From the opening wedding scene- during which it's revealed that the bride-to-be is a bit of a "loosey goosey"- it's clear that John Woo's LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY isn't going to be your typical kung fu movie. (The infusion of humor had, by this time, become de rigeur for many martial arts movies. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but I prefer the more dramatic movies, myself; even the unintentionally hilarious overly melodramatic ones.) When Chang's sister's paramour hesitates tying the knot, Chang takes it upon himself to beat a confession out of the guy. The reluctant Romeo tells him: "Her brother (meaning Chang) has a violent temper!" Throughout the movie, Woo swipes Akira Kurosawa's WIPES when transitioning between scenes; it's a nice little touch that most people probably don't pick up on, but an indication that Woo had an interest in EXPANDING his own repertoire. There is some spectacular swordplay, and the constantly circling camera lends a 3D feel to the action. "Dreams lead you nowhere," says Green at one point: "I don't like to dream." Says Lau Gong: "The making of a hero costs a lot of innocent lives." The Sleeping Wizard is fun, but the deus ex machina of the Sword of Flying Invisibility comes totally out of left field.
Review of Last Hurrah for Chivalry
