BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR PART 2
(1993)

Starring: Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung, Chan Kam Hung, Christy Chung, Man Yi Man, Shi Kwok Ho

The second part to Bride with White Hair begins 10 years after the events of the first part. During these troublesome times: Lien (Brigitte Lin) have been on a rampage over the years, and she gathers to her base a group of scorned women with a thirst for revenge over men. Lien has also vowed that she would kill all descendents of the 8 clans, acculminating in their destruction.

At the heart of Wudan, only Fung Chun Kit (Chan Kam Hung) is the sole surviving direct descendant of Wudan. On the night of his wedding to his sweetheart Yue Cam (Man Yi Man), Lien gatecrashes their wedding, and takes off with Yue. Fung is heavily injured and is rescued by Moon (Christy Chung), a student of the Kun Lun Clan. Later, Fung and a group of others, are sent to infiltrate Lien's base, and to rescue Yue. One by one they die by the hands of Lien, with only a scant few of them escaping. Fung heads off to find his uncle, Churk Yat Hong (Leslie Cheung), who has been spending his years atop a mountain waiting for a flower to blossom. Fung fails to find him, but decides to go back and rescue Yue, whatever the cost. When it seems that all is lost, Churk turns up to confront Lien, but she attacks him. He gives her the flower which, if eaten, would grant the user eternal youth. Embraced together, Lien forgives him, but his life is ebbing away.

Although Part 2 is supposedly the sequel to Part 1, it doesn't live up to the standards set in the first half. Without the relationship between Churk and Lien (they only meet at the very end), it seems almost a different story, and this is the film's Achilles Heel. Fung and the supporting cast are simply not good enough to lead the main story, and even the direction and set designs are dreadful compared to the first. Which obviously points to the conclusion that these two films were not filmed back-to-back, but one after each other. Otherwise, how come the action and cinematography between the two films could have been so different?

Overall, if you seen the first part, then I guess you have to see part two just to find out what happens, but really, part one stands on its own, without the necessary baggage that is part two. Very disappointing.

RATING

6 / 10