THE MAGIC CRYSTAL is something of a hidden gem of Hong Kong cinema. It's a blistering thrill-ride of a film, packed with some top martial artists partaking in some top fight scenes, and it's as fast, funny, and thoroughly exciting as other, better known examples of Hong Kong '80s action cinema like POLICE STORY and DRAGONS FOREVER. And yet it's a virtually unknown film in the West, and I only found it as a B-feature on a German double-bill disc.
The use of a sci-fi sub-plot in which a child character finds an alien lump of jade may be why this one's been overlooked in favour of more straightforward action fare. Writer/director/star Wong Jing was obviously hoping to cash in on some Spielberg magic, with obvious nods to E.T. and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, but truth be told the film doesn't need it. The action sequences alone are far better than anything Spielberg ever did.
While the alien stuff is pretty cheap and cheesy, it's also fun and this film has plenty of comedy to keep you laughing along. One guy, played by Wong Jing himself, ends up being the butt of the most of the jokes and has plenty of pratfalls as a result. The martial arts comes courtesy of a reliable Cynthia Rothrock and a delightful Richard Norton, the latter playing a hulking Russian mastermind of a villain. The hero duties are performed by Andy Lau, who shows himself to be no slouch in the fight scenes either. And what a wealth of action THE MAGIC CRYSTAL has! It barely pauses to draw breath before offering up another superbly choreographed bout between the participants. It's certainly a film I'll be coming back to, to enjoy again and again, in the future.
The use of a sci-fi sub-plot in which a child character finds an alien lump of jade may be why this one's been overlooked in favour of more straightforward action fare. Writer/director/star Wong Jing was obviously hoping to cash in on some Spielberg magic, with obvious nods to E.T. and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, but truth be told the film doesn't need it. The action sequences alone are far better than anything Spielberg ever did.
While the alien stuff is pretty cheap and cheesy, it's also fun and this film has plenty of comedy to keep you laughing along. One guy, played by Wong Jing himself, ends up being the butt of the most of the jokes and has plenty of pratfalls as a result. The martial arts comes courtesy of a reliable Cynthia Rothrock and a delightful Richard Norton, the latter playing a hulking Russian mastermind of a villain. The hero duties are performed by Andy Lau, who shows himself to be no slouch in the fight scenes either. And what a wealth of action THE MAGIC CRYSTAL has! It barely pauses to draw breath before offering up another superbly choreographed bout between the participants. It's certainly a film I'll be coming back to, to enjoy again and again, in the future.