Introduction
This series comes after "The Legend of the Condor Heroes"-Anh Hung Xa Dieu(1) and "The Return of the Condor Heroes"-Than Dieu Hiep Lu(2) and together it makes the trilogy series, if you didn't know it was a trilogy. The Condor Trilogy encapsulates the rise and fall of the Mongolian control in China. The Mongolians have set up a dynasty in China called the Yuan dynasty. HSDS takes place late in this dynasty (right before the Minh dynasty). The symbol of power and dominance in this period are two weapons: the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre. Quach Tinh(Kwok Jing) and Hoang Dung(Wong Yong) (heroes from the first book "Legend of Condor Heroes") forged these weapons from the huge sword of Duong Qua(Yang Guo) (hero from the second book "The Return of the Condor Heroes")(The heavy sharp sword which Duong Qua got from Doc Cao Cau Bai). It has been said that whoever gets these two swords will be the most powerful and rule the martial arts world. Quach Tinh(Kwok Jing) put the "Hong Long Tap Bac Chuong"(Hung Lung 18 Palms) and Cuu Am Chan Kinh kung-fu manuals within the Heavenly Sword. The "Cuu Am Chan Kinh" is the most powerful kung-fu technique in the Condor Trilogy universe. He also put the "Vo Moc Vi Thu" which is General Nhac Phi war tactics manual inside the Dragon Sabre. With the war tactics manual, the Dragon Sabre is the symbol of the Han chinese rebellion against the Mongolian government.
How Long?
33 Tapes
Cast
Han To To - Mai Shuet
Truong Thuy Son - Damien Lau Chung Yun
Trieu Minh - Gigi Lai
Truong Vo Ky - Lawerence Ng
Chu Chi Nhuoc - Charmaine Sheh
Han Ly - Cherie Chan
Duong Tieu- Eddie Cheung
Ky Hieu Phu/Duong Bat Hoi- Joyce Tang
StoryLine/Plot
Knowing that Heavenly Sword & Dragon Sabre has a long story and if your a Jin Yong Fan you don't need me to tell you all the details. To make it easier and faster for me, I would like to just tell you about the characters in Heavenly Sword & Dragon Sabre 2000.
Truong Thuy Son- Is the fifth pupil of Phai Vo Dang. Truong Tam Phong's favorite pupil and is known as Thiet Quat Nhan Cau for his fine caligraphy, and the weapon he is uses. He get marooned on Da?o Bang Ho?a(Ice-Fire Island) with Ta Ton and Han To To. Soon after, he marries Han To To (Daugther of the leader of Thien Ung Giao) and has a son name Truong Vo Ky. When he finds out that Han To To & her brother is the ones that poisoned, his third martial brother, he committs suicide after he can't do anything to help his 3rd martial brother and to take all the blame for his wife(to save her). Needless to say, he is a very rightous and chivalrous man.
Han To To- She is Han Thien Chan's (Bach Mi Ung Vuong) daughter. Before she met Truong Thuy Son, she was very spoiled and killed a lot of people. When she first met Thuy Son, she just wanted to use him to get Do Long Dao. When she and Thuy Son is stranded on Ice-Fire Island, the two finally admit they love each other and gets married. She soon gives birth to Vo Ky and learn to be a more kind natured mother and wife. But unfortunately, happiness does not last long, when Thuy Son, Vo Ky, and her leave the island after ten years.The People of Vo Lam demanded to know where Ta Ton is but of course, both Thuy Son and To To can't tell those people because they've lived with Ta Ton for ten years and have become sworn brothers and sister with Ta Ton. When Thuy Son kills himself to take to blame for all the killing she had done in the past, she too committs suicide because she loves him too much to be apart from him. Just after Thuy Son dies, Vo Ky is rescued from his kidnappers, and before To To dies she tells her son to recongnize everyone in this room for these are the people responsible for his Dad's death. She also tells him" When you grow up, you must remember not to believe in whatever any beautiful girl tells you".
