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THE
INVINCIBLE POWER OF KINDNESS
AKA:
A Warrior's Tragedy
Year:
1993 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
?!
This would seem the perfect way to start a review for a 90
minute feature that is apparently both of the 'Warrior's
Tragedy' films edited together. With such a sketchy history
one would expect a convoluted and often baffling film - not
surprisingly, 'Invincible Power Of Kindness' fits this
description all too accurately.
To
put the narrative in simple terms is not easy, but for the
sake of the review what follows is a brave attempt. Frankie
Chan takes the role of a warrior in search of revenge for his
father's killer. After lengthy training, the avenger sets out
into the Chinese wilderness to find out more about the killers
involved. On reaching a distant outpost he encounters a band
of cut-throat characters who want to hire his services for
their own purposes; among these is a crippled inn-keeper who
hopes to enlist the stranger into his diabolical plans.
Following this a chance meeting with a fellow avenger who is
looking to exorcise his own inner-demons and fight back
against those who killed members of his family. The paths of
both are soon entwined as the various plots and motives
unravel.
There
have been Hong Kong productions that have been baffling, but
retain a certain charm that makes them compulsive viewing.
Unfortunately 'Invincible Power Of Kindness' is not one of
them. Director Frankie Chan does, to his credit, use some
intriguing environments and fully capitalises on the grandeur
of the wild landscape. However he pays little intention to any
logical development of plot or characters; the viewer is
instead bombarded with bizarre characters and sudden twists
that are hard to swallow. With this formula running throughout
the film, it doesn't take long for viewing attention to drop
away completely. The action is one of the definite bright
spots and it is for this reason alone that some may want to
watch it. If only this strength was echoed into other areas
there may be more to recommend it.
It's
probable that 'Warrior's Tragedy 1+2' were more enjoyable when
viewed separately. In this format though there is very little
to support this assumption. A two and half star rating, but
there are odd moments which earn an extra star.
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