Synopsis: The deadly swordsman, Lone Wolf, wanders the land killing all those in his path, silently and swiftly. But an even greater danger lurks in the form of the evil martial arts expert Abbot White, who is destroying all the top masters. Lone Wolf is employed by a nobleman to track down Abbot White and is joined by two other formidable fighters and ex-constables. Together the trio wreaks havoc amongst an army of dastardly fighters before confronting the evil master in his martial fortress. (80 Mins)

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Views: Kung-fu, swordplay, ninjas, horror, and murder are the main ingredients for the 3 Famous Constables, also known as The Elimination Pursuit. Starring the ever-popular Roc Tien and Pearl Cheung (Chang Ling) both of which star here in one of their last few roles, I actually found this Taiwanese flick to be a highly entertaining, wuxia thriller!

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The film opens with a catchy little number that plays over an edit of the film's most exciting moments, almost like the start of a television episode for any amount of wuxia shows. There's a lot on offer here and these first few minutes certainly whets the appetite, leaving viewers excited for what has still to come. No sooner has the story started, when we are thrown straight into the action as mysterious swordsman Roc Tien, cuts and slices his way through town as ninjas attack from all sides. These attacks and action continue as more characters are introduced, right up to the arrival of the wonderful Pearl Cheung. Tin Hok, an actor from films such as Awe Inspiring Weapon and Godfrey Ho's Majestic Thunderbolt, plays a fur-draped swordsman that looked quite familiar to me on first viewing. After some thought, I remembered I had seen the very same character (and costume) in another Taiwanese classic that I actually have on videotape - although played by a different actor (possibly Alan Chui). The warrior in question appeared in Lone Ninja Warrior, a similarly themed Taiwanese wuxia flick (also known as An Everlasting Duel) from 1982 which was also directed by Chang Peng Yi, and starred Roc Tien in a role that was quite identical to this. It does make me wonder if 3 Famous Constables is actually a sequel, although it's not something I can confirm at the time of writing...

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While the main plot focuses on how the good guys can get rid of the Devil Clan – a gang of rascals and robbers who have never been caught – the narrative can be lacking somewhat and the overall-plot, quite basic. But the film wins-over its viewers with some great action scenes that are fast, violent, and plentiful – if not slightly dated, in comparison to what Hong Kong was dishing out at this time. But it works! 3 Famous Constables is a bizarre mix of horror and martial arts, beautifully shot (enough so, that I would love to see a restored, cleaned up version) with many nicely lit, night-time shots complete with smoke-filled backgrounds which I just love. The action is directed by the Method Man himself, Peter Chang (also known as Peter Chen) who is joined by fight directors Wang Chiang Liang and Yau Pang Sang - both of whom have starred in a number of kung-fu classics such as The Rebellious Reign, Chinatown Kid, Iron Neck Li, and Jackie Chan's fun Magnificent Bodyguards. Between them, they bring a hefty amount of wuxia action, boosted by plenty of fantastical characters, ninjas, and Roc Tien in a samurai-esque role who rocks a pretty sweet blade. The exciting 10-minute finale offers some crazy moments, with its great choreography, energetic swordplay, and the big reveal. My only complaint is that this version I watched, seems to have combined its final dramatic scenes in a quick edit over a closing song which seemed to lose me along the way. Or perhaps that's just how it's meant to be!

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Strangely enough, Ching Siu Tung's incredible debut classic, Duel To The Death, went into production in the same year. I can't say which film came first, but if anything I'd say this took quite a bit of inspiration from it, along with a few sprinkles of Sammo Hung's 1980 master-piece Encounters Of A Spooky Kind. But I say that with total positivity, because although probably lower in budget than its Hong Kong counterparts, the 3 Famous Constables proves to be far from boring with great production value and plenty of exciting martial-action.

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Overall: Stylish, old-school wuxia action, 3 Famous Constables is well worth the watch!