Swords and Stuff

YELLOW RIVER FIGHTER-1988-In China, "a thousand years ago", 3 warlords fight for supremacy.
a great swordsman fails to protect his daughter who is killed by one of the warlords. He goes on a drunken spree and is befriended/exploited by a magician/con-artist who has him do a "drunken sword dance" but another warlord has some of his men poison the swordsman. He doesn't die but instead goes blind. Later the third warlord King Quan (who's life the swordsman saved earlier) takes in the swordsman and the con-artist. He helps the swordsman open a fighting school. Even though he seems nice he sends assassins (in cool masks) to kill the remaining warlord King Lee and his daughter Jen-Jen. After some deceitful tricks by Quan, the swordsman is forced to kill Lee (who has an awesome fighting weapon) because he thinks his daughter's dead. The final showdown takes place in a monastery during a lightening storm and on a cliff near a raging waterfall.

This historical drama (with some comedy) has great sword battles but is brought down somewhat by the con artist character's constant whining and the badly dubbed voices. Director Hsin-yen Chang also made DEADEND BESIEGERS.

Thanks for reading!