The Ming Robin Hood strikes again!
The Swift Knight is a 1971 Shaw Brothers wuxia film starring Lo Lieh, Chin Han and Wang Hsieh.
One of Lo Lieh's numerous leading roles in the peak of his career, Lieh is the Swift Knight, Lai Ru-feng (來如風, lit "Comes like the wind"), a swashbuckling Gentleman Thief who opposes the tyranny of Prince Jie and his underlings. Together with a vagabond-like warrior, Li Hsuan-ping (Chin) with a mysterious past, after a battle between them leads to both heroes becoming allies, they will work together to take down evil. Sword fights, wire-fu laden stunts, and epic battle sequences ensues.
The Swift Knight contains examples of:
- Affably Evil: Lord Chu Pao, who respects his enemies as a Worthy Opponent (despite looking shifty as hell and Obviously Evil), even willing to attempt bribing his enemies and giving them a chance even when he had them on the ropes. His master, Prince Jie in comparison, is rather cold and calculating, and absolutely ruthless.
- An Arm and a Leg: Occasionally sword fights will result in extras losing entire limbs, one shot even showing a mook cut down by Lai Ru-feng having his severed arm flying through the air in slo-mo.
- Authority Equals Asskicking: Prince Jie, besides being the tyrannical Big Bad, is also the best swordsman compared to his mooks. It takes Lai Ru-feng and Li Hsuan-ping, The Hero and The Lancer, working together in the final battle to finally take him down for good.
- Badass Cape: Prince Jie with a flowing ornate red cape.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: On Lord Chu Pao, The Dragon. Possibly the biggest set of eyebrows than any other character in the movie. Look at it
. - The Casanova: Lai Ru-feng, besides being a swashbuckling hero, is also a playboy and ladies' man, having serving girls willingly swooning over him during the brothel scene.
- Cool Mask: Lai Ru-feng wears a ninja-like mask that expose only his eyes during night infiltration scenes.
- Horseback Heroism: Lai Ru-feng in several scenes is depicted riding his trusty steed travelling from city to city, and he's the hero of the picture.
- Hostage Situation: Prince Jai, when things started going south for him in the finale he proceeds to use Lai Ru-feng's potential Love Interest Xiang Qin as a hostage by putting his sword to her throat.
- In a Single Bound: It's a wuxia film after all.
- Join or Die: Lord Chu Pao tries convincing Li Hsuan-ping to turn on the good guys, attempting to bribe him with gold and silver. When Li Hsuan-ping refuses, Chu Pao immediately had men rushing out from everywhere ordering them to kill Li,
- Just Like Robin Hood: Lai Ru Feng is pretty much Robin Hood in the Ming Dynasty, who robs greedy, corrupt officials to help the poor.
- The Lancer: Li Hsuan-ping, the lawful swordsman who assists Lai Ru-feng. They form a Back-to-Back Badasses pose in the final battle.
- Master Swordsman: Lai Ru-feng and Li Hsuan-ping, befitting the wuxia theme.
- Monochrome Past: A variation, Li Hsuan-ping's flashback is tinted in red and blue.
- Public Execution: Li Hsuan-ping is sentenced to being publicly beheaded for opposing Prince Jai after being captured alive. The climax involves Lai Ru-feng busting him out of the execution, at which point they take on enemy guards and the main villains all at once.
- Roofhopping: One of Lai Ru-feng's action scenes is a night chase that involves him leaping between roofs while being pursued by enemies.
- Sword Fight: Most of the action scenes in this movie are sword-battles, with Lai Ru-feng making short work of mooks via sword.
- Throw Down the Bomblet: When Lord Chu's attempts to have Li Hsuan-ping and the good guys captured alive with... ahem, diplomatic means, doesn't quite work, Prince Jie interrupts by ordering his mooks to throw dynamites into their hideout instead to force them out.
- We Can Rule Together: Lord Chu Pao tries giving this offer to the captured Li Hsuan-ping, tempting him with gold and silver to betray his allies. But Li Hsuan-ping is a lawful swordsman, so he replies with this line:"Speak for yourself, I lay down my life for my principles!"
- Wire Fu: Of course.
- Wuxia
