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Cast:
Yuen
Yat Chor
Yuen
Cheung Yan
Leung
Kar Yan
Eddy
Ko
Brandy
Yuen
Yuen
Shun Yi
Action:
Yuen
Clan
Producer:
Raymond
Chow
Director:
Yuen
Woo Ping
Score:
 
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THE
MIRACLE FIGHTERS
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1982 Reviewer: Tony
Ryan
This
1982 Yuen Clan collaboration is an extremely bizarre film, and
definitely an acquired taste. However, if you enjoy watching
people throwing their own heads as weapons or Yuen Shun Yi
fight a midget version of his own brother then your luck is
in!
The
style of the film is in a similar vein to Sammo Hung's 'Encounter
Of The Spooky Kind', albeit more over the top, but is
extremely well directed, and you can see the time and care
that has gone into shooting every scene, with many obviously
having to be re-shot numerous times to get right so as not to
look disjointed. It is interesting to see the Yuens working
together nearly twenty years ago, and even this long ago some
of their now trademark wirework styles and fight choreography
is evident. Yuen Cheung Yan is particularly good playing an
old female sorcerer, and looks almost the same as he does
today!
Unlike
most Woo Ping movies, this is not action packed with numerous
fight scenes holding together a loose story. In fact, it is
quite the opposite, as we are treated to very little action
until the finale, and the story itself is fairly complex
(especially for Woo Ping!), and is best left unexplained, as
it is unusual and confusing to say the least. With characters
such as 'Sorcerer Bat', 'Fake Prince' and 'Painted Face in
Pot', The Hong Kong Movie Database had classified it in the
'nonsense comedy' genre!
This
is a real love it or hate it kind of movie and while I found
it to be extremely amusing and entertaining, I have only given
it 3 out of 5 as it is not likely to be viewed more than a
couple of times, and there is not enough fight action for a
lot of people. However, 'Miracle Fighters' is worth purchasing
as not only is it extremely cheap to get the DVD, it has a lot
of charm and would appeal to any fans of 'Zu:
Warriors From The Magic Mountain', 'Encounter Of The
Spooky Kind' or the like. A classic, if not a masterpiece!
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