[OSKFF ’23] ‘Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters’ review: A heroic trio seeks revenge

Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters is the type of revenge tale that is often seen in kung fu movies. Three bandits kill a former sheriff and his wife. The surviving daughters are taken to safety and each grow up separately. They reunite fifteen years later in order to get pay back on the men that destroyed their family.

The first act is definitely the strongest. It sets up the rest of the story while explaining what has happened and introducing the three grown sisters. Each has turned into very different women and Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters does a great job of drawing audiences into their lives. By the time the trio comes together, viewers will be fully behind them.

The fight scenes are fluid and have the balletic choreography that director King Hu had brought to wuxia the previous year. There is a fluidity and rhythm to the film that can be too stylish at times. The combination of violence and beauty is certainly creative, but there is also a theatricality to it all that can ruin the immersion that is so important to any revenge story.

Arguably, the thing that stands out most about Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters are the three powerful female leads. It was not as strange to see female action leads in Asian cinema as in other parts of the world, but there is a femineity to them that was different. Women posing as men is a common trope in kung-fu films (it is a part of this movie, also), but it was rare to see strong women who more that highly skilled fighters. Here, they are rounded characters that can handle themselves when outnumbered, but never fell invincible or overpowered.

Overall, it is a fun wuxia movie that is fun and has some great camerawork. The plot starts off strong before it becomes a run of the mill kung fu story. It never becomes stale, even if there is a sense a “been there, done that.” The stylized action and interesting characters will ensure viewers remain, however.

The Old School Kung Fu Fest takes place April 21-30