Dragon Chronicles, The: The Maidens of Heavenly Mountain (1994) Review

“The Dragon Chronicles” DVD Cover

Director: Andy Chin
Producer: Jimmy Heung
Cast: Brigitte Lin, Gong Li, Sharla Cheung, Frankie Lam, Norman Chu, Ku Tin-yi, Liu Kai-chi
Running Time: 97 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Convoluted plots, a dizzying cast of characters, and breakneck pacing are all some of the defining characteristics of many a wuxia movie. From the Chor Yuen directed Gu Long adaptations during the 70’s Shaw Brothers heyday, through to the wire-filled extravaganzas of the early 90’s new wave, as a viewer unacquainted with the source material (if indeed there was any) such productions where often a test of mental agility for western audiences. Despite all of these factors though, I have a soft spot for wuxia flicks. They have an undefinable coolness to them, whether it be watching a poncho adorned Ti Lung slicing through opponents with a twirling blade, or Jet Li fending off multiple projectile swords whilst gliding through the air, there’s a poetic quality that transcends the boundaries of the standard kung fu flick.

Most importantly of all though, no matter how complex the plot gets, generally I find myself able to follow along enough to know what’s going down. Rival clans, dominance of the martial arts world, mystical weapons, and forbidden love – stick them all in a blender, and even if the portions are different every time, you’ll end up with some semblance of what to expect from a wuxia flick. Which brings me to The Dragon Chronicles: The Maidens of Heavenly Mountain. I provided this background partly as a pre-emptive excuse, partly as a cry for help, as in my 20 years of watching these movies, this 1994 slice of wuxia madness is the first time I honestly found myself having no clue as to what on earth was going on.

Less than 5 minutes in I was at a loss, and 85 minutes later things hadn’t improved. From an incomprehensibly complicated spiel that kicks things off via voice over, through to the moment the end credits appeared onscreen, the last time I felt this confused involved downing a few beers before entering an escape room. I suspect most of the blame lays with Charcoal Tan – not the name of the latest shade of fake tan – but the man behind the script, which I use in the loosest possible way. TDC:TMOHM (as I’ll refer to it from here on in) is based on the famous wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Jin Yong. You’ve probably guessed already, but to enjoy TDC:TMOHM as a coherent experience makes pre-reading the novel a must, preferably several times over followed by the CliffsNotes companion piece.

The novel has been adapted into a TV series more times than you can shake a stick at (including one being screened at the time of writing), however squeezing such a sprawling storyline into a single 90 minute movie is a daunting task. In 1982 director Siu Sang attempted to do so under the same title, which notably shares a cast member of TDC:TMOHM in the form of Norman Chu, which has long since disappeared into the annals of wuxia history. It would take 12 years for another director to step up to the table, and that director came in the form of Andy Chin Wing-Keung. Almost all of Chin’s unremarkable directorial efforts fall in the 10 years spanning 1989 to 1998, with 1994 being his most prolific year. Apart from sitting in the director’s chair for TDC:TMOHM, he’d also helm the long forgotten Hong Kong flicks Victory, Crazy Women, How Deep Is Your Love, and Why Wild Girls.

After 1998’s The Lord of Hangzhou he’d drop off the map, randomly popping up 10 years later to co-direct the Donnie Yen fantasy remake of Painted Skin, before fading into obscurity again. Out of all the titles in his filmography though, it’s TDC:TMOHM that provided Chin with his most impressive cast, offering up a trio of leading ladies that would make any Hong Kong director of the era green with envy. Taiwanese starlet Brigitte Lin would round off her bevvy of early 90’s wuxia appearances here, clocking in what would become her final appearance in front of the camera. She’s joined by Gong Li, here just a year after her critically acclaimed turn in Chen Kaige’s Farewell My Concubine, and the trio is rounded off with Sharla Cheung Man, who is probably the only actress who can claim to feature in more new wave wuxia movies than Lin, even if she wasn’t always playing the star.

