This Asian entry in the "super-criminal" genre (which was dominated by the Europeans and the Americans in the 1960s) is more erotically suggestive than its peers, and has an unusually active female heroine, but storywise it is uninvolving, routine and often boring, despite the relatively short length (76 minutes). There are some good fight scenes with female cop Tina Chin facing multiple opponents at the same time, and at one point even herself (!), but the action climax, with two people, one of whom is a mere newspaper reporter, taking out an entire army of some of the worst shots ever hired by a supposedly super-smart crime boss, is quite absurd. I should have liked this film more, but for some reason I wasn't really feeling it. ** out of 4.
4 Reviews
AWESOME!!!
BandSAboutMovies15 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
At once a Shaw Brothers film, a Eurospy action movie and kind of like the Hong Kong Danger Diabolik, Temptress of a Thousand Faces is why I watch movies.
Officer Chi-ying (Tina Chin-Fei) is trying to hunt down the Temptress, who she publically dares to come after her. The Temptress agrees to this by stealing her identity, flirting with an entire club full of men and cleaning out a jewelry store while wearing Chi-ying's face. Our heroine's name gets cleared by her photographer boyfriend Inspector Yu (Liang Chen), who ends up being the one in peril when dealing with the titular villainess and her army of henchwomen.
Yes, the Temptress really does have a thousand masks, maybe even more, as well as an unlimited supplies of knockout gas and scantily clad women ready to answer her every command. This is a movie that at once has a strong female heroine and antagonist, but also one that has fan service aplenty, like the Temptress appearing being bathed by her handmaidens and Chi-ying fighting barefoot in a near see-through gown, but the men around them are such morons that they can't help but shine, no matter how much of the male gaze gets thrown their way.
There's a bomb that gets deactivated with seven seconds left - just like Goldfinger - as well as a volcano base - just like You Only Live Twice - and even the Bond theme playing just because, well, this movie is a riot and unafraid where it's taking stuff from. That's how good it is.
It all ends with Chi-ying battling the Temptress after she wears the face of our heroine and makes love to her man while she's forced to watch. A twin adversary kung fu spectacle, topped only with our heroine and her reclaimed man shooting near thousands of bullets and wiping out an entire base full of dedicated domina female supertroopers.
I may not have any power over Arrow, but I know another Shawscope box set has to be coming. I dream that this and Infra-Man end up on it, movies that show that the Shaw Brothers made more than just their typically amazing kung fu movies.
Officer Chi-ying (Tina Chin-Fei) is trying to hunt down the Temptress, who she publically dares to come after her. The Temptress agrees to this by stealing her identity, flirting with an entire club full of men and cleaning out a jewelry store while wearing Chi-ying's face. Our heroine's name gets cleared by her photographer boyfriend Inspector Yu (Liang Chen), who ends up being the one in peril when dealing with the titular villainess and her army of henchwomen.
Yes, the Temptress really does have a thousand masks, maybe even more, as well as an unlimited supplies of knockout gas and scantily clad women ready to answer her every command. This is a movie that at once has a strong female heroine and antagonist, but also one that has fan service aplenty, like the Temptress appearing being bathed by her handmaidens and Chi-ying fighting barefoot in a near see-through gown, but the men around them are such morons that they can't help but shine, no matter how much of the male gaze gets thrown their way.
There's a bomb that gets deactivated with seven seconds left - just like Goldfinger - as well as a volcano base - just like You Only Live Twice - and even the Bond theme playing just because, well, this movie is a riot and unafraid where it's taking stuff from. That's how good it is.
It all ends with Chi-ying battling the Temptress after she wears the face of our heroine and makes love to her man while she's forced to watch. A twin adversary kung fu spectacle, topped only with our heroine and her reclaimed man shooting near thousands of bullets and wiping out an entire base full of dedicated domina female supertroopers.
