Yeah, OK. bandits are running amok, they capture an official, then their creepy spokesperson talks of someone called "Golden Sparrow" who has the potential to match his skills. All fairly normal so far, until we see that Golden Sparrow is a woman.
This is a very impressive movie, mostly for its use of a strong female lead considering how old it is and the traditional style that the vast majority of east Asian movies had back then. In fact the other characters in the film are so disbelieving that their savior/nemesis is a woman, that they refer to her as a male for the first half of the movie. I actually thought this was a translation mistake until I did a little research.
In fact, the arch villain of the piece could be seen as taking on a more feminine role (with his pale white skin, elegant flowing clothes, and graceful movement throughout) and her defeating of him could be seen as her defeating the female stereotype of the time. Of course it could also be that he's meant to be gay, in which case the lesson is both more depressing and more arcane.
All the fighting sequences are very highly choreographed and graceful, which is another way that 'Come Drink with Me' differs from other samurai movies of the time. This style inspired plenty of later movies like 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' and even stuff like 'The Matrix' if you feel like stretching the theory across the Pacific (and you probably can, as it's a fairly stretchy theory. It's the bubble gum of theories).
It's a little disappointing that our heroin is sidelined a little towards the end, and I found the whole Drunken Cat/Abbot side story a bit of a waste of time.
Also the acting is a little... well, it's an old movie, but still. The sound also needs work and the editing is a little iffy at times - Lucas should re-do it or something. The pacing is also off, and the script glosses over some details while plodding over others.
So overall it's not perfect, but it is an interesting piece of history and a must see for any martial arts aficionados. Apart from the woman thing and the fighting style though, it doesn't make for particularly good viewing.
Come Drink with Me: 37.4