Having these three actresses share the screen together in a genre such as this is largely what makes TDC:TMOHM remain watchable, even during its most head scratching moments, and there’s many. At one point a guy is brought out on a tray whose body has been cut off from the shoulders down, and is being kept alive by Lin’s evil mystical powers purely to suffer through a life of misery. Imagine a wuxia version of Basket Case, and you won’t be far off. While 1994 heralded Lin’s last year onscreen, it’s easy to imagine she never changed out of her wuxia wardrobe for the entire year. In addition to TDC:TMOHM, she also appeared in Three Swordsmen, Ashes of Time, Fire Dragon, and Deadful Melody. I was going to say she must have been so busy her feet didn’t touch the ground, then realised that considering the amount of wire-work that went into these new wave wuxia flicks, actually that statement is probably true.

Lin plays dual roles, one of an evil twin and one of a good twin, albeit the good twin barely makes an appearance due to being comatose. At this point, let me an issue a warning, that yes I’m going to attempt some sort of synopsis. With Lin playing two of the pivotal three maidens, the other role goes to Gong Li, who from what I could tell was in love with the good twin. All of them are keen to gain the trust of a martial arts master whose been fatally poisoned, but refuses to kick the bucket until his killer is exposed, and he can transfer his power to someone worthy of receiving it. That person isn’t Norman Chu, who plays the power hungry leader of an evil sect, however it could be a naive Shaolin monk (Frankie Lam) that finds himself befriended by Sharla Cheung Man. She’s a part of the evil clan, but seemingly has a good heart, and somehow in the end the monk, the maidens, and Cheung Man team up to defeat Norman Chu.

I won’t spend any more time detailing the plot, as honestly, the above description could be entirely wrong. If anyone needs to clarify any details, the good news is that Charcoal Tan is still around, having most recently contributed to the scripts for the likes of League of Gods and Legend of the Naga Pearls. There’s a certain Zu: Warriors of Magic Mountain vibe to TDC:TMOHM, from the other worldly mountain setting to the presence of Brigitte Lin and Norman Chu. Like Tsui Hark’s classic, there’s also an abundance of animated effects involving laser beam shooting and colourful twirls of energy. Indeed Zu: Warriors from Magic Mountain may have been made over 10 years earlier, but the effects on display make TDC:TMOHM appear like a product of the same era.

The abundance of energy blasts, and techniques such as the Melting Stance (self-explanatory) and Shifting Stance (the ability to teleport like a ninja in a Godfrey Ho movie), are likely there due to our three leading ladies lack of martial arts training. The action is orchestrated by Poon Kin-Kwan, who frequently co-action directed with Benz Kong To-Hoi, but here marks one of the few times he’d strike out on his own (other instances include Black Cat II and Out of the Dark). It’s unremarkable stuff for those expecting the intricate wire-work infused with acrobatics and martials arts that the likes of Tony Ching Siu-Tung would come to perfect, but remains serviceable. There’s not many flicks where you can watch Gong Li and Brigitte Lin chasing each other through the air while firing off laser beams, so for that visual alone I can’t be too hard on Kin-Kwan. It kind of felt like a more beautiful version of a TIE fighter versus an X-wing battle.

Despite the simple pleasure of seeing three of Hong Kong cinemas most iconic actresses sharing the screen together, there can be no denying that TDC:TMOHM is more than anything, an unfathomable mess. Compared to the wistful glances that both Brigitte Lin and Gong Li frequently indulge in, Cheung Man’s wacky character appears to have walked straight off the set of a Stephen Chow movie (which may have been the case, she featured in Hail the Judge the same year), and any semblance of a coherent plot is nowhere to be found. TDC:TMOHM feels like it should have been spread across at least two movies, although maybe the failure to continue the previous years Kung Fu Cult Master made producers reluctant to take the risk. Whatever the case, if you’ve seen every other new wave wuxia flick out there, TDC:TMOHM may still be worth your time, just leave your brain at the door, it’s safer that way.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 4/10