The Bastard

Another trademark Yuen Chor film for the Shaw Bros studios. He's clearly one of their most skilled directors, though his tendency to mix in other genres (like drama and romance) sometimes backfires. The romance certainly isn't the strongest part of The Bastard, the rest of the film offers plenty of compensation.

The plot is very basic. We follow an orphan who was brought up in a monastery. When he is of age, the monk sends him on a quest to find his father. On his way he befriends a female beggar, who joins him on his quest. When he finally meets up with his father, he isn't the man he hoped he would be.

The cinematography is well above par for a Shaw Bros production, the action scenes are proper, and the finale doesn't disappoint. The romance never quite finds its footing though and the performances are borderline acceptable. Chor's martial arts films rarely disappoint though and they offer a nice diversion from the more standard Shaw Bros productions.