Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11581 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-02-07
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1

Synopsis
Set in China during the Sung dynasty, a group of outlaws have been forced to reside in the water margins of Liang Shan Po. These heroes fight against the injustices of the tyrannical government, and are thought by some to be the reincarnation of a group of brave knights.

Customer Reviews

The Water Margins of Lian Shang Po....
If you you were watching BBC television in the late '70's in England..You may remember 'The Water Margin' in much the same way as people remember the seemingly, never ending 'Robinson Crusoe' series..With a degree of nostalgia.. if only from the opening sequence, and the theme tune..Narrated by the great Bert Kwouk,the series is dubbed,and was brought to our screens by the same (Japanese) production team who were responsible for 'Monkey'..another kettle of fish altogether..but there are similarities,if only in the production values.
The story begins with our hero,Lin Chung,leaving the Imperial Guard, and after being framed for murder by corrupt officials, he is only saved from execution when an honourable judge intervenes..he is then sent to a remote prison, from which None Escape Alive..Along the way,the story really begins, as his wife,helped by the judge,tries to get her husband a re-trial...Alas,the evil Kao Chiu, a corrupt official of the Emperor..Is as nasty as he's powerful..and is an old enemy of Lin Chung...The story progresses, as fate intervenes..and Lin Chung eventually escapes prison,and eventually teams up with a band of assorted outlaws, who live in the Water Margins of Lian Shang Po, and fight for justice..As a previous reviewer notes, it's Robin Hood In China.
What can one say..? Don't expect top quality production values, special effects were limited to cheap fireworks and pretty bad photographic effects...and it's a little "of the times"..Expect wobbly sets, continuity errors and man-made rocks..But also some good old fashioned sword fights, and general mayhem..jokes,brawling,tears and laughter,slapstick and romance,honour,death and destruction..Fate and Destiny.. it's got the lot, really. It does get silly,and someone seems to cry pretty much in every episode..But,as I mentioned, it also has narration by Bert Kwouk,and Teruhkio Aoi takes his shirt off a lot, as the Tattooed Dragon.Which is good enough for me, frankly, if not necessarily for the impartial observer.It's not "Crouching Tiger" , but I love it all the more for it...

... because who is to say it won't become a dragon?
As the previous reviewer of this series said, there is no great momentum, nor depth, nor philosophy, just a straight tale of sword and adventure, where heroes are heroic, vilains are vilainous, women are beautiful and action is fun and all around. Not a wuxia movie, nor a morality tale, those who have enjoyed it when they were young may find it worth the price to watch it over again. I have only a gripe - for the price asked for the DVDs, the image quality could have been digitally enhanced to something more dignified than it is now. That's why four stars instead of five.

Do not despise the snake...
As a child of the 80s I recall seeing this in an apparently never ending cycle. Well not as long as Mahabharata I admit. I loved it then and the cheesy nostalgia trip was worth it. Still just straight forward heroes and villains with a catchy if not always understandable moral at the end. The ludicrously dubbed swords and morality-fest is probably best enjoyed exactly as it is with no heavy film & drama student type analysis. Basically its Robin Hood in China. The extras on the DVD are ok and they do explain a bit more about the characters. I guess though that most people buying this will want memories rather than documentaries about how it was made or clips that didn't make the cut.
If you enjoyed Monkey you'll love this too. If you're a bit more highbrow steer clear and tell your mates what a serious person you are.