Human Lanterns goes for broke and mostly works. It's gonzo stuff, being a cross between a martial arts movie and a murder-mystery about a deranged serial killer, all taking place hundreds of years ago (possibly longer).
I like it when a Shaw Brothers movie does something out of left field. This isn't my favorite example of the studio doing that, but it certainly has its moments - enough of them for this to end up being pretty decent. There's enough here that's fun to make it worth a watch for martial arts fans after something different.
It was let down a little, I felt, by being uneven. It committed to different levels of crazy at different points, and feels all-over-the-place as a result. That sense of chaos can work when it's pushed far enough often enough in a movie like this, but I don't feel like Human Lanterns always did the best job at this.
Still, for having some silly horror mixed in with some violent fight scenes, there was a good amount here that proved enjoyable. The kind of thing that gets a caution recommendation, for fans of this style of odd film, at least.
I like it when a Shaw Brothers movie does something out of left field. This isn't my favorite example of the studio doing that, but it certainly has its moments - enough of them for this to end up being pretty decent. There's enough here that's fun to make it worth a watch for martial arts fans after something different.
It was let down a little, I felt, by being uneven. It committed to different levels of crazy at different points, and feels all-over-the-place as a result. That sense of chaos can work when it's pushed far enough often enough in a movie like this, but I don't feel like Human Lanterns always did the best job at this.
Still, for having some silly horror mixed in with some violent fight scenes, there was a good amount here that proved enjoyable. The kind of thing that gets a caution recommendation, for fans of this style of odd film, at least.