Full Moon Scimitar (1979)

November 12, 2016

What a delightful find is Full Moon Scimitar.  Available to watch on Amazon Prime, this is the Celestial Pictures remastered version of this Shaw Brothers movie. As with any movie I enjoyed I will not really delve into the plot too much.  However I will say it is a story about pride, vengeance, deception, love, and loss.  I thought Derek Yee Tung-Sing did a fine job as our hero Ding Peng, and this is the first time I’ve seen Lisa Wong Ming-Chuen, who mostly did TV serials, her performance was also very good.  Johnny Wang was a great villain as he always is.  So I guess I’m saying the casting was spot on. The costumes were okay, but I prefer costumes that are actually more accurate than fanciful like what you find in Full Moon Scimitar, Five Element Ninjas, or even TV serials such as Legend of the Ancient Sword or Legend of Zu.  However that is just a personal preference.  There certainly wasn’t anything wrong with them.

Lisa Wong Ming-Chuen as Qing Qing

There were also a few shortcuts I didn’t care for but they were scenes that were necessary to the film but only so to carry it to the next scene.  For example how close Ding Peng’s fathers grave appeared to be to Zhang Song Villa where he battled Liu Ruo Song which also happened to be right next to the secret gateway to where Qing Qing lives.

Overall it is a good film that I enjoyed watching.  If you get the chance I recommened watching it too!

Derek Yee Tung-Sing (The Sentimental Swordsman, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, The Supreme Swordsman) as Ding Peng

Lisa Wong Ming-Chuen (The Legend of the Book and Sword, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, Legend of the White Snake) as Qing Qing.  Mostly did TV serials.

Wong Yung (The Golden Sabre, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre I & II, Bastard Swordsman) as Liu Ruo Song, Wu Dang’s best fighter

Meg Lam Kin-Ming (My Kung Fu Master, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils I ) as Ke Xiao

Yueh Hua (Come Drink with Me, The Drinking Knight, The 14 Amazons, The Green Dragon Inn) as 3rd Master Xie Xiao Feng

Ku Kuan-Chung (The Spiritual Boxer, The Sentimental Swordsman, The Brave Archer I & II) as Master Suen

Norman Chu Siu-Keung (The Web of Death, The Magic Blade, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Zu: The Warriors from the Magic Mountain, The Duel) as Song Zhong

Johnny Wang Lung-Wei (Five Shaolin Masters, , The Brave Archer I & II, Crippled Avengers, The Five Venoms, The Kid with the Golden Arm, Return to the 36th Chamber) as Invincible Eagle

Cheng Miu (Lady General Hua Mulan, The Magnificent Swordsman, Golden Swallow, The 14 Amazons, Flying Guillotine, Part II, Clan of the White Lotus, Shaolin and Wu Tang) as Tung Fang Bu Bai

Teresa Ha Ping (The 14 Amazons, The Golden Lotus, The Spiritual Boxer) as Tung’s wife

Chui Gai-Heung as Lan Lan

Helen Poon Bing-Seung (Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, Part I & II, Crippled Avengers, Return of the Sentimental Swordsman) as Nan Gong Feng Yan

Yeung Chi-Hing  (The Birth of the Monkey King, Five Swordsmen, One-Armed Swordsman, Disciples of the 36th Chamber) as Master Nan Gong

Chan Shen (Six Assassins, The Young Avenger, Shaolin and Wu Tang, Disciples of the 36th Chamber) as Robber with coffin

Wong Ching-Ho (The Assassin (1967), Have Sword, Will Travel, The Water Margin, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter) as Liu Fu

Review

The Spinning Image review