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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mv5bmjdlogfkyzctzwrjyi00ntdllwe1ymqtntywntg0ngrjmmnkxkeyxkfqcgdeqxvynzi1nzmxnzm_v1.jpg]]
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3''The Magic Crane'' is a 1993 {{Wuxia}} film starring Creator/TonyLeungChiuWai, Anita Mui (from ''Film/MoonWarriors'') and Creator/RosamundKwan (''Film/OnceUponATimeInChina''). It is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Wolong Sheng.
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5Ma Kwun-Mo (Tony Leung), a swordsman and initiate, had a fateful encounter with a mysterious beauty, Pak Wan-fai (Anita Mui) who rides a giant crane and plays a magical flute. Eager to discover more about her, Ma ends up being thrown into an epic martial arts battle involving Pak's estranged sister Butterfly who uses a magical killer ''pipa'', poisonous vampire bats, a giant fire-breathing tortoise, an all-powerful warlord who wants to destroy the martial arts world, and an ancient bell which can grant its user lightning powers.
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7Notably one of Tony Leung's few ventures into the world of ''wuxia'' in the early 90s, besides ''Film/ButterflyAndSword'', ''Film/AshesOfTime'' and the third ''Film/AChineseGhostStory''.
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10!!Contains examples of the following tropes:
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12* AbsurdlySharpBlade: Ma’s sword, which cuts a wooden pole into half with one swing.
13* ABoyAndHisX: A girl and her giant, magical crane.
14* AccidentalKiss: Constantly happens to Ma during the dye factory battle while he is being dragged around while tangled by spools of silk. Kissing random extras? Eww. But kissing [[spoiler: Pak Wan-fai]]? Sweet!
15* AttackAnimal: The magic crane fulfills this trope if and '' only if ''ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption. Otherwise it’s a rather peaceful animal.
16* AvianFlute: The arrival of the titular crane is heralded by the sound of flute music, being played by its rider and handler, Wan-fai.
17* BatOutOfHell: In the first scene, several warriors are killed by a flock of deadly vampire bats. And partway through the movie, there’s a battle between the magic crane and a giant, bloodsucking giant vampire bat.
18* BloodFromTheMouth: Ma, Butterfly, and Pak Wan-fai ALL suffers this fate in the aftermath of their battle against General Tsao Hung, but in an unusual example they all survive the battle.
19* BodyHorror: General Tsao, after being completely overwhelmed by the Bell of Doom’s immense power, had his entire body becoming deformed and rotting away, [[FacialHorror his face cracking up]], and his limbs distorting away.
20* CatchAFallingStar: How Ma and the titular crane meets each other, when the crane catches Ma’s horse as it falls off a cliff.
21* ClothFu: Pak Wan-fai using the silk in the dye factory as a form of ImprovisedWeapon, skillfully using them to beat up and dispatch loads of thugs.
22* DuetOfDifferences: Between Pak Wan-fai and her flute, and Butterfly Lam’s ''pipa''. The overwhelming power of their instruments end up nearly destroying the boat they are on.
23* EtherealWhiteDress: Pak Wan-fai’s completely white robes, reflecting her magical nature.
24* ForDoomTheBellTolls: The Funeral Bell of Doom, the most powerful weapon in the movie, whose booming vibration can vaporize its targets. The climax had Butterfly and Pak Wan-fai using their own respective instruments to battle this deadly new weapon.
25* GiantFlyer: The titular crane, which is Pak Wan-fai’s personal steed, imagine a Chinese equivalent of a [[RocBirds Arabic Roc]]. However, it is a…
26* GentleGiant: The magic crane is as harmless as it gets.
27* InstrumentalWeapon: Pak Wan-fai’s magic flute and Butterfly Lam’s enchanted ''pipa'' both turns out to have offensive, powerful abilities that can damage their opponents. Especially Pak Wan-fai’s flute, [[spoiler: which causes BigBad General Tsao to explode into pieces]].
28* LudicrousGibs: [[spoiler: BigBad General Tsao Hung’s fate, being overwhelmed by the melody of Pak Wan-fai’s magic flute and blowing up into giblets]].
29* MagicalFlutist: Pak Wan-fai’s magic flute which summons the titular crane.
30* OffWithHisHead: General Tsao Hung’s fight with the two warriors in his first scene had both warriors ending up headless.
31* RedOniBlueOni: Between the two ActionGirl leads. Butterfly is the red, and Pak Wan-fai is the blue.
32* ShockAndAwe: General Tsao Hung inexplicably gains electrical-based attacks and lightning powers from the Bell of Doom, which is probably worth it since this happens after the BodyHorror example above.
33* ThouShallNotKill: Ma, despite being a swordsman and perfectly capable of kicking loads and loads of ass, ends the movie without killing anybody.
34* WindFromBeneathMyWings: The crane can create powerful gusts of wind with its wings, which it demonstrates while battling the flock of vampire bats.
35* WireFu
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