SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION II -- DVD Review by Porfle

(Brothers Five/ Holy Flame of the Martial World/ Journey of the Doomed/ Brave Archer and His Mate)

Originally posted in 2010

More lightning fists, flying feet, and clanging blades collide in SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION II, a four-disc DVD set containing further fantastic adventures in the "Sword Masters" series. 


BROTHERS FIVE (1970), a raucous frenzy of clashing swords and impossible feats of derring-do, has just enough story to string together one blade brawl after another. We're back in ancient China again, where evil Long Zhen Feng (Feng Tien) and the villainous cutthroats of Flying Dragon villa keep the countryside in a state of terror.  Young swordsman Gao Wei (Yueh Hua) travels there to settle an old score with Long Zhen Feng, who murdered his father and took over the villa from him. 

On his way there, he meets beautiful Miss Yan (Cheng Pei Pei), who informs him that he has four brothers and that it was his father's dying wish that they someday reunite and avenge him.  Eventually the five brothers--Gao Wei, burly blacksmith Gao Hao, scholar Gao Zhi (Kao Yuan), dashing bandit Gao Xia (Lo Leih), and Security Bureau chief Gao Yong (Chang I)--join forces to take on the bad guys.

Once the exposition is taken care of, the story barely gets in the way of a succession of battle scenes that seem to crop up every few minutes or so.  Blacksmith Gao Hao settles an altercation in the street with the Flying Dragons by swinging his mighty hammer with deadly effect, while Shaolin-trained bookworm Gao Zhi has a nifty battle against two of them in a restaurant.  Gao Yong's Security Bureau men are ambushed and wiped out on an isolated road, and his assistant Chu, played by a very young Sammo Hung, is killed. 

Most of the fighting takes place in and around the Flying Dragon villa, with the brothers going up against impossible odds time after time.  The group choreography is excellent, with foreground fighters surrounded by several other fairly realistic battles going on all around them.  There's plenty of sword-clanging action and some pleasingly fake wirework, including one astounding shot in which kung fu mistress Miss Yan makes her escape by suddenly and inexplicably flying away like Superman.  The drawback here is that a monotonous sameness begins to set in after awhile, with one drawn-out clash beginning to pretty much resemble the next.  But it's all solidly directed by Wei Lo and expertly performed.

The topper comes after Miss Yan introduces the brothers to the special Five Tigers kung fu technique ("Five tigers, one heart") which requires five men with different skills to pull it off.  During their climactic free-for-all against a seemingly invincible Long Zhen Feng, they go into their rotating Five Tigers formation, which resembles one of those razzle-dazzle cheerleader formations and is pretty funny to look at.  The five brothers whirl around in this position for awhile, which seems to confuse Long Zhen Feng and leave him open to attack, so they start leaping at him.  I won't give away the exciting conclusion.

With nice period atmosphere, furious swordplay and martial arts mayhem, and likable characters (Miss Yan is particularly captivating and the brothers are a robust bunch), BROTHERS FIVE overcomes a tendency toward occasional monotony and is ultimately a pretty colorful and entertaining adventure. 

Making just about every other movie in the world seem slow-moving and mundane in comparison, HOLY FLAME OF THE MARTIAL WORLD (1983) is about as close to a total cinematic freak-out as you could imagine. 

Wan Ching Chung and his wife are killed by white-haired, bushy-eyebrowed Grand Master Jing Yin (Leanne Lau) and her associate Monster Yu (Jason Pai Piao) after they're forced to reveal the location of the Creed of the Holy Flame.  The Phantom (Philip Kwok) swoops in and rescues the dead couple's baby boy Wan Tien Sau, pledging that in 18 years the boy will return to get revenge.  Jing Yin takes their baby girl Dan Fung and raises her as a warrior in the all-female Er Mei clan, telling her that the Phantom killed her parents. 

Eighteen years later, Wan Tien Sau (Max Mok) is sent off to seek the Holy Flame.  Along the way, he rescues the beautiful Juan Er (Mary Jean Reimer) from the evil Blood Sucking Clan and she inadvertently gains great power in her index finger after touching an enchanted snake's bladder.  Meanwhile, Jing Yin, who possesses a Yin version of the Holy Flame, sends Dan Fung to avenge herself against the Phantom and retrieve the Holy Flame's Yang counterpart, which will give Jing Yin great power.  This sets the stage for a series of battles like you wouldn't believe between Wan Tien Sau, Dan Fung, Jing Yin and Monster Yu, Monster Yu's impetuous young apprentice Duan, Golden Snake Boy, the wacky Eight Righteous Clans, and Juan Er's Mighty Finger.