Truong Vo Ky- Son of Truong Thuy Son and Han To To. His parents died to keep the secret about his adopted father, Ta Ton's where-abouts. Ever since he was ten years old and was captured by two men(later found out those two work for the Mongolian army), one of the men hit him with Han Bang Chuong(a martial art blow) and in result all his childhood he is stuck with the sickness. It seemed incurable but one day him and his Su Ong(Truong Tam Phong) saves a Minh Sect rebeller and Chu Chi Nhuoc from Mongollian soldiers, the Minh Sect rebeller told Truong Tam Phong that he knows of a Dai Phu(doctor) who can cure any disease or illness. So in trade, Vo Ky was taken to the doctor and Chu Chi Nhuoc was taken to Phai Nga Mi. Vo Ky stays at the doctor's home and reads all the medical books of cures and poison in hope to find a cure for himself. Vo Ky is kind, dutiful, trustworthy and smart at practicing and figuring out the mystery of certain martial arts. He gets really good at martial arts and becomes the leader of Minh Giao(the Minh Sect). However, his love life was a disaster. Many girls fell for him, like his cousin,Han Ly (aka Chau nhi), his childhood friend, Chu Chi Nhuoc, Persian girl, Tieu Sieu and Mongolian princess Trieu Minh.
Ta Ton: He is known as Kim Mao Su Vuong(Golden Lion), Ta Ton for his yellowish golden hair and is a member of Minh Giao. After his Su Phu(teacher) kills all 13 people in his family including his parents, wife and newborn son, Ta Ton becomes enraged and swears to take revenge on his former Su Phu(aka Thanh Khon). Throughout the years, he goes in search of martial art manuscripts to beat Thanh Khon. He decided to kill people and blaming his former teacher, Thanh Khon. He thought that if he kills people and blame the murders on Thanh Khon, he could lure Thanh Khon out or have more people trying to get revenge on Thanh Khon. When he hears about the indestructible Dragon Sabre, and Han To To had this Dragon Sabre party to show off the sabre and he decides to crash the party and get the Dragon Sabre to get revenge and takes Han To To and Truong Thuy Son as hostages. The three travel on a boat to somewhere far away from the Mainland and all was fine until there was a thunderstorm, which reminds Ta Ton of the night when his family was murdered and his crazy illness activates and he begins to yell and use his Lion Roar attack. To To and Thuy Son swam for their life because once Ta Ton goes crazy no one can stop him from killing. To To blinds Ta Ton with her poison needles, leaving him blind forever. The three is then stranded on Ice-Fire Island. Ta Ton continues to have his mental outburts and tries to kill Truong Thuy Son but when Vo Ky was born, Ta Ton's mental illness was cured because Vo Ky reminded Ta Ton, of his own newborn son, Ta Vo Ky. Han To To decides to let Ta Ton be Vo Ky's adopted father( god-father) and after ten years his mental illness lessen and his relationship with little Vo Ky was strong. Ta Ton and the two husband and wife of Truong Thuy Son become sworn brother and sister. The three live very happily and loved Vo Ky very much. Soon, To To and Thuy son thought about Vo Ky's future and decides to go back to the mainland. When the family leaves Ta Ton at the Ice-Fire Island, the family comes upon the angry families of the people Ta Ton killed and they ask for the where-abouts of Ta Ton but even until death Thuy Son and To To still doesn't tell.
Thanh Khon- He is the teacher of Ta Ton and cousin of the last Minh Sect's leader's wife. He loved his cousin very much(I know its sick but maybe it's a second cousin or third) but his cousin had to marry the last Minh Sect leader(the one before Vo Ky). Even so, his cousin and him still met secretly. When the Minh Sect leader caught them two in the secret stone chamber where he was trying to practice the 7th level of a special martial art of the Minh Sect, he got tau hoa nhap ma--he got distracted(when he pratices the martial art he isn't suppose to be distracted) and vomitts blood and dies. Of course Thanh Khon was very happy he died but then his cousin felt guilty and kills herself. That did it! He was mad so he decided to take revenge and make the Minh Sect miserable. The first step was to kill Ta Ton's family so Ta Ton goes after him and kills people and more people would go against the Minh Sect.