I may not have any power over Arrow, but I know another Shawscope box set has to be coming. I dream that this and Infra-Man end up on it, movies that show that the Shaw Brothers made more than just their typically amazing kung fu movies.
Another Shaw Bros. Production, and a lot of fun!
Bodgeka23 October 2004
At the Edmonton Film Festival, I caught the second screening of this hidden gem. The print was unrestored, so I was pleasantly surprised at how gorgeous it looked on the big screen in Shawscope. Beautiful bright colours and clarity.
The English Language title is "Temptress of a Thousand Faces". Directed by Cheng Chang-ho, best known for "Five Fingers of Death", this movie is not so much a martial arts movie as more of a crazy Hong Kong crime comedy. The aesthetic of the movie is very, very 60s, and I mean that in the best possible way. However, this movie might be a little too campy for some.
The story is very multi-layered, believe it or not. It's a love story and a crime story laced with themes of morality and identity crises, but the Three Stooges style comedy and ridiculous action scenes take away all pretension.
The premise: An underworld leader, who uses masks and other forms of deception, is wreaking havoc on Hong Kong and aspires for world domination. Through a series of unfortunate events, a young woman is caught up in the crimes of this "Temptress" and ends up being hunted down by both law-keepers and law-breakers. Sounds familiar, and it is, but the execution of this premise make the movie much more than just a standard episode of "Batman" with Adam West.
The chances of one getting to see this movie are quite slim, so if you do get the chance, seize it. "Temptress of a Thousand Faces" is a rare treat.
The English Language title is "Temptress of a Thousand Faces". Directed by Cheng Chang-ho, best known for "Five Fingers of Death", this movie is not so much a martial arts movie as more of a crazy Hong Kong crime comedy. The aesthetic of the movie is very, very 60s, and I mean that in the best possible way. However, this movie might be a little too campy for some.
The story is very multi-layered, believe it or not. It's a love story and a crime story laced with themes of morality and identity crises, but the Three Stooges style comedy and ridiculous action scenes take away all pretension.
The premise: An underworld leader, who uses masks and other forms of deception, is wreaking havoc on Hong Kong and aspires for world domination. Through a series of unfortunate events, a young woman is caught up in the crimes of this "Temptress" and ends up being hunted down by both law-keepers and law-breakers. Sounds familiar, and it is, but the execution of this premise make the movie much more than just a standard episode of "Batman" with Adam West.
The chances of one getting to see this movie are quite slim, so if you do get the chance, seize it. "Temptress of a Thousand Faces" is a rare treat.
This is it!
Sinafter30 August 2019
I am a huge fan of sixties movies. If they happen to be spy films, all the better. If they happen to be from Hong Kong, best of all!
Like earlier Shaw Brothers classics, Angel With The Iron Fists and Operation Lipstick, this film features the wonderful Tina Chin-Fei in a glorious and light-hearted fighting frenzy! The plot is not Shakespeare and is just an excuse for the action and the humour which is plentiful but perhaps not always intentional.
I am disappointed by the fact that this super stylish Jane Bond film is out of print while Shaw Brothers formula kung fu films continue to have a worldwide market. The world doesn't know what it's missing. The sets, costumes and fight choreography are as dated as they are delightful.
Films like this may be considered cheap and derivative but they come from a wonderful place and time which will never be seen again and should not be forgotten.
Like earlier Shaw Brothers classics, Angel With The Iron Fists and Operation Lipstick, this film features the wonderful Tina Chin-Fei in a glorious and light-hearted fighting frenzy! The plot is not Shakespeare and is just an excuse for the action and the humour which is plentiful but perhaps not always intentional.
I am disappointed by the fact that this super stylish Jane Bond film is out of print while Shaw Brothers formula kung fu films continue to have a worldwide market. The world doesn't know what it's missing. The sets, costumes and fight choreography are as dated as they are delightful.
Films like this may be considered cheap and derivative but they come from a wonderful place and time which will never be seen again and should not be forgotten.
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