Despite amassing a rather significant amount at the 1998 Hong Kong box office, reaching more than 41 million HK$ in revenue, “The Storm Riders” was essentially a flop, since its budget was more than double that amount. This, however, did not prevent the movie from achieving cult status later on, particularly for its over-the-top action scenes and the imposing presence of Sonny Chiba.
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Based on the manhua series Fung Wan by artist Ma Wing-shing, the story begins when the evil Lord Conqueror, head of Conqueror’s Clan, is given a prophecy by Mud Buddha when questioned about his delayed duel with Sword Saint. The prophecy states that if Conqueror finds two young children by the name of Wind and Cloud, he will have good fortune. Mud Buddha provides the birth charts of these two and gives him a puzzle box stating that finding Wind and Cloud is but one half of his destiny,and the box will provide him with the latter half once he unlocks it. Eventually, Lord Conqueror finds the two kids, steals them from their families and adopts them, subsequently training them to become super warriors. Ten years later, the two are fully grown and highly skilled martial artists, raised by Lord Conqueror with his daughter Charity and adopted son Frost. The 3 sons act as Generals in Lord Conqueror’s army and the successes follow one another. Soon, however, a number of tragedies are connected with their actions, while their antagonism for Charity is exploited by Lord Conqueror, to keep them from becoming allies. Eventually, the two of them realize that their adopted father is not the benevolent man they thought he was.
As mentioned in the prologue, the movie thrives on Sonny Chiba’s charisma, who, despite being the villain of the story, essentially has the most meaty part. His exaggerated movements and facial expressions find their apogee here, while his presence in the most crucial and impressive action scenes of the movie, particularly the one with Sword Saint and the final one, elevates these sequences significantly. Starting with him, the cast emerges as one of the best traits of the whole movie, with the actors here being able to both carry off the martial arts scenes but also looking really good while doing so. Aaron Kwok as Striding Cloud and Ekin Cheng as Whispering Wind are the main representatives of this approach, with Andrew Lau, who also doubles as cinematographer, intensely focusing on both their impressive bodies and their meaningful looks. Furthermore though, Michael Tse as Frost, Shu Qi as Muse, a girl who eventually saves Cloud, and Kristy Yang as Charity all move towards the same direction, with the last one also being part of the sole erotic scene in the movie, in a rather unusual aspect for a wuxia film. Lastly, there are two parts that move into a completely different direction, with Wayne Lai as Mud Buddha looking more and more appalling as the story progresses, and Lawrence Cheng as Jester providing the single comedic relief role in the whole movie.
In terms of context, Andrew Lau implements the concept of the prophecy in a style that reminds of ancient Greek tragedies, as Lord Conqueror’s efforts to avoid its consequences, are actually those that end up fulfilling it, with all the characters essentially presented as victims of their fate. The love triangle between Cloud, Wind and Charity and its tragic ending adds elements of both romance and drama to the narrative, essentially increasing its depth while progressing the story in the most entertaining fashion.
The focus, however, as expected from a wuxia film, is once more on the action, with director Deon Lam presenting another exceptional work that also seems to borrow much from Japanese anime, particularly in the way the protagonists use their superpowers. The SFX in these scenes highlight the big budget the production had, with the images of destruction, particularly when the two heroes face scores of enemies, being rather impressive, while the implementation of the many swords during the final scene is a true wonder to watch. As usual, the wire-fu and the fast forward sequences may go a bit too far on occasion, but they still add to the entertainment the movie offers, also due their implementation within the action by the excellent editing of Marc Mak and Danny Pang, which also results in a very fitting, rather fast pace for the movie. The fact that almost all protagonists get their share of punishment also works quite well, adding a dramatic sense to the action, while the occasional gore elements are well presented, intensifying the entertainment the movie offers.
“The Storm Riders” is a truly cult movie that benefits the most by the charisma and beauty of its protagonists, as much as from its action sequences. As such, it is a title that all fans of wuxia and cult cinema will definitely enjoy.
