Saturday, February 26, 2011

Royal Tramp 2008





* Huang Xiao Ming as Wei Xiao Bao
* Wallace Chung as Kang Xi
* He Zhuo Yan as Shuang Er
* Shu Chang as Princess Jian Ning
* Liu Zi as Fang Yi
* Liu Yun as Mu Jian Ping
* Cherrie Ying as A Ke
* Hu Ke as Su Quan
* Li Fei Er as Zeng Rou
Masterfully interweaving fictional characters and events with those from history, Jin Yong's last wuxia novel tells the story of an unconventional hero who achieved fame and success due to sheer luck and clever gimmicks. Born in a Yangzhou brothel, Wei Xiao Bao is naturally cunning, witty and lazy. Thinking he's learned everything there is to know about heroes since the beginning of time from patrons of the local teahouse, Xiao Bao decides he wants to be one too. On a whim, he aids Mao Shi Ba, a chivalrous man who'd fallen on hard times. Xiao Bao then convinces Mao Shi Ba to bring him to Beijing, where the real adventures begin.

After being captured and brought into the palace, Xiao Bao tricks Head Eunuch Hai and takes over the identity of Xiao Gui Zi, a little eunuch. One day while wandering around, Xiao Bao chances upon young Emperor Kang Xi, who is practicing martial arts. After exchanging a few bouts, the two develop an unlikely friendship. Throughout the series, Xiao Bao serves as Kang Xi's right-hand man in disposing of the power-hungry Ao Bai, weakening Wu San Gui's rebellion, and dealing with all sorts of other challenges while trying to keep his other identity as designated mole for Tian Di Hui, an anti-Qing organization, under wraps.

Review : I love this show, very funny and very cheesy too at times. I have not seen any other version of Duke of Mt. Deer , so i dare not make comparison. But i never really liked to watch the one with Dicky Cheung.. I would rather watch 1984 version with Tony Leung ,, which is far better. Highly recommended show guys..

Face To Fate 2006




Cast
Frankie Lam as Li Bo-Yee
Raymond Lam as Lai Yeuk-Yee
Tavia Yeung as Yip Mung-Sik

In a war against the Evil, the White Force and the Black Force have a Golden Seal Battle every five years. Each force selects five people to represent its community. Whichever side wins the battle has control of the Wu Xia World for the next five years. However, over the years, the Black Force have become more evil than before, and their goal evolved to destroy all the Good to allow the Evil power to control the world.

The head of the White Force is the Flying Fish Village led by Shum Shing-Nam (David Chiang). In the White Force, the five people who were supposed to represent the community were secretly killed, and hence the series "Face to Fate" begins. In order to participate in the next Golden Seal Battle, the White Force has to look for five more talented people to fight the Black Force. Li Bo-Yee (Frankie Lam), the physic; Lai Yuek-Yee (Raymond Lam), the doctor; and Yip Mung-Sik (Tavia Yeung), are on the mission to look for five talented fighters.

Review :This show is also one of my most favorite, though not based on any novel. This is one of best shows produced by TVB in recent times. Story is pretty good and you will get stick to it. The 30 episodes are worth spending time. I would highly recommend to watch this show.

Friday, February 25, 2011

The Return of the Condor Heroes 2006





# Huang Xiaoming as Yang Guo
# Liu Yifei as Xiaolongnü
# Wang Luoyong as Guo Jing

The Return of the Condor Heroes is a Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It is the second installment of a trilogy produced by Zhang Jizhong, preceded by The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003) and followed by The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (2009).

Review :Its actually the first adaptation ROCH novel which i saw and really fell in love with Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu. This show highly concentrates on the emotions and true love between YG and XLN. Like me , many people would have this show in their all time favorites. Again this is a mainland china production , so the action, screenplay and location have to be great. All you guys who truely love someone would really like this. I don't any version apart from 1983 version is better than this.

The Legend of the Condor Heroes 2003




# Li Ya Peng as Guo Jing
# Zhou Xun as Huang Rong
# Zhou Jie as Yang Kang
# Shui Ling as Mu Nianci

Based on the novel "Legend of Condor Hero" by Jin Yong, the story is set in the middle of Song Dynasty and at the beginning of the Nuzhen Invasion of China. Two dedicated Song Dynasty young men, Yang Tie Xin and Guo Xiao Tian find out that their wives are pregnant. They promise each other that when their children are born, they would become either sworn brothers or sworn sisters (if both are the same gender) or be married if they were of different genders. One night they befriend a Taoist priest named Qiu Chuji of Quan Zhen Sect who's wanted by Jin soldiers. Qiu Chuji dispatches soldiers coming to arrest him with ease and leaves when he sees a signal of his Sect appear in the night sky.

