“Clans of Intrigue” was Chor Yuen's first and highly successful adaptation of Gu Long's “Fragrance from the Sea of Blood”, a series of three wuxia novels about Chu Liu Hsiang. A sequel adapted from the first installment of a five-novel series “The New Legend of Chu Liu Hsiang” titled “Legend of the Bat” soon followed and saw the return of protagonist Chu “Lingering Fragrance” and with the help of his ally Yi Tian Hung investigating more mysteries and murder cases.
A combination of footage from its predecessor “Clans of Intrigue” which also serves as a recap and opening credits kick off the film nicely. Immediately after, the viewers are transported to Bat Island where an auction is being held in almost total darkness. It is the autumn of the Jiawu Year and on this island owned by the mysterious Bat Prince or Mr. Bat, one can get whatever one desires as long as one has money. The first request comes from a monk and he wants the head of Chu Liu Hsiang.
Next up we see Chu (Ti Lung) and Yi Tian Hung (Ling Yun) leaving the Holy Water Palace after the death of Monk Wuhua. They stumble across a villa to discover that everyone there is dead except a swordsman who seems to have lost his mind and just wanders around aimlessly while he continuously talks about getting to Bat Island. Further investigation later leads them to a deadly encounter with swordsman Li Yu Han (Yeah Hua) and his dying wife Liu Wu Min (Ching Li). It turns out that someone from Bat Island is offering the Poppy from India, a cure for Liu's illness in exchange for Chu's death. Intrigued and eager to solve the mysteries involving him, Chu has no choice but to join the group of martial bands and sail to Bat Island.
Taking into consideration the complex nature of a Chor's convoluted plot and colorful eccentric characters, the main narrative is actually quite easy to follow this time around. Even though new characters do pop up during the boat journey, even so, it all makes perfect sense during the final confrontation at the Bat Hall. From here on, since all the passengers are pretty much confined to their rooms, this is also where the film starts to slow down. In addition, the secondary plot line which concerns Li and Liu, the righteous married couple whom Chu volunteers to help, seems to get nowhere after what they go through during the course of the film. The only mystery here is actually the secret identity of the Bat Prince which turns out to be rather predictable anyway.
Apart from that, the whole production looks amazing visually and it has a certain epic feel to it as seen in the highly detailed and well designed sets of both the Ice Cave and the Iron Cage. There is also extensive use of explosions, dry ice and smog effects to further enhance the overall atmosphere. However, the miniature sets used to represent the open sea journey are less convincing but strangely, they sort of add a bit of fun factor to the overall nature of the movie.
As expected, the charismatic Ti Lung shines again as the suave and quick-witted protagonist with an iron fan Chu Liu Hsiang. Ling Yun is also back as the calm assassin Yi, a man who hardly speaks but is deadly with his sword. The always captivating Yueh Hua, who played Monk Wuhua in the first film comes back as a different character, Li Yu Han while Ching Li plays his tragic wife Liu Wu Min. Chor's regular, a young Derek Yee plays the mysterious blind Bat Prince. The supporting cast is equally impressive; the alluring Norman Chui turns up briefly as the Bat Island guard. Elsewhere, Yuen Wah plays a heroic but mute bodyguard and Wang Chung is memorable as the government service man with a secret agenda.
In addition, the film's action sequences look amazing thanks to the choreography by the always dependable team of Tang Chia and Huang Pei Chi. For example, the fast and furious sword fight at the Jade Villa in which Chu encounters a bunch of swordsmen who form an almost unbreakable sword formation is definitely a highlight and a delight to watch. Consequently, though cleverly thought out, the final fight with the Bat Prince is almost a letdown because it takes place in a semi dark hall and it is hard to figure out what is going on.
Epic and beautifully shot, “Legend of the Bat” is highly entertaining and fun, a wuxia mystery adventure full of compelling twists and turns populated with equally engrossing characters. Some moments might alienate viewers but overall it is a delightful watch.
