yung)
Lieh Lo	...	Master Ku
Hung Lu
Siu Chung Mok	...	Feng Xiwu (as Max Mok)
Sha-fei Ouyang
Kuo-kuang Tsai
Elvis Tsui
Tien Tsai Wei
Chi Ming Wong
Chih-Ching Yang
Chau-wah Yim	...	Shui Tianjiao
Hua Yueh	...	Master Purple Robe
Bun Yuen
Wah Yuen
Tau Wan Yue
Jing-Jing Yung	...	Shuling (as Mary Jean Reimer Lau)

Also Known As:

Jue dai tian jiao (Hong Kong: Mandarin title) (original script title)
The Enchantress (International: English title)
Yiu wan (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Shaw Brothers

Tired magic and martial arts leftovers

Standard late Shaw martial art and magic buffet Yuen Chor style. Lots of characters, lots of flying around on wires and lots of garish colors.

The plot revolves around a Japanese princess ghost who is out for revenge against all Chinese martial artists for the massacre of her clan and herself 18 years earlier. Especially her Chinese sword-fighting husband who did nothing to stop the massacre. Why 18 years? Not sure, but it is convenient that she has a living 18 year old daughter who apparently has been brought up entirely by the ghosts. Convenient that an 18 year old warrior comes to investigate the haunted grotto of the ghosts. Anyway the large cast comes to include Taoist monks, Buddhist monks, "Purple Robe" monks and the warriors of the Red Dipper who live in a celestial castle. all to fight the very powerful Japanese princess. The story could have been interesting but the presentation is way over the top. Noise, explosions and wire work.

Lots of magic and animated rays, the fights are not very well done as the cast is comprised mainly of Shaw actors who weren't trained martial artists. The actor do their usual work, nothing more. Once again, as with other Yuen Chor efforts, the art direction is very good. Some of the sets are very well designed but the lighting gets very garish. Deep reds, purples, greens and oranges everywhere. It gets tiring after a while. The editing is sub-par with the action getting confusing at times.

Good for a distraction but there are much better Shaw films out there.