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Rating: 
Summary: 3.5 stars actually - worth watching!
Review: A very interesting film (1982). I admit, it was odd to think of Beardy (Leung Kar-Yan) and
Chow Yun Fat working on screen together in co-starring roles, yet its an enticing
proposition nonetheless. I'm hardly a CYF completist, but I always enjoy a flick
with him up front and center. PSB is really Beardy's flick, but Chow's easy
charisma is never overshadowed - if anything, that 'grin and a toothpick' charmer is well forshadowed
here - and as we see him do a few martial moves, even an early Mu Bai of sorts is glimpsed (he not only fights but uses darts that shoot from his wrist!!!).Yuen Woo Ping's touch is also evident here and so the choreography is decent and fairly
fast, though the movie is more on 'conspiracy' and 'plot' than 'action' per se. The characters are low-key
and a bit somber, but this, I feel, is a reflection of the movie's intended mood. Having said that,
Beardy et al deliever some tight moves, when we get them. I noted while watching this, that many of the characters smoke: Chow is constantly smoking and Beardy smokes a lot. The
excellent outdoor scerey further removes this from anything resembling a standard chop-socky flick, and yet, its
not yet hong kong's 'modern era' - this movie seems to exist in its own somber (not depressing!) place and time. I can't say it feels "original," yet it wasn't ever boring, imo. "During the Republican era, an evil warlord instructs his right hand man to find four suitable
candidates to transport his valuable gifts across dangerous grounds. He recruits four men; a
postman (Leung Kar Yan), a thief (Yuen Yat Chor), a dynamiter and a conman (Chow Yun
Fat). The only instructions they are given are to never open the cargo and to deliver it within
seven days. After numerous ambush attempts the group begin to become suspicious but they
have no idea of the horror that awaits them and the consequences of completing the mission
successfully." (Dragon'sDenUk) I'm not sure who the villain is (an arms-selling ninja believe it or not - it works), but
I've seen him in several films. This movie sets a tone of uncertainty and the lead players feel as cold and distant as the beautiful and still snow-covered lands that often serve as a
backdrop. Theres a little love, a little betrayal a little rvenge and some bitter-sweet, like
most hong-kong dishes and that will leave you satisfied if you love the genre. The film is
at least a three star, but wants that extra half star too, so at 3.5 stars you should check it out.
Rating: 
Summary: Another winner from Hong Kong...
Review: During the Republican Era in China, the country became divided by warlords and there was constant bloodshed. Needing able-bodied men to join their factions, warlords paid a hefty price. However, the one man that they all wanted could not be bought. Features a breathtaking chase on ice!
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