The Shaw Brothers studio was known for pumping out martial arts epic after martial arts epic during its heyday in the 1970s. These films were known for their sumptuous costumes and set design, their electrifying fight scenes packed with expert choreography and gallons of gore...I could go on. COME DRINK WITH ME is an early example of the genre, following on from TEMPLE OF THE RED LOTUS and sowing the seeds of what was to come.
It's fair to say that COME DRINK WITH ME is a little dated compared to later Shaw vehicles, but it's still a worthwhile film. It's just that the fighting style is a little more simplistic than we're used to, the performances a little more mannered. Nonetheless, Cheng Pei-Pei still cuts the mustard as the skilled swordswoman, and the range of foes up against her remain entertaining to the end.
The film has a few slow spots in the plotting and some extraneous moments, but it looks so good on a visual level, with excellent set design and costumes, that you just don't care. There are a wealth of strong performers in the supporting cast, including Yueh Hua's drunken sidekick, and fans of '80s-era Hong Kong cinema may spot the instantly recognisable Mars back when he was a child actor. Watch COME DRINK WITH ME to see where the martial arts and wuxia genres began.