Yang's kind hearted wife, Bao Xirou, rescues a wounded man who turns out to be the Jin prince Wanyan Honglie. When the Jin soldiers return, the two families are torn asunder. Wanyan Honglie takes Bao Xirou to the Jin capital while Guo Li Ping is taken by a greedy Jin soldier, Duan Tiande, to the Mongolian outskirts. Both women believe that their husbands perished trying to save them.

Upon discovering his friends' demise, Qiu Chuji vows to find their children and teach them martial arts so that they can avenge the wrong done to their families. Hot on the trail of Duan Tiande, Qiu Chuji "befriends" The 7 Weirdos of Jiangnan. In exchange for helping Qiu Chuji find the two women, they make a friendly wager. Upon finding the children of Yang and Guo, each side will teach the child they find their martial arts. On the 18th birthday of the two children, they will all gather and have the two duel each other. The rest of the series depicts the trials and tribulations that the two sons underwent. Guo Jing, Guo Xiao Tian's son, grows up in Mongolia under the protection of Genghis Khan. Yang Kang, on the other hand, grows up as a prince in the Jin Empire.

Review :This is the second version of LOCH which i have seen , first being my most favorite 1983 version. This version also is pretty good for me, they followed the story well and i am a big fan of Li Yapeng , once again he did a great job playing Guo Jing. This is also a mainland production , so the fight scenes and locations are just awesome .Definetly budget is not a problem for them. I have also seen LOCH 2008 but was not much impressed by that so i will not add 2008 version on my blog.

Laughing in the wind 2001





Cast

# Li Ya Peng as Linghu Chong
# Xu Qing as Ren Ying Ying (Holy Maiden)
# Wei Zi as Yue Buqun (Headmaster of Huashan's Qi faction)
# Miao Yi Yi as Yue Ling Shan

Plot
The plot's initial development revolves around a coveted martial arts manual known as the Bixie Swordplay Manual. The manual has been passed down as a family heirloom in the Lin family of the Fuzhou Fuwei Escort Agency, but the escort agency is massacred by Yu Canghai, head of Qingcheng Sect, to obtain the secret manual himself. Lin Pingzhi, the only son, survives and is rescued by Yue Buqun, the leader of the Mount Hua Sect, part of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance that binds the Taoist Five Great Mountains. Yue and his kindly wife accept Lin as their new disciple before the rest of his pupils and trains him in swordplay.
The protagonist of the novel is Yue's eldest disciple Linghu Chong, an orphaned, happy-go-lucky but honorable swordsman who loves liquor. He befriends notorious lecherous bandit Tian Boguang and rescues pretty nun Yilin of the (North) Mount Heng Sect from being raped by Tian. Meanwhile, Liu Zhengfeng of the (South) Mount Heng Sect announces his plans to retire from the jianghu and invites fellow pugilists to witness the ceremony. However, the event culminates into a bloodbath when the orthodox sects accuse Liu of unfaithfulness to their code. Liu and his friend, Qu Yang of the unorthodox Sun Moon Holy Cult, commit suicide after being cornered by the pugilists. They pass on the score of their music piece Xiao'ao Jianghu to Linghu before their deaths.
Watch this show to know more of the story.

Review: This show is based on Jin Yong's novel. Although i have not seen anyother version of Xiao Ao Jianghu, still i feel this is definetly the best adaptation. Li Yapeng as Linghu and Xu Qing as Yingying are just mind blowing, both really look great on the screen. The story is pretty good and you will get addicted to the show once you start it. This is definetly in my top 5 all time favorite wuxia shows.
This show is actually the very first mainland production of Jin Yong novel. The show has really great kungfu fights and sword fights which i have never seen in anyother wuxia from Hongkong TVB production. No wonder Jin Yong doesn't want TVB to make adaptation of his novels, TVB is way behind mainland china when it comes to action and locations. I really recommend this show all you wuxia lovers..

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Blood Stained Intrigue 1986





Characters

* Bak Jin Man (Au Wai Len)
He is the oldest of the threesome. Perhaps the only one with a happy ending?

* Bak Yuk Ying (Yung Wai Mun)
She is the middle one, the one who possesses cold blood warm heart. ^^

* Bak Jin Mo (Jimmy Au Sui Wai)
He is the youngest. He gets in very complex relationships with multiple girls, although he only likes one girl.

* Hung Chun Yu (Lai Han Chi)
The evil puppeteer in this series dealing with all sorts of conspiracies.

Plot:
The series started off with the Bak family being hunted down by the people of the martial art world. They are a well-known family and consist of 5 members: the father--Bak Fung Tin (Kenneth Tsang), the mother, and their 3 children: Jin Man, Yuk Ying, and Jin Mo. Fung Tin was said to have murdered the leaders of 4 powerful sects, so the head of the martial art world ordered that his whole family be killed.

The Story then progress on how the three siblings survive and meet again to avenge their parents death.

