Review: Dr. Wisely is the lead character in a series of Chinese adventure novels by Ai Hong. He’s an Indiana Jones style figure, an adventure writer who spends much of his time going on inspirational adventures. He can be seen battling supernatural forces in HK movies such as ‘Bury Me High’, ‘The Cat’ and the deranged but brilliant ‘The Seventh Curse’, but in ‘The Legend of Wisely’, his adventures take an unexpected journey into science fiction territory.

Produced and starring Sam Hui of the Hui Brothers, this is a decent attempt at an action film, with as many inspired moments as it has flaws. It’s short, lightweight and lively, yet this leaves no room for proper plot or character development. There are some pleasing martial arts sequences, yet the action is often shot too tight for comfort. On one hand, this moderately budgeted film boasts some impressive and varied locations. On the other hand, the speed at which the plot is delivered can be unsettling as the protagonists rush between Hong Kong, Egypt and Nepal as if they were separated by a short drive, and then just happen to bump into the people they wish to speak to.

There are also a couple of glaring continuity errors. At one stage, a cliff appears from nowhere so that a stuntman can drive a motorbike over it. Later, our heroes come across deadly quicksand – in the middle of the Egyptian desert(!?)

Don’t let this put you off, though. ‘The Legend of Wisely’ is still an entertaining movie with quality action sequences and a sterling cast. Joey Wong is in the movie, which is always a good thing. Shaw Brothers legend Ti Lung (‘The Spiritual Boxer’, ‘Clans of Intrigue’) plays a major role, as does Teddy Robin Kwan, a tiny man whose huge talents have seen him act, direct, produce and even write the score for films as diverse as ‘The Black Mask’, ‘All The Wrong Spies’ and ‘Full Contact’. The only real weak link in the chain is Sam Hui himself, who despite being a competent hero, lacks personality. Maybe he should have employed a little of his trademark humour.

Pick this movie up on the cheap if you can, its not too shabby, despite its problems. In fact, pick it up just to see a ten year old kid riding a full size motorbike through a busy town square before jumping off a ramp. He does all his own, stunts, you see. That’s got to be worth your time, surely.