The Magic Crane, with Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Damian Lau Chung-yan, Anita Mui Yim-fong, and Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam. Directed by Benny Chan Muk-sing. Category II. Now on Newport circuit. The Bride with White Hair, with Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Brigitte LinChing-hsia, Elaine Lui Siu-ling, and Ng Chun-yu. Directed by Ronny Yu. Category III. Now playing on Mandarin circuit.
SINCE 1992 film makers and critics have been predicting the demise of the guzhong mohup peen, the costume martial arts pictures that has been the number one trend in Cantonese movies in the 1990s.
But here we are in the latter half of 1993 and it's still with us; the market is flooded with look-alike, lacklustre action epics.
The prognosis, though, is hardly positive. This summer's string of big-budget, classically-garbed clones have, for the most part, been greeted less-than-enthusiastically at the box office, indicating the audience is growing nearly as tired as the critics. This week's offerings will do little to stem the tide.
The Magic Crane at times seems like a poor imitation of a Tsui Hark movie. Tsui, one of the leading forces of contemporary Hong Kong cinema, was instrumental in re-establishing the popularity of guzhong mohup peen with Once Upon a Time in China and several other productions. The Magic Crane, produced and co-scripted by Tsui and directed by Benny Chan, demonstrates just how stale the genre has become in the space of three years.
Based on a famous story, which itself has been the basis of numerous motion pictures, The Magic Crane deals with the intrigues facing rival clans in battling both internal and external enemies. It is truly a classic tale of good versus evil, with a mysterious lady flying around on a crane thrown in for good measure. But as told in its latest incarnation, the story is related in such a jumbled, muddled fashion that it is difficult to follow. Even worse, one finds oneself not caring enough to bother.
Without exception, the characters come across as cardboard-like as the movie's cheesy monsters, which look like refugees from some 1950s Godzilla sequel. In the end, it's hard to care if anybody lives or dies, wins or loses.