Review :

This is one of my all time favorites. The story and suspense is just amazing. It has everything action, romance,suspense,ghost,evil forces,strange animals,two very powerful swords .. hehe.. everything is there.
Its a 40 episode show, though not based on any novel still it deals with a lot of characters and their stories. All Wuxia fans this is just one of the best made shows ever.. A must watch..

The Final Combat 1989

# Stephen Chow as Tuen Fei
# Francis Ng as Tuen Yuk Lau

Plot : KU FUNG (Ng Man Tat) and TU HOI (Lau Kong), both are the former apprentices under the Sect of Wan Chong. In order to decipher the rebel KU YIM YEUNG's (also played by Ng Man Tat) Virgin Skill, FUNG and HOI took the risk to steal the inherited mystique which contains the Blissful Skill in it. Unfortunately they failed and FUNG was expelled from the sect. As HOI felt obliged to FUNG, he brought up FUNG's son KU YUK LAU (Francis Ng Chun Yu) whereas he neglected the upbringing of his own son TU FEI (Stephen Chow Sing Chi). FEI is an instinct mischief and he dislikes sectarian wrangling. In order to assume the hegemony, LAU has been making use of his own lover SUET NGAN (Nam Kit Ying). He even practises the Virgin Skill under an evil faction. FEI is encouraged by his close friend LEE CHU (Jacqueline Law) in learning the Blissful Skill to fight against LAU in a life-and-death battle.


This show is very hilarious, Stephen Chow is awesome. Never seen him in any other drama but i am fan of his movies. This show has 30 episodes and you will not be bored at any time. The Story is fairly simple , actually the show wouldn't have been in my favorites if stephen was not a part of the show. Fight seens are good. I am having difficulty in remembring much of this show..its been quite a while since i had seen this one.. but i do remember the climax , its just really superb. Check this one out guys ,i bet you will like it. Worth spending time.

Demi Gods and Semi Devils 1982




Cast

Leung Ka Yan -Xiao Feng
Kent Tong - Duan Yu
Idy Chan - Wang YuYan
Sek Sau - MuRong Fu
Felix Wong - Xu Zhu


Plot:
Three Heroes of the Story
1.Duan Yu is a young, naive prince of the Kingdom of Dali. During his adventures, he encounters several beautiful young maidens, such as Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing, and falls in love with them. However, one by one, these maidens are revealed to be actually his half-sisters due to his father's past illicit affairs with several women, such as Gan Baobao and Qin Hongmian. Of these maidens, he is extremely obsessed with Wang Yuyan.

2.Qiao Feng is the popular and charismatic chief of the Beggars' Sect, who possesses strong leadership qualities and exceptional prowess in martial arts. He falls from grace after he is revealed to be a Khitan, and after he is wrongly accused of murdering several fellow pugilists to conceal his identity. He becomes an outcast of the wulin and the prime enemy of all Han Chinese pugilists.

3.Xuzhu is a monk from the Shaolin Sect, described to have a kind-hearted and submissive nature.He follows his elders to a pugilist meeting once, which marks the start of his adventures. Coincidentally and by sheer luck, Xuzhu breaks a weiqi formation and becomes the successor of the Carefree Sect and inherits the powers of Wuyazi. Subsequently, he encounters Tianshan Tonglao and other acquaintances of Wuyazi and learns martial arts from them. He becomes the leader of several unorthodox sects in the jianghu by chance again.

Review : Another Classic from Jin Yong. I haven't seen this version completely , but i have seen the 2003 version so i know the story. This drama is filled with romance,action and suspense. Thats why i won't write much of the story , there is a lot of suspense in the story.
Xiao Feng is the main hero for me, his role is very good and the main pillar of the whole story. Duan Yu and Xu Zhu were more like supporting actors to me. I would suggest to watch this version as it explains the complex story very clearly.

The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre 1986





Cast

Tony Leung (Zhang WuJi)
Kitty Lai (Zhao Min)
Sheren Teng (Zhou ZhiRou)
Kenneth Tsang (Golden Hair Lion King)

Plot : Story as name is revolves around Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre and whats the secret in them ,that all in world are killing each other to obtain them.
The protagonist, Zhang Wuji, is of mixed heritage: his father, Zhang Cuishan, hails from the righteous Wudang Sect under the master Zhang Sanfeng, while his mother, Yin Susu, is from the unorthodox Heavenly Eagle Cult. As a boy, he lives with them and his godfather, Xie Xun, on the isolated northern island where he was born. He returns to the Chinese mainland and loses his parents after they are cornered by several pugilists coveting the Dragon-slaying Saber. At the same time, he is wounded by the Xuanming Elders and survives after seeking medical treatment from Hu Qingniu.