Chu Chi Nhuoc- Taken in by Duyet Tuyet Su Thai after the Mongolian soldiers killed everyone in her family and village. Through out the years, she has grown up to be a very sophisticated and beautiful girl, and Duyet Tuyet Su Thai's most precious and prized pupil. She comes across, Vo Ky when she and her martial sisters goes to attack Minh Giao( the Minh sect) and soon falls in love with Truong Vo Ky. She was very innocent at first and caring but when she was forced to kill Vo Ky and when Vo Ky dumps her in the middle of the wedding she revealed her evil self. Even when she got both the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre, she was okay until Vo Ky jilted her at the wedding. She had nothing left to do but follow her teacher's last words and pratice Cuu Am Chan Kinh and go after Truong Vo Ky. She knew Tong Thanh Thu loved her madly and so she married him and used him to see if Vo Ky still cares for her and stops her from marrying Tong Thanh Thu. Afterwards, when she found out that Trieu Minh is Vo Ky's true love she became very furious and began her teacher's ambition to take over Vo Lam. SHE BECAME EVIL and RUTHLESS. Because she practice Cuu Am Chan Kinh and took a fast technique so she can learn it quickly it made her crazy and when she gets injured in the near end she loses her memory. Tong Thanh Thu and her became a real husband and wife at the end, for she forgot about everything, even Vo Ky.
Tieu Sieu-She is the daughter of Ha`n Phu Nhan(aka Kim Hoa Ba Ba--the Thanh Nu of Minh Giao Ba Tu). She is told by her mother to steal the special martial art manuscript of the Minh Sect but falls in love with Truong Vo Ky. Tieu Sieu is a very nice girl who helps Vo Ky when Trieu Minh gets mad at him and help Trieu Minh escape her arrange wedding. Although she loves Truong Vo Ky very much, however, she loves her mom very much and decides to take her mother's place and become Thanh Nu~ cu?a Minh Giao Ba Tu. She never tells Vo Ky that she really loves him and because she became the Thanh Nu(Goddess) of the Persian Minh Sect--she can never marry and stays a virgin for the rest of her life.
Han LyShe is Truong Vo Ky's cousin and daughter of Han To To's brother. She is very mad at her Dad for marrying a second wife and letting her mom, who is the first wife, get sick and neglecting her mother. She gets so mad at her father's concubine that she kills the second wife. When her dad know that she killed his second wife, he runs after her and wants her dead but her mother tries to intervene and stop them but accidently gets killed by Han Ly. She soons practices this poisoness finger attack, which she needs the venom--poison of the spiders to practice the attack and because she pratices that sort of martial art , she has to sacrifice her beauty and beocome "ugly", she is taken in by Kim Hoa Ba Ba and becomes her pupil. She swore she would never accept her dad as her dad ever again. She then meets the young Truong Vo Ky and tries to get him to go with her to Dao Linh Xa( Snake Island?) but he refuses and bites her hand, which not only left a mark on her hand but also left a scar in her heart. But when she sees the grown up Truong Vo Ky she refuses to believe he is her Tieu Quang Gia.
Trieu Minh She is a Mongolian Princess( Trieu Minh Quan Chua), she has a lot of Mongolian pride and is mentally smarter than her brother, who is very strong yet doesn't have intelligent war stretegies. She is well love by her father and brother. At times she can be very ruthless but she does things with good intention. She has heard of Truong Vo Ky's great stories and decides to pretend to be Vo Ky and recruit the nine Phai in Vo Lam to surrender to Mongolia. While she does that she falls deeply in love for Truong Vo Ky.
Duyet Tuyet Su Thai She is third or fourth generation leader of Phai Nga Mi. Phai Nga Mi was created by Quach Suong(Quach Tinh & Hoang Dung's youngest daughter). Duyet Tuyet is a very strict and ruthless nun. She is totally against Evil and especially Minh Giao. In her life, her two most prized and loved students are Ky Hieu Phu and Chu Chi Nhuoc. Her ambition is to revive Phai Nga Mi to become the most famous and strongest Phai. She knows a secret about the Heaven Sword & Dragon Sabre( Y Thien Kiem va` Bao Dao Do Long) told by Quach Suong passed down from generation and generation of Phai Nga Mi's leader. She is a very ruthless and cruel nun, whose hatred for Minh Giao is very deep.
