The Moon Warriors (1992)



	The Moon Warriors		Return to Review Archive - M
	\| review \| notes \| availability \|		Anita Mui and Andy Lau
	Year:	1992
	Director:	Sammo Hung Kam-Bo
	Action:	Ching Siu-Tung, Corey Yuen Kwai
	Cast:	Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Anita Mui Yim-Fong, Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk, Kenny Bee (Chung Chun-To), Jie Lin
	The Skinny:	Decent swordplay action helps this strangely subdued costume adventure from Sammo Hung and Ching Siu-Tung.
	Review by Kozo:	Well-choreographed swordplay sequences punctuate this entertaining, but strangely subdued costume adventure. Andy Lau is Ah Fei, a fisherman drawn into a feud between the deposed emperor (Kenny Bee) and his evil brother (Jie Lin). Ah Fei is asked to escort Kenny’s bride-to-be (Anita Mui) to meet him. As the Princess, Mui turns in a strangely child-like performance. She is one of the few actresses who can play young and old with equal ability (think Drunken Master II vs. Rumble in the Bronx). The film also features Maggie Cheung in one of her most offbeat roles as a betrayer who has a thing for the emperor. Things get even more complicated when the Princess and Ah Fei begin to develop a thing for each other, too. For the Free Willy crowd, there’s Hai Wei the pet Orca, who saves Andy’s hide more than once. The action sequences from Sammo Hung, Ching Siu-Tung and Corey Yuen are exciting, but it becomes quickly obvious that Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, and Anita Mui are NOT doing those stunts. A bit downbeat and somewhat unfulfilling, this also may be the only film in which Maggie Cheung never smiles. Nonetheless, this is an interesting and action-filled swordplay film which should entertain most fans. (Kozo 1996)
	Notes:	• Reportedly, an alternate ending exists in which Andy Lau's character dies. However, after public outcry at a midnight screening, the filmmakers changed the finale so that his character survives. However, the alternate ending included on the Tai Seng disc is not really a different ending at all, but an alternate credit sequence with outtakes featuring Andy Lau and the killer whale.
	Availability:	DVD (Hong Kong) Region 0 NTSC Mei Ah Laser Widescreen Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks English and Chinese Subtitles
		DVD (USA) Region 0 NTSC Tai Seng Video Marketing Widescreen Cantonese, Mandarin and English Language Tracks Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1 Removable English and Chinese Subtitles Ric Meyers and Frank Djeng Audio Commentary, Alternate Ending Cast and Crew Filmographies, Trailers

		image courtesy of Universe Laser & Video Co., Ltd.
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