Bastard Swordsman
1983 1h 35m movie Film Hong Kong

Bastard Swordsman

天蠶變

Synopsis

天蠶變

Yun Fei Yang is the viciously bullied orphan who takes on the unpleasant tasks at a formidable kung-fu school. Constantly mocked by the other students of the school, Yen counts as his only friend the daughter of the resident master. Any internal wrangling between the various members is put to one side when a swordsman from a rival clan reminds the master of the duel he must take part in once a decade. Unfortunately the defending clan chief is well aware that his rival is more powerful than himself. The expected defeat is further complicated when a wandering swordsman arrives on the scene and joins himself to the injured party, immediately adding to Yen's woes.

The 1982–1984 Hong Kong Window

42 Hong Kong films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. Bastard Swordsman sits at position #21.

  1. Blade Runner
    #1

    Blade Runner

    ★ 7.9 · 1982

  2. Buddha's Palm
    #2

    Buddha's Palm

    ★ 7.9 · 1982

  3. The Legend of the Condor Heroes
    #3

    The Legend of the Condor Heroes

    ★ 7.9 · 1983

  4. Boat People
    #4

    Boat People

    ★ 7.6 · 1982

  5. The Miracle Fighters
    #5

    The Miracle Fighters

    ★ 7.4 · 1982

  6. Project A
    #6

    Project A

    ★ 7.2 · 1983

  7. The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter
    #7

    The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter

    ★ 7.2 · 1984

  8. Shanghai Blues
    #8

    Shanghai Blues

    ★ 7.1 · 1984

Other Titles From Shaw Brothers

The 1980s Hong Kong Landscape

Catalog density by release year in the 1980s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Bastard Swordsman premiered. 151 total titles in this decade from Hong Kong.

'8014'8118'8213'8314'8415'857'8615'8716'8819'8920

Reception Benchmarks

6.5
TMDB Rating
13
Audience Reviews
Well Received
Critical Tier

Ranked #350 of 836 Hong Kong films indexed here (58th percentile by TMDB audience score).

Rating is +0.2 points above the Hong Kong average of 6.3/10.

Among Hong Kong Action productions specifically: #229 of 516 (top 44%).

Production Details

Primary Country Hong Kong
Original Language Cantonese
Production Companies Shaw Brothers
Runtime 1h 35m
Release Date September 14, 1983
IMDb tt0078393

External Catalogs