Starring Shih Szu, Yueh Hua, Fan Mei-Sheng, Tung Lam, Chen Yan-Yan, Ng Ming-Choi, Tang Ti, Woo Wai, Wong Ching-Ho, Simon Chui Yee-Ang, Lan Wei-Lieh, Lee Siu-Chung, Chan Shen
Directed by Griffin Yueh Feng
Expectations: Fairly high.
Wuxia stories have a habit of leaving huge story points just outside our view. We often hear of these developments or past occurrences through the dialogue between characters, and this is one of the biggest reasons the genre is a tough nut to crack for newcomers. The Young Avenger is no different, although this is a far less complicated movie than the traditional wuxia story. It begins somewhere mid-stream, with the titular character (played wonderfully by Shih Szu) easily besting a group of villainous brothers at night.
The film immediately jumps back in time after this scene, although this isn’t explicitly clear right away. Only a bit later does this fact reveal itself when we realize that the little girl in the scene is the same person as the Young Avenger in the film’s opening. Don’t worry, I’m not spoiling anything in telling you about it upfront. My point in talking about this section is that it could have easily been omitted and told through dialogue like a great many wuxia plot points. There are also a number of Shaw films that use scenes similar to what’s here as their opening, before introducing the main character during, or directly after, the opening credits. But The Young Avenger chooses to revel in this “flashback,” letting it play over nearly 30 minutes to lay the groundwork for the rest of the film.
So in different ways, The Young Avenger is both notable and interesting in the way it presents itself, and not all that different from many previous wuxia films. It has the look and feel of an early ’70s Shaw Brothers swordplay film, but it is also part throwback to the genre’s roots in Huangmei opera, complete with a traveling song as our hero sets out to seek her destiny. I imagine, like many other directors that have included similar nods to past films, that director Griffin Yueh Feng missed the romanticism and wonder of the early wuxia films. But instead of creating a simple throwback, he has made a nice amalgamation of the two styles.
The Young Avenger does miss a couple of great opportunities to make it stand out from the crowd, but regardless the film gets the job done. At only 81 minutes, it is lean and to the point, conveying a simple, well-told story exceptionally well. It’s not great, but it is very good, and those in search of a fun wuxia tale of revenge will likely enjoy this one a lot.
Next up in this chronological jaunt through the Shaw Brothers Martial Arts catalog is Cheng Chang Ho’s King Boxer AKA Five Fingers of Death, the Shaw Brothers movie that broke through to America and kicked off the ’70s kung fu craze! See ya then!