I just don't know what to think about this movie.  It's like taking an acid trip on a rollercoaster.  I'd call it cartoonish, but I doubt if even Tex Avery ever made a cartoon with such a breakneck pace and rapid-fire editing, nor such a dizzying, non-stop bombardment of bizarre images.  Director Tony Liu Jun-guk couldn't be less concerned with how realistic the wirework is, which doesn't matter anyway because characters continuously zip around all over the place in fast-motion like a bunch of flying speed freaks.  In addition to this is the precision fight choreography that is quite impressive, and lots of colorful FX animation.

The characters also display a wonderful variety of super-powers.  The Phantom's main weapon is his "Ghostly Laugh"--he sits crosslegged and convulses with broad, forced laughter, creating a deadly cyclone all around him which terrifies Jing Yin and Monster Yu until they learn how to make their ears close up by themselves.  In return, they attack with the horrific Bone Incineration By Fire and Merry-Go-Round techniques.  Wan Tien Sau is able to make his Devil Sword fly around as though he were operating it with an invisible remote control. 

Blaring music and an endless cacophony of sound effects bombard the viewer along with the freakish visuals.  One of the best sequences is when a 1,000-year-old corpse, which Lam May Heung brought home from a trip out West, comes to life spouting English phrases such as "I KILL YOU!" and, sure enough, decides to kill him.  Another is Wan Tien Sau's search for the Holy Flame inside the Moon Cavern, where he's attacked by cool cartoon ghosts and giant Chinese text that pops off the floor and flies around trying to do him in. 

From the moment this utterly kooky film bursts out of the gate it just doesn't stop, plunging headlong through a rapid-fire succession of breathtakingly off-the-wall scenes until the hilarious conclusion.  Possibly the downright nuttiest movie I've ever seen, ever, HOLY FLAME OF THE MARTIAL WORLD is funny, exciting, stupefying, and wonderfully endearing.

After HOLY FLAME, 1985's JOURNEY OF THE DOOMED seems positively sedate.  Despite some comedy here and there, it's mainly a tale of tragic romance with intermittent swordplay and some surprisingly adult elements.

The madame of a classy brothel, Big Sister, gets in hot water with an evil client named Mr. Duan after he cruelly breaks in a new girl whose best friend, Shui-erh, an orphan whom Big Sister has raised since childhood, throws a snake at him.  Shui-erh is actually the illegitimate daughter of a prince who's next in line to become Emperor, and Big Sister figures that this scandalous information will be valuable to the second-in-line prince so she reveals it to him in return for squaring things with Duan.  Second Prince sends the Three Knights--Fei-hsia, Xi Ma Cross, and Swallow 13--to capture Shui-erh so he can show her to Dad, while First Brother sends bad warrior Shan and two murderous Black Dragon Order swordswomen, Spicy Double Wind Eel and Monkey Lin, to kill everyone in the brothel.

Shui-erh escapes into the woods and is helped by a handsome young fisherman whom she calls "Knight."  It turns out that he is the younger brother of Spicy Double Wind Eel, which complicates things a bit.  Shui-erh and Knight fall in love while living in the secluded beach shack of a kindly mute girl, but Shui-erh becomes jealous of her and runs away, falling into the hands of the Three Knights.  Fei-hsia, who is in love with Shan and under his hypnotic spell, makes off with Shui-erh before she can be taken to the palace and delivers her to Shan at the Mysterious Fire Village, where a fierce battle between Shan and the Knights takes place over the fate of the future princess.

Director Chuen-Yee Cha's JOURNEY OF THE DOOMED has few major action setpieces compared to most Shaw Brothers films, and there isn't a lot of effort put into making the characters' fighting skills look all that convincing.  The main emphasis is on the love story, which is less than riveting.  Much of the middle part of the film resembles one of those BLUE LAGOON-type flicks about young lovers cavorting in the wild, with Shui-erh's spoiled brattiness getting a bit trying after awhile.  The lack of chemistry between the two actors is obvious when they kiss--she keeps her lips pressed firmly together as though being forced to eat spinach, while he practically tries to suck her entire face into his mouth.

