Where once was warmth is a bloody spectacular in My Own Swordsman. Photo: CFP

By Zhao Kun

After innumerable re-runs of the 80-episode sitcom on the Chinese television, the kung fu comedy, My Own Swordsman makes its debut on the big screen. Set to win more laughter and keep up its popularity among viewers, the theatrical version tries to differentiate itself from the original source while bringing along the entire original cast and crew. 

Of the same name with the original teleplay, the movie injects some modern sense of humor into the story that takes place in the Ming Dynasty, since such anachronistic trick worked wonders on TV. The movie presumes that audiences in the cinema are those sitting in front of a TV and therefore cram lots of jokes and jest into the script without leaving much time for characterization and background introductions, which might put a first-time audience in a bit of a fog.

Director Shang Jing transfers the public groan on the skyrocketing housing price in today's China to the fictional Qixia Town 400 years ago, where a wealthy merchant colludes with local government to develop real estate projects and reap staggering profits. Then you just see in the film what Beijing and other domestic cities have experienced over the last decade: insane price hikes, crazy speculation, large-scale demolition, house purchase binges and, at last, scrimping and saving of ordinary people. 

Even though at first the order for demolition stirs the Tongfu Hostel into a tempest, our old chaps, led by the landlady Tong Xiangyu (played by Yan Ni), stand firm against the order and thus incur the murderous plotting of the real estate developer. A knock-down-and-drag-out fight begins.

Thanks to the lack of a movie rating system in China, My Own Swordsman takes a violent approach when depicting the battle between the Tongfu Hostel clan and the professional killer Ji Wuli. What you see in the teleplay as some showy but not practical martial arts upgrades to dazzling and expensive fighting scenes in the movie, seemingly justifying the 80 kuai ticket. But the action-packed montages are working the opposite effect and relegate the delicate comedy to a mediocre actioner that looks not much different from others of the same genre. When you hear the sound of wringing necks and see blood splashing around, you would just find out the adaptation is somehow inconsistent with the TV drama that's filled up with warmth and goodwill.

On my one to 10 movie scale, I give My Own Swordsman a saber-rattling six.