Ky Hieu Phu: She is arranged/engaged to be married to the sixth pupil of Truong Tam Phong and she is the first prized pupil of Duyet Tuyet Su Thai of Phai Nga Mi. Duyet Tuyet Su Thai plan to pass on the position of leader of Phai Nga Mi, however, destiny changes Hieu Phu's fate. She meet's Duong Tieu and falls in love with him. She tries many times to deny her love for him but fails. She later carries Duong Tieu's child and gives birth to Bat Hoi. When her Su Phu,Duyet Tuyet Su Thai finds out that Hieu Phu has a daughter, she says she will forgive Hieu Phu and let her come back, only if she goes and kill Duong Tieu. She also assume that Duong Tieu had raped Hieu Phu but Hieu Phu admitt that she really loves Duong Tieu and would do nothing to harm him. Her Su Phu got really furious and angry, in result Hieu Phu was killed by her Su Phu.
Duong Tieu: He is one of the two beautiful--handsome men and official of Minh Giao. He is known for his playboy(player) repuatation. He never knew what true love is until he met the love of his life, Ky Hieu Phu. She questioned him about his loyalty and dedication towards love but he was too late to answer whether Ky Hieu Phu will be his last woman or not. He first hears about Hieu Phu's death when Truong Vo Ky deliver's Bat Hoi(his daughter). He was surprised that after all the years, Hieu Phu did not regret that she had met him and loved him. He later refuses to let Bat Hoi to see Han Le Dinh and marry him. But after Han Le Dinh risks his life, he allows them to get married.
Han Le Dinh: He is the sixth pupil of Truong Tam Phong and was engaged to be married to Ky Hieu Phu. The engagement would have been a match made in heaven, however, fate does not let them be the ideal couple. Ky Hieu Phu's heart belongs to Duong Tieu. He loves Hieu Phu very much but when he finds out she's dead. He's deeply sadden and when he see's Bat Hoi(who looks exactly like her mother) he believes that she's Hieu Phu's ghost. Soon, he is shocked to find out that Hieu Phu has rejected his love and even had Duong Tieu's child. When he is temporary crippled, Bat Hoi comes and take care of him, he thinks that she is taking care of him because she feels sorry for him and she feels guilty and wants to say sorry in place of her mom. But he soon finds out that Bat Hoi truly loves him and he too can not live without Bat Hoi. After many rough paths they go through they finally get married and have child.
Duong Bat Hoi:Bat Hoi's mother had no regrets falling in love with her father and having a daughter. So her mother named her Bat Hoi, meaning "No Regrets".
Bat Hoi's mother Ky Hieu Phu was killed by Duyet Tuyet Su Thai when she was about eight or ten years old, she was about to be killed by Duyet Tuyet Su Thai but Truong Vo Ky rescued her and with the last words of her mother, Truong Vo Ky found and brought her to live with her only living family--her Dad, Duong Tieu.
Duong Tieu loves her mother very much, and so she was very spoiled and as she grows up to become a beautiful young lady--she also looks exactly like her mother. Yes, she was a spoiled brat until she met Han Le Dinh, she became a mature & caring person. The first time, she met Han Le Dinh and heard how he loved her mother very much and how heartbroken he was when he heard the death of her mother. Bat Hoi gradually falls in love with Han Le Dinh. After many hardships, the two does marry, unfortunately Han Le Dinh was injured after a battle with Thanh Khon and was unconcious for a long period of time. But eventually, when Bat Hoi brings him to the top of the mountain to see the Tuyet Lien(Snow Lotus-Lily) he miraculously recovers from his coma. She is a very compassionate girl, who will do anything for Han Le Dinh, no matter how hard or how little the chances are.
The Most pitiful character
The most pitiful character that I feel sorry for is Ta Ton. I mean his whole family was killed by the person he trusted most--his former teacher, Thanh Khon. And for what? because Thanh Khon wanted revenge on Minh Giao. Ta Ton was used as a mere pawn between Thanh Khon and his revenge. Just think, Ta Ton's wife was raped by Thanh Khon and his newborn son was killed. How terribly sad!!!
Fave Character
I don't think I have a favorite character because the 2000 remake can't compare to the actors & actresses of the 1986 version.Although,the 2000 version has better wardrobe and fighting technology. The story in the 1986 version is way much better and more believeable.
Most Wimpy Character I think the most wimpy character is Thong Thanh Thu. Although all he has done is to win Chu Chi Nhuoc's love, he's really stupid on how to approach the girl and really disgrace his father. A real sore loser!!