Still, leather-clad babe Monkey Lin is entertaining whether taking on a bunch of inept guys just for fun or having it out with Spicy Double Wind Eel when she tries to kill her brother.  Most startling is the sequence in which Monkey and Spicy slaughter the prostitutes of Big Sister's brothel, and the final battle at Mysterious Fire Village is impressively staged.  There isn't much wirework here and fantasy elements are kept to such a minimum that when animated light beams eminate from Shan's eyes as he hypnotizes Fei-hsia, it seems almost out of place.

What sets this film apart is the nudity and softcore sex.  An early scene with Big Sister and her brothel partner gettin' it on is totally gratuitous, but the fact that she's so gorgeous makes it my favorite part of the movie.  Mr. Duan's session with the virgin Xio Cai is considerably less romantic, as he whips and even brands her while roughly availing himself of her supple body.  Later, things get sappy during Shui-erh and Knight's idyllic wilderness interlude, which even includes one of those cutesy montages set to the tune of a bad 80s power ballad.  This entire sequence slows the movie down and it doesn't pick up again until we get to the Mysterious Fire Village.

After recently watching several Shaw Brothers films which are loaded with wall-to-wall action and fantasy, JOURNEY OF THE DOOMED comes as a letdown.  It does have its charming moments and a certain amount of excitement, but it isn't a film I'll feel compelled to revisit any time soon.

Probably the most frustrating movie in the collection is Chang Cheh's BRAVE ARCHER AND HIS MATE (1982), because while it features a generous amount of impressive hand-to-hand combat, acrobatics, and swordplay, the story is a cluttered patchwork that makes little sense.

I won't even begin to try and unravel the knotty plot with all of its superflous and dead-end elements except to say that it begins with hero Kuo Tsing (Philip Kwok) and his beloved wife Huang Yung (Gigi Wong) becoming the guardians of an orphaned baby boy named Yang Guo after a deadly encounter with the evil Ouyang Fung (Wong Lik) in Iron Spear Temple.  The baby grows up to become a flakey slacker (Alexander Fu Sheng) who gets picked on by his foster parents' other kung fu pupils until he discovers Ouyang Fung still living in the abandoned temple.  The crazed old man, who has lost his memory, desires a son and offers to teach Yang Guo his invincible Frog Skill kung fu if he'll call him "father." 

Still a goofball but now armed with the power of the Frog technique, Yang Guo is tricked into thinking that his real father, Yang Kang, was a hero who was murdered by Kuo Tsing and Huang Yung.  His ill-fated alliance with Ouyang Fung seems to set up the rest of the plot until the movie takes a sudden left turn and ends up in a monastery where Kuo Tsing takes Yang Guo and fellow pupil Wu Sau Man (Chin Siu-Ho) to be mentored by his former teachers.  There's a whole other subplot about suitors coming to the monastery in order to duel for the hand of a mysterious woman who lives in a tomb (it's a long story).  Between the ardent suitors and the hostile apprentices of the monks, Kuo Tsing and his two charges find themselves in one furious battle after another until the movie simply screeches to a halt as though the DVD had gotten stuck.

I haven't seen any of the other "Brave Archer" films (this is the fourth) but I assume that they must have some archery in them since this one doesn't.  There is, however, a lot of carefully-staged action that is worth wading through the muddled plot for.  The melodramatic early scenes in the Iron Spear Temple are overly laden with exposition but feature some good fights, while the climactic sequence in and around the Quanzhen Sect's monastery is non-stop sword-clanging and kung fu fun.  In between, the business with crazy old Ouyang Fung returning to make trouble leads to some good clashes as well.  What weighs the film down, however, is the fact that all of this action is unsupported by a coherent story.

Philip Kwok is always a welcome presence in these films and Gigi Wong is beautiful and appealing as Huang Yung, while Wen Hsueh-erh is cute as a button as their daughter, Guo Fu.  Unfortunately, her character disappears halfway through the movie.  Wong Lik is a lot of fun as Ouyang Fung but he also drops out long before the extended end sequence. 

Worst of all is Alexander Fu Sheng's supposedly funny Yang Guo, who would be more at home in a "Bill and Ted" movie than in this one.  The relentlessly unamusing Yang Guo gets harder to take as the story progresses, ultimately becoming rather repellent.  The film ends with a freeze-frame closeup of him mugging like an idiot while the story remains frustratingly unresolved.

