The Mysterious Heroine

As the Ming dynasty ends and the Qing dynasty begins, a mysterious heroine named Ghost Warrior specialises in ambushing traitors and plundering ill-gotten gains in Death Valley. When her master suspects that Fok Tat (Poon Yat On) murdered general Shi Kefa, he sends Ghost Warrior into the Fok family, disguised as a maid. While the true story behind the lineage of Fok heir Shi-chuen (Yam Kim-fai) is exposed, the Ghost Warrior is also reunited with her biological mother. 

The film only took one year from shooting to release because Tao Yuen fired on all cylinders at the time and constantly launched new projects. In addition to Tao Yuen frequent collaborators Yam Kim-fai and Law Yim-hing, the cast also includes Poon Yat On, Pak Lung-chu and skilled martial artist Chow Siu-loi. One of the film’s biggest selling points is that each character practises a different type of martial arts style and carries a different signature weapon. Even woks, fishing rods and abacus can be utilised. Director Lung To shows off his expertise of visual effects, bringing to life the powers of invisibility, reverse action and instant fire extinguishing. With the actors trapped in the middle of the fire, the making of the Death Valley in flames scene was difficult to shoot. Also worth noting is that whether it’s the character design, the weird laughter or the habit of disappearing randomly, the Ghost Warrior is shockingly similar to King Faceless in Forbidden City Cop (1996). It may be a coincidence, but when studying Stephen Chow’s films, be sure to notice old Cantonese films’ influence in them.

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