With a blend in varying proportions of action-adventure recalling Indiana Jones, tinges of playfulness and outright comedy, strong dark fantasy, and plain, violent horror, this is a bit of an odd concoction. It's even more odd in light of how the film is structured, with an initial action sequence introducing our hero before a flashback fills most of the rest of the first half and provides foundation for the remainder. To this add tidbits like contemporary references to apparently bottomless credit cards or reading about the Viet Cong, a chief female supporting character who is defined primarily by her shrill voice and impetuous behavior, and a mishmash of action violence that throws together martial arts and modern weaponry and equipment, all on top of the primary genre touches of sorcery, curses, cults, and monsters. Suffice to say that 'The seventh curse' is a curiosity, and no matter how endearing it may be it has some definite faults. It's also much more well made than not, however - and highly entertaining!
Admittedly it may be relatively unimportant in a flick like this, but I do think the chief flaw is in the writing. When you get down to it the plot is rather light as protagonist Dr. Yuen must end a deadly curse with which he's afflicted, and stop an evil sorcerer while he's at it. Not only is the tale fairly unsophisticated at large, but no few details that round it out are weirdly oversimplified. Supporting characters seem to have perfect knowledge of the curses in play, for example, and their remedies, and are also proficient with both various firearms and hand-to-hand fighting techniques. That simplicity extends to the scene writing, with the climax being a prime illustration as the heroes appear quite abruptly, and the antagonistic figures meet ends that are decidedly unceremonious and maybe a tad unsatisfying. Further emphasizing the point, the most recent ending to have been appended to the feature, and the one that most people will probably be seeing, is extraordinarily curt. By all means, this is a title that's all about having a good time, and is more about the vibe and the experience rather than the fullness of its narrative storytelling, but had more care been applied to the writing then the end result could have only benefited.
Still, with those notes aside, there's so very much to love about 'The seventh curse.' Strange as the conglomeration may be in some ways it's quite well made, with superb stunts, practical effects, and action sequences; special effects added in post may not be wholly seamless, but they are sparing, and this is an instance where the disparity kind of bolsters the appearance. The sets are utterly gorgeous and overflowing with minutiae and texture, reflecting the sort of creativity that audiences hope for from genre pictures. The creature designs are splendid, and all the costume design, hair, and makeup received no less care. The action and adventure are earnestly exciting; the horror facet is so gnarly that it more than compensates for the fact that it fills a relatively small corner of these eighty-odd minutes. The movie may represent a smattering, and the writing may just serve as a vehicle more than anything else, but in all those ways that matter most for such fare it's excellent, providing the engaging, highfalutin romp we want. Lam Ngai Kai's direction is solid, for that matter, as he ties all the various pieces together with a mind for a frivolous blast. And for as much as the screenplay may deserve criticism, I'll say this: taken as a whole, the film is so fun that I rather wish this was but one in a series, that we could have gotten more cinematic treatment of the genre-hopping exploits of these characters. That might say more about this than anything else.
Unless you're a major fan of the source material or someone involved this might not be something one needs to go out of their way to see. It's certainly enjoyable, but it's no revelation, and it's not as if we can't get the same thrills and flavors elsewhere. However, while it's imperfect, overall the feature serves up all that we're invariably looking for when we find it - this has no illusions about what it is, and we as viewers also surely couldn't mistake it for something else. Even if it doesn't fully demand viewership it's a grand lark, and for those who appreciate the lighter side of horror, fantasy, and/or action-adventure, I'm pleased to give 'The seventh curse' my glad recommendation.
Admittedly it may be relatively unimportant in a flick like this, but I do think the chief flaw is in the writing. When you get down to it the plot is rather light as protagonist Dr. Yuen must end a deadly curse with which he's afflicted, and stop an evil sorcerer while he's at it. Not only is the tale fairly unsophisticated at large, but no few details that round it out are weirdly oversimplified. Supporting characters seem to have perfect knowledge of the curses in play, for example, and their remedies, and are also proficient with both various firearms and hand-to-hand fighting techniques. That simplicity extends to the scene writing, with the climax being a prime illustration as the heroes appear quite abruptly, and the antagonistic figures meet ends that are decidedly unceremonious and maybe a tad unsatisfying. Further emphasizing the point, the most recent ending to have been appended to the feature, and the one that most people will probably be seeing, is extraordinarily curt. By all means, this is a title that's all about having a good time, and is more about the vibe and the experience rather than the fullness of its narrative storytelling, but had more care been applied to the writing then the end result could have only benefited.
Still, with those notes aside, there's so very much to love about 'The seventh curse.' Strange as the conglomeration may be in some ways it's quite well made, with superb stunts, practical effects, and action sequences; special effects added in post may not be wholly seamless, but they are sparing, and this is an instance where the disparity kind of bolsters the appearance. The sets are utterly gorgeous and overflowing with minutiae and texture, reflecting the sort of creativity that audiences hope for from genre pictures. The creature designs are splendid, and all the costume design, hair, and makeup received no less care. The action and adventure are earnestly exciting; the horror facet is so gnarly that it more than compensates for the fact that it fills a relatively small corner of these eighty-odd minutes. The movie may represent a smattering, and the writing may just serve as a vehicle more than anything else, but in all those ways that matter most for such fare it's excellent, providing the engaging, highfalutin romp we want. Lam Ngai Kai's direction is solid, for that matter, as he ties all the various pieces together with a mind for a frivolous blast. And for as much as the screenplay may deserve criticism, I'll say this: taken as a whole, the film is so fun that I rather wish this was but one in a series, that we could have gotten more cinematic treatment of the genre-hopping exploits of these characters. That might say more about this than anything else.
Unless you're a major fan of the source material or someone involved this might not be something one needs to go out of their way to see. It's certainly enjoyable, but it's no revelation, and it's not as if we can't get the same thrills and flavors elsewhere. However, while it's imperfect, overall the feature serves up all that we're invariably looking for when we find it - this has no illusions about what it is, and we as viewers also surely couldn't mistake it for something else. Even if it doesn't fully demand viewership it's a grand lark, and for those who appreciate the lighter side of horror, fantasy, and/or action-adventure, I'm pleased to give 'The seventh curse' my glad recommendation.