Return of The Bastard Swordsman

How long
1.5h

Foreword
There is a sequel to ‘The Bastard Swordsman’. It is the final showdown between Fei Yeung, Mou Dik and a Japanese warrior. For those who are curious over Mou Dik’s fate, you will get the answer here.

Story

A Japanese pugilist, Chi Yuet Sam Long (Chan Gun Toi) hears of the famous Wan Fei Yeung (Tsui Siu Keung) and Duk Gu Mou Dik (Man Tse Leung) from Chi Sam Si Long (Gu Goon Chung). He wants to spar with them with his mind controlling skill. Mou Dik has mastered the 10th level of Mou Dik skills and comes out of retreat. He learns that Yin Chong Tien is dead and laments that there is no worthy rival. He finds it unbearable that Fei Yeung has mastered the silk skill….due to his help. (Be surprised to see Lau Wing’s ex-wife, Lai Yin Shan acts as one of his henchmen.)

Dou Mik decides to get rid of him – his sect has lost to the silk skill for generations so he goes to Mou Dong. He gives them 7 days to find Fei Yeung or he will wipe out the whole sect. he forbids any of them to leave Mou Dong mountain. The fact is – the Mou Dong members do not know where he or Lun Yuen Yee (Ma Mun Yee) are so they are just stalling for time. Yiu Fung (Lau Siu Kuan) suggests getting help from the other sects to combine their strength.

Fung can’t find him so he looks for Lee Bo Yee for help. But he soon discovers that he is only a cheat although he has a red birthmark on his forehead. (Actually he has looked for the wrong man.) The real one (Lau Wing) sits beside him but he doesn’t recognize him. He even thinks that he is a cheat and refuses to believe that his ‘brother’ will be in trouble. Bo Yee even says that he will run into trouble if he keeps running around. Fung is ambushed by Mou Dik sect members and runs to Bo Yee for help.

Bo Yee helps him to chase them away since Fung finally believes that he isn’t a fraud. Bo Yee is Fei Yeung’s friend so he tells Fung that he and Yuen Yee are staying in a quiet place. He knows where Fei Yeung is but they can’t return on time as they need 5 days instead of 3 days. Fung gives him the words ‘Mou Dong’ for him to predict their fate and Bo Yee concludes that all members will be dead instead.

The 5 sect leaders meet at Mou Dong but they and all others are killed by the Japanese experts one night. Sam Long is sure that Fei Yeung will seek revenge on them. Bo Yee and Fung return to Mou Dong to find the whole place in ruins. Fung thinks that Dou Dik is behind this as he has given the threat. Fei Yeung wonders why he can’t see the 7 star formation in the sky.

Yuen Yee assures him that they are only covered by the clouds. Fei Yeung feels something amiss and wonders what is wrong. Yuen Yee then suggests visiting their seniors the next day since he misses them. But he is afraid that he will be asked to stay if he goes. The two men inform them of the deaths. Bo Yee wants him to be careful as he senses danger on his face. (His prediction is forever accurate.)

Mou Dik wonders who frames him for the killings. His henchmen suspect that it is not doings from someone from the Central Plains. But he is enraged when they have no idea. Fei Yeung comes to Mou Dik sect and kills many, leaving his name on a stone lion. Mou Dik discovers that ‘Fei Yeung’ is Si Long and demands to know why he is against Mou Dik sect.

After testing some strokes, Mou Dik realises that he is a Japanese warrior. Si Long admits to the killings and dies after seriously injured by him. Fei Yeung and Yuen Yee come to demand for redress but he shows him Si Long’s head. Mou Dik will never use despicable means to win people over. He will only look for the Japanese after defeating Fei Yeung. Yuen Yee retorts that he will continue to be a loser. (Soon she will discover how wrong she is.)

Fei Yeung decides to look for the Japanese warriors but Mou Dik insists of sparing with him.
He removes Mou Dik’s gloves to find his hands to be in blue and red. Fei Yeung is injured but still traps Mou Dik in a cocoon. (I nearly yell – isn’t the silk skill more formidable than Mou Dik skill all along even though Mou Dik has mastered the highest level?! OR…our Swordsman Wan has been lax in his training?) t Mou Dik breaks through it and Bo Yee tells him to go to the beach. Bo Yee gives him an unlucky amulet – it is written - he should not harbour over glory now or he will not get anything in the end.

