The Brave Archer 3 (1981)

The Brave Archer 3 is part the third part of a trilogy (and two unofficial sequels) produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and adapted from Louis Cha’s novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Out of all the Wuxia novels none have had so many film and tv adaptations as the Condor Trilogy.

Brave Archer I   

Brave Archer II

The movie starts exactly where Brave Archer II leaves off with the gathering of the Beggar Clan to the eventual end of the trilogy with the battle against the  chief of Iron Palm Sect.  As with the other two films some sections seemed hurried while others seemed to cram so much stuff in such a little amount of time.  However I feel Director Chang Chen did a phenomenal job on the third installment.

The film is shot entirely inside of a movie set so there are no location shots.  Costuming is just as good as the first two films, and the sets themselves are belivable and well crafted.  The actors are all great although I wasn’t too impressed with Yu Tai-Ping who replaced  Li Yi-Min who played Yang Kang in the first two films.  The action is great!  I could watch the fight scenes all day.

ba3-a

Alexander Fu Sheng (The Fourteen Amazons, Shaolin Martial Arts, The Deadly Breaking Sword) as Kuo Tsing (Guo Jing)

Nau Nau (a.k.a. Niu-Niu) (Swift Sword, The Brave Archer Part II)as Huang Rong

Ti Lung (Return of the One-Armed Swordsman, Death Duel, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon) as Emperor Duan

Lu Feng (The Twin Swords, Golden Swallow, Legend of the Drunken Tiger) as Woodcutter

Sun Chien (Crippled Avengers, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Bastard Swordsman) as Scholar

Wong Lik (One-armed Boxer vs. the Flying Guillotine, The Magnificent Ruffians, Swordsman) as Tiller

Chiang Sheng (Ten Tigers of Kwantung, The Brave Archer and His Mate, Two Champions of Shaolin) as Fisherman

Lo Meng (The Kid with the Golden Arm, The Daredevils, Five Element Ninjas) as Qiu Qian-ren, chief of Iron Palm Sect

Chu Ko (Masked Avengers, 18 Secrets of Kung Fu,  Five Element Ninjas) as Qiu Li

Yu Tai-Ping (The Brave Archer I & II, Shaolin Rescuers, Sword Stained with Royal Blood) as Yang Kang.

Lau Wai-Ling (The Magic Blade, Clan of Amazons, Return of the Sentimental Swordsman) as Queen

Ching Li (The Thundering Sword, Killer Clans, Return of the Sentimental Swordsman) as Auntie Ying/Lady Liu

Phillip Kwok Chun-Fung (The Magnificent Ruffians, A Chinese Ghost Story, The Bride with White Hair 2, The Brave Archer and His Mate) as Chao Pai Tung

Yeung Hung (Shaolin Temple, The Brave Archer, Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman) as Taoist Huang Chong Yang

Review

Brendan Davis Review