I have to totally disagree with the poster who really disliked this film. It is certainly not your usual slash and hack, though there are plenty of fights and blood. Li Lihua shows real maturity in her acting and can fight (or perhaps dance is a more realistic term) and Li Ching is wonderful as the very pretty, ingénue student. Kiu Chong as the hero is rather put in the shade by the two strong female leads but Chan Hung Lit is always a good villain and nice to see Lee Wan Chung promoted to be a king for a change. The story is simple but works for me and the Chinese operatic interlude in the middle is unusual in this sort of film - but fun, even if the miming is really obvious. A lot of the rest of the music is ripped off from American Westerns which can be strange in places. The ending is set up for a sequel but I can't find that one was ever made. Despite previous comments, the direction and photography is above average with veteran Yueh Feng having a good eye for a shot. An unusual film, worth watching on its own terms.
Review of Dao jian
