SIFF #8, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
While Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame sounds like the title of a Scooby Doo episode, it's actually an historical martial arts epic, directed by famous director Tsui Hark, based around a traditional Chinese hero, Judge Di (here rendered as "Detective Dee"). The Chinese have as mystery novels longer than we have, usually focused on an investigating judge; the traditional mystery opened a bit like "Columbo", where the reader sees the crime committed, and it's up to the judge/detective (pretty much the same thing in traditional China) to sort it out.
Dee, however, is from even farther back in time than that. This story involves the ascension of China's one and only Empress to reign in her own right (and even then, not entirely in her own right), Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty, and an actual official, Di Renjie, here called Detective Dee (who is also featured in a series of mystery novels set in the Tang by a Dutch author who in turn stole his stories from the Chinese).
The Detective has been called back after being exiled for speaking ill of the Empress. It seems something is causing officials at court to burst into flames, and Coronation day is fast approaching. Dee is tasked with finding out what's causing it, and what's behind it. It seems half the court wants to kill the Empress, and everybody wants to kill Dee, so our hero has his hands full with that.. and well as the Empress's beautiful chief enforcer.
The fight scenes were choreographed by the great Sammo Hung, who's been all over Hong Kong cinema (including working with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and recently on "Ip Man"), so it's a lot of old-school martial arts action. Some of the wire-work may seem old-fashioned to some.
But otherwise it's an over-the-top delirious romp with whips, maces, killer albinos, firebugs, giant Buddhas, and court intrigue.
My one real complaint is for whomever did the production design and the background work. It starts off with an "Umayyad" ambassador -- speaking fluent Castilian Spanish, and the ships in the river are 18th century four masters... Really, Tsui Hark, you know better than that....
Just one more to go!
Dee, however, is from even farther back in time than that. This story involves the ascension of China's one and only Empress to reign in her own right (and even then, not entirely in her own right), Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty, and an actual official, Di Renjie, here called Detective Dee (who is also featured in a series of mystery novels set in the Tang by a Dutch author who in turn stole his stories from the Chinese).
The Detective has been called back after being exiled for speaking ill of the Empress. It seems something is causing officials at court to burst into flames, and Coronation day is fast approaching. Dee is tasked with finding out what's causing it, and what's behind it. It seems half the court wants to kill the Empress, and everybody wants to kill Dee, so our hero has his hands full with that.. and well as the Empress's beautiful chief enforcer.
The fight scenes were choreographed by the great Sammo Hung, who's been all over Hong Kong cinema (including working with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and recently on "Ip Man"), so it's a lot of old-school martial arts action. Some of the wire-work may seem old-fashioned to some.
But otherwise it's an over-the-top delirious romp with whips, maces, killer albinos, firebugs, giant Buddhas, and court intrigue.
My one real complaint is for whomever did the production design and the background work. It starts off with an "Umayyad" ambassador -- speaking fluent Castilian Spanish, and the ships in the river are 18th century four masters... Really, Tsui Hark, you know better than that....
Just one more to go!