The Magic Crane (1993): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1993, The Magic Crane is an action, fantasy and adventure film directed by Benny Chan, running about 93 minutes. “Cause and Effect - is Kama” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. On his way to a congress of kung fu masters, an initiate falls from a high cliff, only to be rescued by lovely Tien Lam (Anita Mui), who rides a huge crane. The rest of the movie features a battle between warring martial arts factions, an equally fierce rivalry between the two daughters of the Crane Master, the accidental empowerment of an unprincipled master after having eaten half of a secret scroll, a battle with an immense tortoise whose spleeny vapors save a group of poisoned swordsmen, lots of great aerial fights against nearly invincible villains, and the usual blood spurting from assorted mouths.

Who’s in it. The Magic Crane stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Ma Kwun-Mo, Anita Mui as Pak Wan-Fai, Rosamund Kwan as Butterfly Lam and Lawrence Ng as So Pang Hoi, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.8/10, The Magic Crane has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Magic Crane page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Magic Crane tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.