(1996)
2.5
Donald Guarisco
This swordplay epic -- an update of the early martial arts classic The One-Armed Swordsman -- has style to burn, but is a bit too ambitious for its own good. It's main problem is an overloaded script; subplots concerning a romantic triangle and the way females view males overwhelm the revenge tale at the heart of the story instead of fleshing it out. As a result, The Blade's story never manages to establish a comfortable rhythm or coherent story flow because it constantly shifts gears and exchanges one plot thread or theme for another. This makes getting through the film a sometimes trying experience, but The Blade offers some rewards for the patient viewer. Man Cheuk Chiu handles his transformation from impetuous youth to single-minded killing machine with skill and Tsui Hark's willingness to experiment with the genre's rules (a female character as a narrator, avoiding wirework trickery in favor of brutally realistic fights) is quite pleasing. Best of all, The Blade is full of stunning swordplay set pieces, including a terrifying nocturnal fight in a large bamboo structure that is soon decimated by slashing swords and the scene where Ding On first tests out of his self-created "spinning blade" fighting technique. All in all, The Blade is a bit too experimental and unfocused for the casual action fan, but has enough solid action and intriguing stylistic flourishes to please the hardcore Hong Kong film fan.
The Blade on AllMovie
The Blade (1996)
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