|
| September 2006 | SITE MAP SEARCH |
|
The Peacock King cast: Yuen Biao, Gloria Yip, Pauline Wong, Hiroshi Mikami, and Gordon Liu director: Ngai Kam-lam 86 minutes (15) 1988 widescreen ratio 2.35:1 Hong Kong Legends DVD Region 2 retail RATING: 8/10 reviewed by Debbie Moon |
|
|
Man has upset the balance of nature, and the arising of Ashura, hell's virgin, heralds
the opening of the gates of hell. Two monks - one Chinese, one Japanese -set off to
destroy Ashura and frustrate the plans of her father, the King of Hell. Lucky Fruit
is poised and spiritual, Peacock is boastful and easily distracted, and neither really
wants to work with the other. When it becomes obvious that Ashura is an innocent being
manipulated by dark forces, and a pretty Japanese girl insists on accompanying them on
their quest, things get really complicated. Will they be able to overcome their differences
and band together to defeat the forces of darkness? This contemporary action comedy may not make a lot of sense, but it's brimming over with imagination and inventive scenes. How could you not like a movie in which kung-fu masters take on demonically possessed life-size model dinosaurs, or animated demons live in discarded hamburger boxes? As if that wasn't enough, there's a complicated backstory regarding the two monks' destinies to unravel, some evil assassins, and twin love stories. It's hard to know what to say about The Peacock King (aka: Kujaku ô). If you like this sort of thing, you'll love it, and if not, you'll find it confusing and silly. Personally, I thought it was great fun. It may not be the best movie ever - and if you're looking for action, there's rather more magic than martial arts - but for enjoyable light entertainment, what more could you possibly want? DVD extras: star Yuen Biao talks extensively about the difference between the Hong Kong and Japanese martial arts features (and, judging from most of what he says, isn't planning to work in Japan anytime soon) in two interviews about two different films. There's also sample footage from various other releases, and two trailers.
NEXT
Did you find this review helpful? Any comments are always welcome! Please support VideoVista, buy stuff online using these links - Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Send it | W.H. Smith |