Swordsman II

Swordsman II
Directed by	Siu-Tung Ching Stanley Tong
Written by	Jin Yong
Starring	Jet Li Brigitte Lin Rosamund Kwan Michelle Reis
Release date	1991
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese

Swordsman II (simplified Chinese: 笑傲江湖之东方不敗; traditional Chinese: 笑傲江湖之東方不敗; pinyin: Xiào Ào Jiāng Hú Zhī Dōng Fāng Bù Bài; Cantonese Yale: Siu3 Ngou6 Gong1 Wu4 Ji1 Dung1 Fong1 Bat1 Baai6) is a Hong Kong action film made in 1991. It was directed by Siu-Tung Ching and Stanley Tong and written by Hanson Chan, Jin Yong, Tang Pik-yin and Tsui Hark. This movie was the second in a trilogy of films. It stars a young Jet Li, Brigitte Lin, Rosamund Kwan and Michelle Reis.

Swordsman II is one of the most popular adaptions of a series of books by Jin Yong called The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. Many earlier and later adaptations of the book exist, including several tv shows and movie versions.

This movie adaptation barely followed the actual book series. The movie created a love affair between the main character and the antagonist, which never existed in the book. The main character in the movie seemed to chase women all the time, which is not how the main character in the book series was characterized. The role of the antagonist, Dongfang Bubai (東方不敗), was greatly expanded in film. Finally, the ending in the movie is different than the book series. The movie ends with the main character and his lover sailing to Japan, while the book series ends with the main character becoming the most powerful Wuxia, retiring from the worldly affairs and spending the rest of his days having an instrumental duet of the song Xiao Ao Jiang Hu with his lover.

Plot

The story follows the main character Ling Wu Chung in feudal China.

Cast

• Jet Li - Ling Huchong
• Brigitte Lin - Asia the Invincible (Dong Fang Bu Bai)
• Michelle Reis - Kiddo
• Waise Lee - Hattori
• Rosamund Kwan - Ren Ying Ying
• Chin Kar Lok - Saru
• Fennie Yuen - Lan Feng Huang
• Yen Shi-Kwan - Wu

Box Office

The film's Hong Kong gross was HK $34,462,861