HAVE SWORD WILL TRAVEL is one of the earliest Shaw Brothers films featuring the classic 'iron triangle' of youthful stars David Chiang and Ti Lung alongside Shaw's best director, Chang Cheh. Be warned, this is more of a character piece than an action movie, given that the only real action is at the opening and the climax, but for once the non-action bits are just as engaging as the swordplay.Ti Lung and Ching Li play a betrothed couple who become involved in protecting an upstanding lord's valuables. Unfortunately the lord has been left weak and a ruthless bandit leader, played by studio regular Ku Feng, has designs on the shipment. He sets up an ambush, at which point the wandering swordsman hero David Chiang comes into play. What follows is beautifully-shot and involving, with Lung playing a pretty unpleasant character while Li holds things together through her charm. Chiang is typically excellent throughout. The lavish, lengthy climax offers all the bloodshed, fine choreography, and heroism you've been waiting for.

Not surprisingly due to the title, this Shaw Brothers film features TONS of magnificent swordplay. In fact, it's among the best of the genre when it comes to the choreography in the fight scenes--it's top notch. And, while I am not a huge fan of 'wire-fu' (making characters fly about in impossible ways using invisible wires and lifts), these were also handled well. The only shortcoming is a typical one--as the plot is a bit simple and the characters a bit one-dimensional...or at least most of them.Master Ying Ke-Feng is an incredible swordsman--so incredible that he's entrusted with the job of transporting silver. However, what his enemies don't yet know is that he is ill and cannot do the job. So, he has his two best students, Siang (who is a bit of an idiot) and Piau Piau lead the procession. Not surprisingly, there are a group of baddies (the Flying Tiger gang) who plan on intercepting the shipment. The balance could be shifted one way or the other if an amazing swordsman, Lo (David Chiang), joins either side. As for the baddies, they are quite eager to procure his services. But Lo is a terrific guy--and seems very captivated by the beautiful Piau Piau. What will happen in the end? Yup...a giant free-for-all battle between good and evil! Throughout most of the movie, Siang behaves stupidly--distrusting and mistreating poor 'ol Lo at every turn. This became a bit tiresome after a while, but the initial one-upsmanship scene between them (involving candles and chopsticks) is a classic--and a lot of fun to watch. Perhaps this is because Siang is also in love with Piau Piau and is worried Lo might put the moves on her. All I know is that it's hard not to like Lo--and pretty easy to dislike Siang--even if he is playing for the good guys. Overall, the film works exceptionally well because Lo is a cool character (with some depth) and the fight scenes are done so well. This one packs a few surprises at the end as well--making it a must-see for lovers of the genre.

Before Ti Lung and David Chiang and Chang Cheh gave us DUEL OF THE IRON FIST, there was HAVE SWORD, WILL TRAVEL. We're introduced to Lung as he attempts to woo the lady Li. He's interrupted by some pesky members of the Flying Tiger Clan, but he casually dispatches them as he puts OTHER moves on Ms. Li. Chiang, meanwhile, is accosted when he tries to enter a seven-story pagoda to rest for the night: it's inhabited by members of- surprise- The Flying Tiger Clan, and they don't want him around. He, too, proves too much for the gang but moves on of his own accord. Lung and Chiang bump into each other and have a brief but inconclusive encounter... during which Chiang and Li lock eyes and, well... The trio effectively becomes a triangle at that point. Later, when Chiang arrives at Lung's Invincible Village still looking for a place to bed down for the night, Lung attempts to impress Chiang by turning a chopstick into a PAIR of chopsticks with one stroke of his sword. Chiang, rising to the challenge, splits a chopstick into THREE separate chopsticks with a single thrust... Needless to say, these guys are GOOD swordsmen. In Akira Kurosawa's THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, a hidden fortune is transported by the surviving princess of a fallen House and her bodyguard (Toshiro Mifune). Here, the shipment is to be watched over by Lung and Chiang (who volunteers, after putting two and two together and being threatened with death, though his volunteering has nothing whatsoever to do with fear of Death). In an interesting sequence, Chiang has a vision of his own death and its aftermath (which happens to come true). Although many of Chang Cheh's movies end abruptly, HAVE SWORD, WILL TRAVEL allows for a longer and more poignant resolution. There's a GAME OF DEATH type of ascension to the top of the pagoda and the often slow motion Finale prefigures the ending of DUEL OF THE IRON FIST (with Chiang, at one point, sporting more arrows than a pin-cushion). Just one of the many reasons why I think Easterns are better than Westerns.

I've been disappointed by a variety of Chang Cheh films in the past, including the overly-vaunted American-guy's kung-fu favorite "5-Venoms", but this flick is just WAY MORE tastier; in fact, it may very well be my Chang Cheh favorite thus far, next to Boxer From Shantung. The coolness of character Lo Yi (played by the then VERY young Jiang Dawei aka:David Chiang) and his dominating ability (as well as those of his fighting-skills/girl-friend rival Siang, played by the then VERY young Di Long aka:Ti Lung), and the burning-cool chivalry between him and young master Siang make you wanna brandish a sword and act all cool in front of your mirror; just like how a movie like The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly would make you wanna grab a gun and act cool with it. Lo Yi inadvertently becomes part of a security force transporting and protecting a big load of gold being transferred from Luoyang town to government reserves in Kaifeng, and his presence ultimately proves vital as an overpowering number of bandits ambushes the goverment caravan. This movie also has one of the MOST INTENSE & MOST POIGNANT HEARTBREAK SCENES to EVER adorn the silver-screen..... that's the scene where Lo Yi discovers that the girl he most desires and love (female bodyguard Yun Piaopiao, played by the then VERY young Li Jing aka: Li Ching) is engaged to his semi-friendly rival Siang. Lo Yi then envisions his bitter death in a bloody fight scene that culminates in grueling slow motion, a scimitar that penetrates through his bosom; and then the heart-wrenching vision of Yun Piaopiao and master Siang galloping away on their steeds into to sunny green hills. Needless to say, the former premonition all comes true (except that the scimitar impales his lower abdomen, for a slower and even more dramatic broken-hearted death; almost like a self-fulfilled prophecy of hopeless end that is nothing short of bittersweet bloodbath. Very touching movie that's certainly a classic Shaw Brother's artsy-martial-arts flick with an underlying message of love..... oh, did I mention lots and lots of hard death and gallons and gallons of classic bright red SB studio blood? Definitely an all-time classic from 1969!! 4+ stars outta 5!!!Johnny Chan 22 Feb. '04