THE RED PHOENIX is an interesting little kung fu flick with a very different plot. It's lower budgeted than you might expect, having been made in Taiwan, with most of the money having gone on the excellent cast. However, the filming locations are often outdoors and feature some gorgeous local landscapes which really count towards it. It's a colourful, visual mystery story, in which a group of patriots aligned with Dr Sun Yat-sen find themselves ambushed and killed, one by one, by a mysterious and creepy red-masked figure. David Chiang is the righteous young hero attempting to solve the crime; Polly Shang Kuan a member of a rival house who spars and eventually teams up with him. The patriots include Shaw legends Yueh Hua and Lo Lieh among their number, while the many fight scenes mix speedy choreography with primitive special effects to fun effect. It's an enjoyable little fight flick, totally obscure but worth tracking down for genre fans.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
