Synopsis
The picture is conceived as a series of action tableaux, ostensibly denoting Hu's interest in military strategy and his sheer enjoyment in directing or constructing every variation of action choreography. The plot is indistinct; it unfolds with a sense of adventure and doughty humor, evident in those action scenes, which seem to spring willy-nilly from the opening narrative after the picture's historical context is put in place. That context is the Ming dynasty at some point in the middle of the 16th century, when an ineffective government fails to stop the activities of Japanese pirates along the East China coast. Hu makes clear that this is because corrupt officials within the administration are colluding with the pirates for private benefit. The problem is sufficiently serious to merit the emperor? appointment of an imperial commissioner to oversee its resolution. Yu Dayou (Roy Chiao), a soldier known for his unorthodox and personal style, is entrusted with the task of eliminating the pirates. Yu enlists a small group of fighters, consisting of trusted aides under his command, and a taciturn couple: a sword fighting gentleman and his knight-lady, superbly underplayed by Bai Ying and Hsu Feng. (Stephen Teo)