RETURN OF THE PHOENIX is, thus far, the earliest Shaw Brothers film I've seen and unsurprisingly the most old-fashioned. There's absolutely nothing here in common with Shaw's later vibrant epics of the late '60s; instead, this is filled with interminable song routines (at times the singing is closer to screeching) and a laboured, drawn-out plot. Half the cast seem to have the dodgiest gnashers in existence, while the slow-moving storyline means that this is static and often boring. Not one worth tracking down.
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