The Magic Blade: Shaw Brothers (1976) | DVD Review

While perhaps not the best-known of the Shaw Brothers’ films, The Magic Blade ranks near the top in terms of sheer outrageousness and overall fun factor. It features plenty of exciting swordplay action but of note is its relatively simple yet well-thought-out plot.

Based on the novel by Ku Lung (“Killer Clans”, “Sword of the Third Master”), The Magic Blade starts with poncho-wearing Fu Hung-hsueh (Ti Lung, Drunken Master II) on a quest to find and slay rival swordsman Yen Nan-Fei (Lo Lieh, 36th Chamber of Shaolin). Naturally, he finds his enemy and the two begin a fight to the death. Interrupted by assasins out to kill them both, they decide to team up in an effort to find the Peacock Dart, the most deadly weapon ever. Of course, they’re not the only ones out to get their hands on this ultimate weapon, as the evil Master Yu dispatches scores of assasins to ambush them at any opportunity. True to the genre, each attempt on their lives one-ups the previous one in terms of ever-escalating absurdity, including a human chess game, right up to the inevitable battle between our heroes and Master Yu’s team of baddies. Apart from the bizarre set pieces, what marks The Magic Blade as a cut above most other swordplay fare of that era are the keen comedic moments and multiple plot twists that keep the viewer guessing as to who will double-cross whom next.

Director Chu Yuan, who also directed adaptations of the two Ku Lung novels mentioned above, quite obviously pays homage to Spaghetti-Westerns and, by extension, Akira Kurosawa with The Magic Blade. We have the poncho-clad hero, the tumbleweed rolling through the desterted town, the theatrical showdowns (albeit with swords instead of guns), etc. All this is not to say that there isn’t anything in the film for fans of good old-fashioned swordplay epics, including plenty of excellently choreographed fight scenes, replete with the shrill clanging of whatever it was that special effects technicians of the day used to replicate the sounds of swords hitting each other. If none of this convinces you that this is a unique film that you wouldn’t want to miss, consider the character of Devil’s Granny, played with abundant glee by Teresa Hsia Ping (River of Fury, King Gambler). She is easily the best and most mischievous cannibalistic demolitions expert ever commited to celluloid.

The film is presented in a nice 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio that really shines in the long shots and in the group battle sequences, with a decent Dolby Digital Mono mix, and (of course) the requisite hilarious English dub.
As far as extras go, it’s slim pickings, friends. The only one directly related to the movie is a photo gallery consisting of screen captures from the film.
The reason this disc gets its “Worthy Viewing” rating, however, is the inclusion of close to thirty previews of other Shaw Brothers and Asian films. Each and every one of them is highly entertaining and extremely comedic (intentionally or not). If you’re hosting a theme party, setting the DVD player to “Play All” on repeat would be a great backdrop and help to set the ultimate tone.

Obviously a must for fans of the Shaw Brothers’ work, The Magic Blade also promises lots of fun for admirers of the Leone-Eastwood era of spaghetti-westerns who’ve exhausted their viewing options within that genre. Definitely worth a look, if only to say you’ve seen Devil’s Granny in action.

Movie rating – 3.5

Disc Rating – 2.5