Review by Jonah Ewell

A Classic Brought to Life This movie is an adaptation of one chapter of the classic Chinese novel Outlaws of the Marsh aka The Water Margin aka All Men Are Brothers. Written in the fourteenth century and set roughly two hundred years earlier during the Song dynasty, it tells the story of a band of outlaws who live in the marshes of Mount Liang. Although they are certainly criminals in the strictest sense of the word, none of them are evil by nature. They have all been forced, in one way or another, to leave their regular lives behind and lead a Robin-Hood-and-his-Merry-Men existence. (Although by comparison the Merry Men do suffer: Robin and Little John are stout at cudgel play and skilled in the longbow, but I doubt either of them could handle a nine-section whip or a kwandao. Also, while I haven't read the complete Water Margin, I've heard that there are more than one hundred characters, and each one gets his or her own chapter, complete with their own tragic story, evil nemesis, and unique kung fu skill. Beyond the aforementioned Robin and Little John, I can only remember Friar Tuck. But I digress.)

This cinematic chapter concerns Lin Chung (Tony Leung Ka-Fai), a dedicated public servant and the "leopard" of the title, so called because of his amazing kung fu prowess. Lin is the head of an 800,000-strong elite army unit, under the Great General Gao. Gao has a spoiled buffoon of a son who lusts after Lin's wife, and a cunning bodyguard named Lu Chien who lusts after Lin's position, although he professes to be his friend. Alas, "the moon is not always full," and eventually Lin is framed for trying to assasinate General Gao. Lin is branded on the cheek and sent away (he escapes execution by the intervention of the Prime Minister), but not before he becomes blood brothers with Lu Chi Shen (Tsui Kam-Kong), an uproarious monk in the mode of Friar Tuck and Pigsy of the Journey to the West saga. Lu is an unrefined mountain man who loves fighting and goes several months between bathing. Lu provides comic relief and wields a mighty spade.

I could go on with more and more plot, but suffice it to say that this movie's got everything: loyalty and betrayal, courage and cowardice, righteous anger and sniveling fear. In the end, justice is served, but not before one character loses both hands, another gets chopped clean in two from groin to skullcap, and Lu offers to lick Lin's feet (don't ask). This movie is hilarious, gory, and inspiring. I highly recommend it.

Next Review: Fist of Legend