It would be nice if BRAVE ARCHER AND HIS MATE had been about Brave Archer and his mate, instead of devoting so much of its running time to the painfully uninteresting and pointless Yang Guo character.  As it is, the film fails to weave a compelling story out of its various plot threads and is watchable mainly for its furious action scenes. 

As with the first Shaw Brothers collection, each of the four DVDs in this set from Well Go USA, Inc. and Celestial Pictures is widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.  Soundtrack is in Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles.  The theatrical trailer for each film is included.  SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION II is a mixed bag, containing two rousing and highly-entertaining adventures along with a couple of somewhat less successful efforts.  As with most SB films, all are worth watching, but you may not find them all worth re-watching.

SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION II -- DVD Review by Porfle

SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION -- DVD Review by Porfle

(THE HEROIC ONES/ THE BATTLE WIZARD/ THE DUEL OF THE CENTURY/ TWO CHAMPIONS OF SHAOLIN)

 

Originally posted 5/6/2010

 

Here's something Hong Kong action fans will want to check out--the four-disc SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION, which contains four furious fight films from their "Sword Masters" series.

THE HEROIC ONES (1970) is a rousing tale of ancient China that's a feast for fans of sword and spear action done on a grand scale. As the Tang Dynasty wanes, warlords Li Ke Yong and Zhu Wen become allies in the fight against bandit leader Wang Chao, who has taken over the capital city of Changon. Li Ke Yong's thirteen generals, whom he has adopted and regards as sons, are fierce super-warriors who love a good battle as much as they love getting drunk and making whoopee. He chooses nine of them to be led by thirteenth son Chun Xiao in a mission to retake Changon and kill Wang. But fourth son Li Cun Xin is jealous of the young general and wants more glory for himself, which will lead to him and another son joining Zhu Wen in a bloody betrayal of Li Ke Yong and the other generals.

Cheh Chang's direction is old-style with lots of restless hand-held camera and whiplash zooms. But with a big budget to work with, he offers up an opulent display of elaborate sets and costumes with hundreds of extras. His battle scenes are often spectacular, featuring some impressive choreography involving numerous actors performing long, complicated bits of business. Swords and spears clash furiously as the generals take on waves of opponents and rack up body counts well into the hundreds. There's some less than convincing wirework as Chun Xiao and his brothers execute a few super-human moves here and there, but it's all part of the fun.

The battle for Changon is an early highlight which is surpassed later on when Li Ke Yong is kidnapped by Zhu Weng and is rescued by courageous general Ju Li, who must fight his way through dozens of soldiers on a bridge as the enemy stronghold goes up in flames. Throughout the film, the action is eye-filling and intense.

A lighthearted mood fills the early part of the story as we get to know the comically self-confident and cocky Heroic Ones, who revel in the fact that they can defeat just about anyone and have fun celebrating their invincibility with plenty of wine and women. As thirteenth son Chun Xiao, David Chiang does a good job taking his character from brash insouciance to wounded disillusionment as the story takes on tragic proportions. What happens in the latter half of the film is pretty heavy stuff, with the final confrontation between brothers carrying quite a lot of emotional weight along with the action.


I wasn't expecting an epic when I started watching THE HEROIC ONES, but it certainly does its best to resemble one. In addition to being an opulent historical piece, it also has elements of the Italian western and war films such as THE DIRTY DOZEN. And there's a gripping story to go along with all of that beautifully-staged carnage.


If you ever wondered what Hong Kong action flicks look like to crazy people, THE BATTLE WIZARD (1977) should give you a good idea. This is one seriously nutty flick that left me doubting my own sanity even more than usual.

As the film opens, the Emperor's brother Tuan Zhengchun is caught messing around with Hongmian, the wife of Yellow Robe Man, and when her husband attacks, Zhengchun defends himself by using "Yi Yang Finger", which he performs by making pretend shooting motions with his index fingers and firing destructor beams that sever Yellow Robe Man's legs. Yellow Robe Man swears revenge, and twenty years later we see him in his chintzy-looking cave lair with a new pair of telescoping robot bird legs, ordering his cackling monster henchman Canglong to kidnap Zhengchun's son, prince Tuan Yu.

