Legendary Amazons

Frankie Chan

The story: In the 10th century AD, North Song dynasty’s borders were under constant attack by the people of Western Xia. The men of the Yang family have died in battle and Yang Zongbao (Richie Jen) is the latest to be defeated. His son, Wenguang, the clan’s last male scion, is ordered into battle as well and the women of the family, including his great-grandmother Taijun (Cheng Pei-pei) and mother Mu Guiying (Cecilia Cheung), decide to go with him.

There is an entire entertainment cottage industry based on the exploits of the Yang family.

There have been folk tales, plays, novels, a Peking opera titled Female Generals Of The Yang Clan, numerous television drama serials as well as a big-screen adaptation, the Shaw Brothers’ classic 14 Amazons (1972).

The fascination stems in part from the rare opportunity to depict strong and warrior-like women, given that war is often the preserve of the men, as in the case of Peter Chan’s The Warlords (2007).

The dilemma between loyalty to one’s country and responsibilities to one’s family is made all the more poignant, given that it is a group of widows who are fighting for their country.

But in this latest remake, all the high-minded talk of duty and sacrifice merely feels like hogwash with all that stupidity and silliness unfolding on screen.

Despite being wounded in battle, Mu Guiying is able to take out waves of enemy soldiers, who are comic caricatures with their mohawks and dreadlocks.

One fight scene follows another but given the large cast of poorly defined female characters, one’s patience soon wears thin.

On the other hand, too much time is devoted to the impulsive brat that is Wenguang, who is all too eager to fall for an obvious ruse laid out by the enemy.

Then there are the tacky and cheap-looking CGI effects which completely take one out of the story every time they are employed.

Furthermore, an obstacle such as crossing over a gorge is overcome in the most risible and hilarious manner as a metallic rope bridge is somehow woven from the armour the women soldiers are wearing. At this point, Legendary Amazons switches genres from period action to comic fantasy.

And did I mention that soldiers leap about on pogo stick-like devices in one battle scene? It is hard to believe that this is not a spoof and that one is meant to take this movie seriously.

Before the audience gets to the end, there are still the soap opera revelations to get through and a final death scene that is meant to be moving but is epic only in the scale of its failure.

The bright side is, given the thriving cottage industry, it would not be too long before another adaptation comes around to wipe out the memory of this one.

(ST)