A Sweeping Martial Arts Epic
Summary
Invincible Swordsman may have too much wirework for some tastes, but there are still enough fight scenes and engaging characters to make this worth checking out.
Plot: Linghu Chong seeks to leave martial arts behind but gets dragged into its conflicts. Meeting demon cult leader Dongfang Bubai leads him on an unexpected spiritual journey.
Review: Invincible Swordsman will definitely be an acquired taste for Western audiences as there is a lot of wirework throughout, but I’ve grown to not mind it so much and it adds a gracefulness to the fight scenes.
Tim Huang plays our somewhat arrogant hero Linghu Chong who has incredible skill at martial arts which is put the test as he keeps getting dragged into the world’s various conflicts. He is banished from his house for befriending a girl from a demonic cult and goes into the mountains to train with master Feng Qingyang (Sammo Hung). It doesn’t take long for him to be called back into action to defeat the mysterious Invincible East.
Despite the wirework and noticeable greenscreen throughout I still really enjoyed Invincible Swordsman as the story didn’t go the way I expected and it mostly moves at a decent pace. There is some romance which gives a bit of depth and the various betrayals keep you guessing as to who can be trusted.
The music score is particular highlight and there is an energy to the fight scenes which is elevated by the music.
It is at times unintentionally funny with certain characters laughing maniacally for no real reason, but it feels like an old fashioned martial arts movie where masters have epic eye brows and beards.
Overall, invincible Swordsman won’t be for everyone with its overuse of wirework, but I still enjoyed the story and the fight scenes have a graceful beauty to them which makes this worth a watch.