Best Scenes If I had to choose best scenes out of this movie is the scenes with Duong Bat Hoi & Han Le Dinh. In the old 86' version, they didn't really focus on how the two fall in love and get married. The old version...well simply look like Bat Hoi felt sorry for Han Le Dinh and married him, however, the remake was better at this aspect of the film, it was more heart-moving, it almost made me cry too! Both Duong Bat Hoi in the remake and old one was a spoiled brat(well both mistreated Tieu Sieu anyways) but the remake version of Duong Bat Hoi got potential. I mean she was willing to do anything for her love. Although she was a spoiled brat but gradually became a mature wife of Han Le Dinh. Basically, the 2000 version focus more on how Han Le Dinh & Duong Bat Hoi went through hardships and finally got together. The 1986 version was almost too easy.
Fave Couple
Han Le Dinh & Duong Bat Hoi because they have the most touching love story. Second favorite couple, Truong Thuy Son & Han To To. Why not Truong Vo Ky & Trieu Minh? Well first of all, Lawerence Ng & Gigi Lai are a bad match. Lawerence Ng is too old to be playing Truong Vo Ky. I liked the Trieu Minh role of the 86' version, she was smart, teasing, and kind but the 2000 version she's more of a very mean towards Vo Ky, smart,unreal, and annoying kinda Trieu Minh.
Best Quote
"When you grow up don't ever believe anything a beautiful girl says to you" --Truong Vo Ky's mother says to him before she dies. I think its really meaningful because his mother had been the beautiful girl who fooled his father and she felt really sorry for keep the secret about who poison Truong Thuy Son's Su Tam Huynh years ago.
Best Performance:
I thought the actor who played Ta Ton was really good. He has played Dong Ta Hoang Nhat Su in The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes. I really had to push myself to pick a best performance actor or actress because I really hated this 2000 version's cast. It's just too horrible to consider.
Worst Performance
I've got to say Lawerence Ng, the character Truong Vo Ky is suppose to be mischievous, playful, smart, and wise, and of course nice. Lawerence Ng got the nice part but he wasn't at all smart, mischievous, and playful! Second worst acting, I think Charmaine Cheh was terrible she didn't get the part at all! IT was terrible, I've seen the 1986 version and I thought the 1986 version Chu Chi Nhuoc had more innocence when she had to play innocent and more evil and ruthless when she was evil in the end. The 2000 version seem to make her look like a sick puppy who can't get over Truong Vo Ky and is too proud to admit it. Third, I prefer the 1986 version of Trieu Minh played by Kitty Lai, she was smart, sweet, and not at all arrogant like the 2000 version, she is sorta too ruthless and overdone.
The Flaw of series
First of all, The disciples of Truong Tam Phong of the 2000 version is so ugly and the actors who play them are so mediocre, who usually play little roles. I reccommend you watch the 1986 version of Co Gai Do Long, they were sophisticated and handsome even though they didn't play too much of a big role. For example, Simon Yam who played the Tuong Than(Tran To-Vampire King) in Khu Ta Diet Ma 2(My Date with a Vampire 2), well he played the 1986 version of Truong Thuy Son. See he doesn't look extremely old for the part like Damien Cheung did and so did Lawerence Ng, I thought Lawerence Ng look to old to play Truong Vo Ky and I think someone like Trinh Y Kien(Ekin Cheng) or Louis Koo should play Truong Vo Ky.
Is it worth renting I wouldn't recommend this TVB version of Co Gai Do Long at all! It's so terrible they changed the ending. Chau Nhi in the original 1986 version(that was true to Jin Yong's novel of Co Gai Do Long), she didn't come back to life, she died on that Dao Linh Xa. PERIOD! No coming back to life! Chu Chi Nhuoc and Tong Thanh Thu I think died too. I think the 2000 version totally destroyed Jin Yong's creation. I would recommend you watch the Taiwan 1994 version, called Y Thien Kiem va` Bao Dao Do Long, Truong Vo Ky played by Steven To( if you watched Dong Du Ky--The eight immortals, he is the guy with long hair in white clothes throughout the series). But if you would like to watch the classic then I would totally tell you to watch the 1986 version called Co Gai Do Long, with Tony Leung and Simon Yam(Nham Dat Hoa), Kitty Lai.
My Rating
1/2( out of five stars)