He uses the ink pad to get Mou Dik’s palm print. He can tell that he is impotent with a failed marriage and his breathing is terrible. Bo Yee manages to flee on time. The Japanese warriors attack them at the beach. Fung is killed as Bo Yee comes too late. Mou Dik is hurt by Bo Yee’s remarks although his henchmen assures him that he is still invincible. If so, how can Bo Yee rescue him? Mou Dik vomits blood.

His ghost physician, Lam Sam Chok (Lo Liet) cures him and advises him not to get too agitated.
He has gone berserk as he spends too much time practicing his skills. He must tame his temper to live for a few more years. Bo Yee and Yuen Yee are on their way to send Fei Yeung to another physician, Wong Lok. 13 leaves fall from the tree – this is an unlucky number.

Sure enough, Sam Long ambushes them. Luckily Bo Yee forces them to retreat. Their faces tell him that danger is approaching again. He brings them to Wong Lok and Wong Lok seizes Sam Chok’s medicine to cure Fei Yeung. The two physicians actually come from the same sect. After drinking it, silk patches start to form on Fei Yeung. He wakes up a few days later, recovered.

Sam Long comes to Mou Dik sect. Mou Dik loses to his heart threatening skill. Even though Sam Chok tries giving him medical pills, he thrusts them aside. Sam Chok is also killed on the spot. Before dying, Mou Dik still insists that he is invincible when sitting on his ‘imperial chair’.

Bo Yee and Fei Yeung finally get to meet Sam Long. They realize that he is always at the upper hand even though both men combine forces. Bo Yee has an idea – the men use two drums, trying to defeat him. The sound of the drums can counterattack his heart threatening skill. Sam Long damages a drum but Bo Yee manages to hit on another. But he uses to much force to break the remaining one. Bo Yee sees a big pot and uses it as replacement.

Bo Yee keeps knocking on the pot so that Fei Yeung can concentrate attacking Sam Long. Sam Long is able to get out of the cocoons that Fei Yeung creates repeatedly. Fei Yeung manages to trap Sam Long into the last cocoon and kill him with Bo Yee’s help.

Conclusion

It is so confusing to watch this movie initially as those who are dead suddenly come alive – Lau Wing and Gu Goon Chung reappear again playing different roles. Is the Shaw stable that lacking of actors those days or they are trying to groom Lau Wing? And what is the purpose of having a Japanese warrior in the story?

Another minus is it should not have come up with lots of unnecessary characters. It isn’t helping the story much. I am duped to watch it. i have thought that Fei Yeung and Bo Yee will share the same screen coverage but this movie proves me wrong. He proves to be more witty and skilled than Swordsman Wan – no wonder the title includes his name. With Swordsman Wan seriously injured now, he needs his and Yuen Yee’s help desperately….oh….what is the producer up to?!

It is not Lau Wing’s fault to turn it out to be like this. In fact, I enjoy his acting as he makes Bo Yee so humorous. In contrast, Fei Yeung turns into a stubborn mule and refuses to listen to his advice! Siu Keung’s appearance is reduced to a minimal. The rest have more lines than him. Sigh – how can this happen? Chan also makes his Sam Long character formidable looking and Tse Leung also makes a good evil leader. However, their presence does not help to make this production watchable.

The only highlight is the duel between Mou Dik and Fei Yeung. It is truly exciting. But alas – our Swordsman Wan loses miserably in this one and only duel. Why aren’t them fighting again – to give Sam Long the pleasure and honour to fight with them separately?

I know that it is a serious movie but I just can’t help laughing throughout the 1.5h. Please imagine this - Sam Long’s invincible heart threatening skill is like enlarging the heart by twenty times and he seems to have a bloated stomach instead. When it goes in and out, he reminds me of a toad. The part with him clinging Mou Dik towards him so that he can press his heart against his back to kill him produces the comical effect instead. Did they borrow the idea of Ow Yeung Fung’s ‘Toad Skill’ from ‘Legend of the Condor Heroes’?!

And the use of the drums – it is absolute nonsense! It is not like playing the drums can help Sam Long’s heart to expand and explode. I feel like offing the computer in the midst of watching but I still wish to give a fair rating. Although a swordfighting drama is an imaginary production, the producer should not have stretched his imagination too far.

Please do not watch it. You will be utterly disappointed as me. No wonder many sequels aren’t as good as the first one I never expect Shaw to come up with such a bad and terrible movie which is so unbearable. Luckily there is no Part 3 to make my heart bleed further.