The Brave Archer Part II

The Brave Archer saga continues. This second film offers more of the same, but that shouldn't come as a big surprise, as that goes for more than half of Cheh Chang's oeuvre. It might've been a mistake to watch these films out of order, then again I don't think it would've impacted my overall appreciation that much.

The story felt pretty messy, but maybe that's because I didn't remember much from the first film. Kuo Tsing, who knows the contents of a much coveted book, wants to marry Ying. Fung also wants to learn what is written inside the book, so he kidnaps Ying and hopes to use her as bait.

The plot takes a bit too much focus here, and with almost two hours on the clock, the plot starts weighing down what is essentially just basic martial arts entertainment. It's probably because I didn't care much about the characters and their fates, that's just not what makes these Shaw Bros films stand out for me. There are some fun fights and decent sets, but I prefer my Cheh Chang films a bit shorter and snappier.