Xin Kang (Ku Feng) is tasked by The Emperor with coming up with a new method for eliminating scholars and intellectuals (not to mention other government officials) who deviate from the Party Line. Watching jugglers in the town square, he comes up with THE FLYING GUILLOTINE. While the contraption as presented here (and elsewhere, in various other films) may be improbable, it serves its cinematic purpose. The Emperor is so impressed with it that he assigns a special squad of assassins to perfect the killing technique(s) to be employed. Ma Teng (Chen Kuan-Ti) quickly becomes a standout, but when he comes close to accidentally killing fellow assassin Ah Kun, Kun decides to get rid of Ma Teng by accusing him of plotting treason. When Ma Teng expresses qualms about the assassinations of several government officials, it's only icing on the cake for Kun. It turns out that Ma Teng isn't the only assassin having second thoughts. Xin Kang and Ah Kun go after the dissenters. "Our heads don't belong to us any more," Kang says. Will Ma Teng survive, or will The Emperor's assassins take his head? THE FLYING GUILLOTINE, while it doesn't contain a LOT of fight scenes, is good, old-fashioned storytelling and well worth your time.
Review of The Flying Guillotine
