Tung Wei is credited as co-fight director and also plays a young scholar who goes off, after his father's murder, to learn kung fu from a Buddhist monk. When he finally reappears to join the heroes, his kung fu doesn't help much. Overall, the fight scenes lack the vigor, imagination and relentlessness such scenes require. Wong Tao, normally quite a firebrand in his films, including THE HOT, THE COOL AND THE VICIOUS, in which he played a vaguely similar character, is too restrained here, trapped in a wig and period costume, spending too much time brooding and lamenting a childhood spent working in a brothel (seen in flashbacks). There's far more melodrama than a film like this is generally comfortable with.

All that said, however, the film is beautifully photographed, designed and costumed. It's a consistent visual treat, even when the narrative sags. The Crash Cinema DVD offers a very good letter-boxed transfer of an original print with sharp imagery and striking color. However, the print is extremely scratchy in parts, with occasional speckles and scratch lines streaking vertically through the film. Some parts, however, are not so bad and look almost pristine. The DVD case features a picture of Yasuaki Kurata, a Japanese actor/fighter who often starred in Hong Kong movies (SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA), but doesn't appear in this one.


Very Good Kung fu classic, but....   October 4, 2001
Rafael Amado (USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is an entertaining Kung fu flick, but it has allot of scratches and lines throughout the movie. I've seen older kung fu flicks in better condition. There was no effort in remastering it. This is the only copy of MASK OF DEATH on DVD right now so if you really want it just be aware of the condition of it.
Nuff said.