Xin liu xing hu die jian

A little boring and without the typical muted passion that martial arts epics have

Please be advised that I'm only reviewing ONE DVD VERSION of this movie and that my low rating does not reflect my opinion of the actual movie. Unfortunately, amazon's review system does not allow me to leave separate reviews for the movie and each specific version.I did some shopping around before deciding which version of this movie to buy and I chose  this one , mostly because of the price, but also because it is region free, because it has Chinese audio with optional English subtitles (I cannot stand dubbing) and because I did not find any gripes about editing (a common problem with western releases of Asian films). After watching this DVD however, I understand why it can be purchased for a penny. Although the image and sound quality are not that bad for an early 1990s Hong Kong film, this specific DVD leaves plenty to be desired.Although the Chinese audio with optional English subtitles was part of my motivation for choosing this version of the movie, I have come to regret this decision because the subtitles flash by so quickly that, unless you're a speed reading champion, it is unlikely that you will be able to read most of what is being said. I found myself constantly rewinding the film to reread the subtitles, which lead to two more tragic discoveries. There were several places on this DVD where attempts to rewind would cause the movie to freeze, forcing me to eject and reinsert the disc and start the scene over. Unfortunately, there are ALSO many places on this DVD that freeze during a fast forward attempt and several more portions of this DVD that will be skipped over completely if you attempt to fast forward or rewind through them. This unfortunate fact caused me to have to watch several scenes over again FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, without fast forwarding or rewinding, as attempting to do so would inevitably screw up the movie as previously discussed. Consequently, I spent almost three hours trying to watch an 87 minute film, which really killed my mood and definitely inhibited my ability to enjoy the movie for what it is; a humorous, early 1990s "wire fu" film with cheesy effects, silly characters, and exaggerated martial abilities.If you're looking for more "martial farce," I recommend the following: The Bodyguard The Bodyguard 2 Chai Lai Angels: Dangerous Flowers My Young Auntie The White Dragon

Good movie

This is a pretty fun movie, with lots and lots of crazy action, and some pretty well acted scenes, but it is unbelievably confusing, so you never totally get behind the characters. Michelle Yeoh looks great and does a decent job but she just seems too wholesome to pull off the role of the somewhat evil kung fu master. She is not as intense as Brigitte Lin who is really the master of that sort of character. Tony Leung, Donnie Yen, and Joey Wang are all really great in this movie. This is highly recommended for HK fans but not so much for casual kung fu fans who are better off with something like Swordman II. Be warned that there are mandarin only editions of this movie on the market, so make sure you are getting a cantonese version if that is what you want.

The title on this dvd is a little misleading. I was thinking there was a special sword but in reality the title is Butterfly & Sword. Butterfly is a girl that is loved by Tony Leung. Michelle Yeoh is a leader of a rebel group that Tony belongs to. Michelle has a yen for Tony but he loves Butterfly. Donnie has a yen for Michelle but she doesn't know it. The rebel group does things for the empire until they find out the guy is bad. They have an alternate ending on this dvd that I like better. In the original one Michelle Yeoh dies alone but in the alternate one Donnie Yen dies with her. You watch and see which one you like best.

I'm sword fight movie fan - Toshiro Mifune, Kurosawa, and the more recent Zaitoichi, the blind swordsman (never much liked the original). The Duelists, Scaramouche, The Mask of Zorro, The Three Musketeers (1973 & 1974), and of course Highlander and Rob Roy. The first Pirates of the Carribian, Kill Bill, Gladiator, Star Wars Episode V, etc. My experience with the Chinese movies is much more recent, starting with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon & Hero, etc.I've enjoyed Michelle Yeoh in CTHD, and she is the all time best Bond Girl in Tomorrow Never Dies. She was interesting in the SciFi psychological thriller/head trip movie "Sunshine", and belivable as Mameha in "Memoirs of a Geisha". I've gone out of my way to watch her in "The Touch" and "Silver Hawk" - both mediocre, but watchable. I love chicks with swords, so I broke down and spent $12.00 on "The Butterfly Sword".The production values are better than I expected, and the fight scenes are beautifully choreographed. But the WIRE-Fu is too over the top, to the point of becoming boring. I didn't care for any of the characters, therefore couldn't get involved in the movie's complicated plot line. It wasn't a waste of time to watch, but I wish I'd seen it on cable - not paid $ for it. I suspect you need to be a hard-core wire-fu fan to truly enjoy the movie.

From the action director of DRAGON INN, THE DUEL, and the Jet Li Blockbuster HERO comes this dazzling martial Arts adventure starring action Goddess MICHELLE YEOH (Tomorrow Never Dies), TONY LEUNG (In the Mood For Love) and DONNIE YEN (Iron Monkey)! When the powerful Eunuch Tsao assigns Sister Ko and Brother Sing, siblings who are also assassins, to infiltrate a group of rebels, they are caught in a web of deceit and betrayal. Unbeknowst to them, Tsao is already dead and the impostor has a goal of his own. With jaw-dropping martial arts choreography by the legendary CHING SIU TUNG and featuring the now-classic "Human Arrow", BUTTERFLY SWORD is a wonderfully wild kung fu thriller with amazing swordplay and innovative action sequences.

I liked it but I expected more I suppose from all the other Donnie Yen movies and Michelle Yao. It was good to see them together so you have different styles incorporated into one.

I've wanted to see this movie for years, so was very pleased to finally be able to get it on DVD. No problem with the delivery, however the quality of the film is good, but not up to modern digital standards.Also it looks very much of its era and hasn't dated well. You can see its influence in the Ang Lee's film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but it Butterfly and the Sword doesn't compare in cinematography, or scope.All I can say, if like me your a big fan of Hong Kong cinema from the early 90's, then for the £3 I paid for it its a must for your collection. If your not, then I wouldn't really recommend it as the House of the Flying Daggers for example is a much superior film and shows how much Chinese cinema has progressed.

An entertaining and amusing film but the cover claim that it's "Even better than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is rather fanciful :) But worth watching if you're into the genre and a Michelle Yeoh fan. I very quickly turned off the English language voice track as it's way better in Cantonese with subtitles;

Very Good

excellent.good quality and fast delivery.

Although this is a used DVD, but the condition is very good.