The Magic Crane
Seen it?1993 | 93 min | Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Monday Morning Maybeearly ratingWhy it’s a Monday Morning Maybe
With almost no lasting buzz and soft box office, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Great for fantasy readers and martial arts fans. Its magic has rules, and the story plays by them. Sits nicely alongside Big Trouble in Little China. The fight choreography is a big part of the appeal.
- The mood
- Exciting.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 33 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Cantonese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Not for anyone who finds explosions tiring.
On his way to a congress of kung fu masters, an initiate falls from a high cliff, only to be rescued by lovely Tien Lam (Anita Mui), who rides a huge crane. The rest of the movie features a battle between warring martial arts factions, an equally fierce rivalry between the two daughters of the Crane Master, the accidental empowerment of an unprincipled master after having eaten half of a secret scroll, a battle with an immense tortoise whose spleeny vapors save a group of poisoned swordsmen, lots of great aerial fights against nearly invincible villains, and the usual blood spurting from assorted mouths.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$8 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 3K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Benny Chan Muk-sing
- Tony Leung Chiu-waiMa Kwun-Mo
- Anita Mui Yim-fongPak Wan-Fai
- Rosamund Kwan Chi-LamButterfly Lam
- Lawrence NgSo Pang Hoi
- Damian Lau Chung-YanYat Yeung-Tze
- Norman Tsui Siu-keungLam Hoi-Ping
- Jay Lau Kam-LingLady Jade Flute
- Lau ShunReverend of Tai Kok Temple
- Vindy Chan Wai-yeeChun Ngor
- Zhang TielinGeneral Tsao Hung