Attack Of The Joyful Goddess (1983) Review

Attack of the Joyful Goddess (1983) Review

This film is quite unique. While it may not have had the same budget as some of the other films like Shaw Brothers had, for example, that doesn’t make it any less exciting. It features quite a few of the Venom Mob's actors who are trained in Peking Opera. There are other familiar faces, like Chris Lee Kin-Sang. The film itself highlights some elements of opera performances and the various roles that you would encounter in real life. Chang Cheh has been noted as loving Chinese opera, and it is apparent when you watch this film. It is done with such care and there is a genuine emphasis on the performances. The plot is mainly centered around the opera troupe, so the story gradually begins to unfold through their performances until it leads up to the major events in the film, which happen on and off stage. Everyone is caught in a web of betrayal, secrets, and the growing presence of the supernatural.

All the performances were brilliantly executed. Chiang Sheng's character is a male that happens to play female roles in the opera performances, and he brings a fun twist to the film with his flirtatious but dramatic personality. The movie is what I would describe as darker and gloomier, so he lightens the mood at times. It is definitely different from some of the characters you would see him portray at Shaw Brothers. Lu Feng also delivers a strong and feisty performance because his character is one of the few involved in developing a malicious plot. He causes some interesting confrontations throughout the film. He has good chemistry with Lee Chung-Yat as the two often clash, keeping you on the edge of your seat to see what happens next. Ricky Cheng Tien-Chi and Lee Chung-Yat don't disappoint, either. Lee Chung-Yat plays a slightly hotheaded character with a gentler side towards specific characters that makes you forget that he's just playing the role because it is so believable. He really embodies human emotion and shows that there are two sides to every character. Ricky Cheng Tien-Chi shines with his beautiful knife skills, which pair well with his mysterious vibe. It was nice to see him have a good bit of screen time and interact with everyone else since they all have different reactions to him. He brings a lot of surprises and twists to the screen. It is hard to tell just what he is going to do next, so the unpredictability makes you want to keep watching to see what happens.

Incorporating the supernatural elements was a very interesting idea. Chang Cheh does make it work as usual since the way he went about it was set up well throughout the movie. It was not necessarily so sudden that it was confusing. There seemed to be hints at it as the movie progressed, so it was not difficult to see coming. This made for a unique film since it appeared to be trying to establish something that would stand out, even though it seemed to be getting a lot of negative reviews. Although the effects are not the greatest at times, it is definitely worth sitting through. I feel this factor makes sense, as Lu Feng has mentioned that they didn’t have as many resources in Taiwan, so they likely did their best with what they had! The makeup and costumes are quite good as they allow the actors to stand out or indicate when they’re playing different roles on stage or within the film.

Overall, the acrobatics are spectacular, and the action is fast-paced but not disappointing when everyone breaks out into a fight. Even the fighting that takes place on the opera stage and the acrobatics are great. The action keeps rolling once it starts, with a lot of the cast getting in on it. It was beautifully crafted to attract your attention. The entire mood of the film is definitely dark and mysterious, so it isn't one that's lighthearted. I highly recommend checking this out at least once if you enjoy the Venom Mob and Chang Cheh's innovative movies like Heaven and Hell or The Nine Demons, to name a few. Since a lot of the actors are Peking Opera trained, it doesn't feel artificial, and I quite enjoyed them bringing their skills to light in a brilliant display. If you are interested in Chinese opera, then this would be worth seeing as well, to experience how Chang Cheh brilliantly incorporates the supernatural into the fun, slower-paced plot.

Today I’m thinking about the interview where Lo Mang said he goes to the park and flexes branches from trees instead of using weights. He believes in training naturally since he doesn’t want to let the weights turn him into a "great big monster," in his words!

Wan Seung-Lam, Chu Ko, and Yu Tai-Ping look precious here!

Happy Birthday to Chiang Sheng! He would have turned 71 today. He was such a bright and vibrant person. His acrobatics were absolutely stunning. It was amazing how high he could get off the ground. Each move he made was graceful, as it looked like he was practically soaring through the air, like it came naturally to him. He could do so many amazing things when he picked up any weapon. It was as if he was hypnotizing you, as it was so entrancing to watch. Chiang portrayed such fun, joyous characters in such a wonderful way. A lot of them were adorable, but he never failed to give them aspects of human emotions that made them feel like real people. No matter what the character was like, he would always have such badass fight scenes. Even the few occasions where he played a villain were magical. He has never failed to amaze audiences. His years of learning Peking Opera always showed. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to see him actually performing Peking Opera at the school he attended. I am sure that there would have been a sense of mastery and jaw-dropping displays of his skill. It is exciting that he got to work in the movie industry, and he was able to share everything mentioned above with all of us, even so many years after the films had been made. He is truly a legend.

Chiang loved his job, and it has been said by quite a few of his friends that acting made him truly happy. I feel that it is not hard to imagine as you can see how much dedication and passion he puts into all of the films or tv series that he appeared in. He even worked as an assistant director on quite a few of the Venoms films. Each day, he got to work alongside some of his best friends, which included Kuo Chui and Chiang Sheng. They always say they were like brothers, but their bond was also visible on screen or in the camera. There is always a fondness between them whenever they were together. Chiang even loved to joke around with everyone, even though he was a bit more serious than his characters were. Lu Feng mentioned that he never held grudges or had a temper, but rather got along with everyone he met. He sounds like such a beautiful soul. I can imagine that it was lovely to be around him. On and off screen, he was a memorable personality that fans of martial arts cinema will never forget. I am so glad that I was introduced to the Venom Mob because I have grown to love and appreciate each one of them. Chiang was always someone that made me laugh or grin whenever I saw him appear on screen. I feel grateful that there are interviews available where people that knew him talk about him, so we can all get to know him better.

Happy birthday to Yang Hsiung!! 🥳🥳

He was born on April 25, 1953 in Taiwan!

Wei Pai in Revenge of Beauitful Killer