His adventures further lead him to discover the long-lost Nine Yang Manual and he masters the skills within, becoming a formidable pugilist. Subsequently, he resolves the conflict between the Ming Cult and the six major orthodox sects, who are intent on destroying the cult. He earns the respect of the cult's members and becomes its leader after mastering the powerful skill "Heaven and Earth Great Shift". He reforms the cult and helps to improve its relations with the other sects. He becomes a key figure in leading the rebel forces to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty.

Throughout his adventures, Zhang finds himself entangled in a complex web of love relationships with four maidens. The first, Yin Li, is a horribly disfigured girl, who is actually his cousin. The second, Xiaozhao, is a beautiful Chinese-Persian servant girl who understands him very well. The third, Zhou Zhiruo, is a childhood friend whom he develops a strong bond with. The fourth, Zhao Min, is a Mongol princess and his former arch-rival. Yin Li is apparently killed in the middle of the story while Xiaozhao returns to Persia after it is revealed that she is destined to lead the Persian Ming Cult.

Review :
This is the third of the Condor Trilogy (LOCH,ROCH,HSDS).This story to me is just an epic like LOCH. Zhang Wuji is way better than both Yang Guo and Guo Jing. He's smart and analyses situations well. He becomes a formidable kungfu master and leader at just 20 yrs age. All the beauties of the show have given their hearts to him .. hehe.. lucky guy.
This show is so well made and tony leung is just awesome. This show is a must watch and this is the best adaptation of HSDS.

The Return of the Condor Heroes 1983





# Andy Lau as Yang Guo
# Idy Chan as Dragon Girl (Xiao Longnu)
The sequel to LOCH. Its story of Yang Guo, son of Yang/Wanyan Kang and Mu Nianci. Guo is a very smart kid like his father, hence Huang Rong fears he will turn out bad like his father. So Jing sents him to Quanzen School. But he gets humiliated there and eventually joins Ancient Tomb Sect and learns kungfu from Dragon Girl.
Guo also meets Ouyang Feng and makes him his Godfather. Ouyang Feng hits acupoint of dragon girl and she gets freezed. One of the taoist takes advantage of her and rapes her, by putting a blind fold on Dragon girl's eyes. She thinks that Yang Guo has done that and asks him to marry her. But Guo could not understand what she's talking about. This makes Dragon Girl sad and she leaves him. Then story goes on as Yang guo meets Guo Jing and Rong again and refuses their proposal to marry Guo Fu (their daughter). Whole martial world opposes and insults the love between Yang Guo and Dragon Girl as she was his teacher. Then story progresses with how Yang Guo inherits Dugu Qiubai Sword style and becomes the One Armed Condor Hero. And will he will ever unite with the only love of his life Dragon Girl ?

Review : This is a very touching story , how many difficulties and challenges Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu had to face. Dragon Girl is only 4 years older than Yang Guo, so it was very likely that both of them would fall in love as they lived all alone for years in the ancient tomb. Many characters like Guo Jing , Huang Rong , Huang Yaoshi, Zhou Botong, Hong Qiqong , Ouyang Feng , Master Ke(eldest seven freaks) will also be there in this series and will encounter Yang Guo at times.
Main Villains are Golden Wheel Abbot,Li Mochou , Huodu (Mongol Prince),Möngke Khan , Kublai Khan, Gongsun Zhi (master of passionless valley)
Though this one was not good as LOCH but it still is a classic. So all Wuxia lovers , you have to see this one too.

Monday, February 21, 2011

The Legend of the Condor Heroes 1983






This is my all time favorite show starring Felix Wong (Guo Jing) and Barbara Yung (Huang Rong).
This show is made in 3 parts :
LOCH 1 - Iron Blooded Loyalist : Mishappenings to Guo and Yang family. Birth of Guo Jing and how he earns respect from Ghengis Khan and his kungfu learning from Seven Freaks of Jiangnan. Meeting Huang Rong , falling in love. Fight with Yang Kang who is his sworn brother.
LOCH 2 - Eastern Heretic and Westorn Venom : Learning 18 dragon subduing palms. Misunderstanding due to Princess Huazeng who loves Guo Jing. Meeting Zhou Botong on Peach Blossom Island. Competition with Oyang Ke for Huang Rong and Nine Yin Manual. Getting stuck on lonely island. Fight for book of Wumu
LOCH 3 - Battle at Mount Hua: Misunderstanding at begger sect meeting. Fight with Iron Palm Qiu Quanren. Story of Yinggu and Zhou Botong. Reaching to Southern Emperor to save Huang Rong. Fight at Mount Hua. Battle with Jins.

Review : This is the best adaptation of LOCH. All actors are fit to their character. If you consider yourself a wuxia lover and you haven't seen this show then you are not worthy of being a wuxia lover. This is like the most epic story and this show is the best ever made wuxia show in history.