DUEL OF THE CENTURY is another visit to the martial world courtesy of Shaw Brothers director Chor Yuen. This one's a follow-up to CLAN OF AMAZONS (which I haven't seen) featuring some of the same characters played by some of the same actors. It's very similar in look to Ti Lung's SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN trilogy, however, the plot is even more convoluted and most viewers will struggle to keep up with the labyrinthine narrative and huge cast of competing characters.The main character is played by Tony Liu, who previously headlined Shaw's prison epic INVINCIBLE ENFORCER. He plays an interfering busybody who becomes intrigued by a duel being set up between two rival martial arts masters. One of the men has been poisoned and Liu takes it upon himself to find out just exactly what's going on. His journey takes him into a dingy netherworld full of back-stabbing and double-crossing, where identities are stolen and traded at will and where everybody is hiding his or her own secrets.I admit that during some parts of this film I didn't have a clue what was going on, although by the climax it all turns out to have been relatively straightforward. Some of the reveals here, like the rubber face masks and the poisoned arm, seem to come straight out of a comic book, they're so larger than life. Liu's hero is something of a dullard but there are some strong actors in support, including Venom Sun Chien playing a blind master, Ai Fei, and Yueh Hua in what amounts to an extended cameo. One of my all time favourites, Yuen Wah, also shows up as a fighting henchman at the climax. The fight scenes are wire work assisted and quite elaborate, stylish enough to save this film from the doldrums.

THE DUEL OF THE CENTURY plays out like an opulent opera, replete with some superb swordplay and an impressive array of costumes and sets. Unfortunately, there is also some bad Old School wirework and reverse-action camera tricks. These are unnecessary distractions. The print I have is pristine, which helps, but bad is bad and some of these fantastical elements are VERY bad. Lu Xiaofeng, the defacto hero of the movie, takes out anybody who gets in the way of his delivering a poison antidote to the afflicted Ye, whose "duel of the century" with Shimen is the highly-touted tussle of the title (which, by the way, doesn't begin to live up to the hype, a failing of all too many Fights of the Century). There are lots of twists and turns along the way (and more than a few booby traps rigged with explosives) than meets the eye (some of these political machinations make the Republican blackmailing of Bill Clinton look like child's play). There's also a visit to a "house of eunuchs," where our hero is manhandled (so to speak) by the Clientele. Lu sums it all up near the end, telling Ye: "That's the way the martial arts world goes: the more famous you are, the more trouble you'll have."

Tony Liu plays a hero (the same character from Clan of Amazons) tries to find out why two great heroes are fighting a duel. Many of the characters from Amazons are reprised. The usual Chu Yuan hijinks ensue. Yueh Hua and Ching Li have what amount to cameos in this one, Tony Liu really has to carry the movie. Too bad he's not given much to work with. His character is goofy and annoying, and his only reason for getting involved in the plot seems to be boredom and curiosity.I must say, I thought Chu Yuan could do no wrong when adapting Gu Long works. This proved me wrong. It adds a bit of unfortunate comedy to the usual twisty "martial world" plotline. Even the art design is not up to the usual gorgeous standards. Not awful, but not good. Stick with Magic Blade, Clans of Intrigue or Jade Tiger.