This is just the set up. We then find that Tuan Yu has left the palace because he's a pacifist scholar who doesn't want to learn martial arts ("One could get hurt, and very sweaty," he fears) and wants to see if he can survive in the outside world without them. Needless to say, everyone within fifty miles starts attacking him and he is aided by an enchanted snake-handling girl named Ling-erh, who throws glowing green snakes at the leader of the Poisonous Moths Clan which burrow under his skin. Tuan Yu escapes and seeks help from the dreaded witch-woman Xiang Yaocha, who has sworn that if any man sees her veiled face she will either marry him or kill him. Tuan Yu sees her face, of course, and after they're betrothed he discovers that she is his half-sister, Wanqing, by his father and Hongmian.

All of this brings us to the film's free-for-all finale in which Yellow Robe Man conspires with another warlord to capture Tuan Yu and Wanqing so that Tuan Zhengchun and his wife will be lured to their doom. The young protagonists are hurled into a pit where they are attacked by a "giant gorilla", which is a man hopping around in one of the worst gorilla suits in film history. Tuan Yu, who now has super powers after drinking the blood of the Red Python and eating a glowing green frog (don't ask), takes on the various bad guys and their minions amidst a flurry of hyperkinetic editing, colorful animated special effects, and visuals that seem to have been conceived by a committee of schizophrenics. My favorite part of the whole thing is the sight of a wildly-emoting Yellow Robe Man stalking around on his metallic bird-leg stilts.


Hsueh Li Pao's direction and editing are all over the place in some scenes but that only contributes to the disorienting strangeness of this wacky cartoonish adventure. There are several fun setpieces including the fight with the Poisonous Moths Clan, Wanquing's frenetic battle with a group of bandits (in which she displays her great skill with the "bone-cutting sword" technique), and Tuan Yu and Wanquing's flight from a Tasmanian Devil-like Canglong. I don't know if John Carpenter ever saw this, but it's certainly the kind of movie that served as the inspiration for his BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.

With its comically exaggerated acting and characters, hilariously melodramatic action, and "anything goes" special effects, THE BATTLE WIZARD is pure Shaw Brothers fun. It isn't often you'll see a movie that is this deliriously bizarre. I just had to sit there for a few minutes wondering what the heck I'd just watched.


Director Chu Yuan's THE DUEL OF THE CENTURY (1981) is much less fanciful than a cartoony romp like THE BATTLE WIZARD--no sorcery, no animated death rays shooting out of anybody's fingers, no diabolical creatures. While the impossible feats of skill performed by the characters still place it well into the fantasy realm, this is basically a mystery story with elements of "The Three Musketeers" and those old Westerns in which evenly-matched gunfighters faced each other in a final showdown.

The mystery begins when the two greatest martial arts champions in all of ancient China, Ye Gucheng and Shimen Chueishiue, challenge each other to a duel on the rooftops of the Forbidden City. Since the two fighters aren't enemies, a puzzled Lu Xiaofeng (Tony Liu) turns detective and tries to get to the bottom of things. Drawn into an ever-widening web of deception and intrigue which includes ninjas, monks, lamas, and flamboyantly gay eunuchs, Lu finally uncovers a dastardly plot that leads all the way to the throne. (This, along with the swashbuckling swordplay, is what reminded me of Dumas.)

The story is so dense and talky that I eventually gave up trying to follow it after awhile and just enjoyed the fight scenes which crop up every five minutes or so. Lu is one of those warriors who is so infallible that he can afford to be relaxed and funny (some find him extremely annoying but I like him) while fighting off hordes of foes. One running gag I enjoyed is the way everyone recognizes him when he uses his famous finger technique, which consists of grabbing whatever blade is jabbed at him in a vise grip between his thumb and forefinger. "You're Lu Xiaofeng!" they shout as he feigns modesty.

Lu encounters a variety of hostile opponents with different techniques during several lively but somewhat repetitive sequences, cracking jokes like Spiderman while defeating them all. There are a few bursts of hand-to-hand combat here and there but mostly the fighting is done with clanging swords and various other blades. The fight in an elegant three-level restaurant is an early highlight, which begins with an army of geishas filling the air with rose petals and ends with Ye Gucheng applying his deadly "flying goddess" move to an unlucky opponent. Great sets and lots of atmosphere augment the action, along with an effective score composed of some recognizable library tracks.

Lu uncovers the real reason behind the duel but, lucky for us, is unable to keep it from taking place. While it would be hard for any fight to live up to all the build-up this one gets, it still delivers a fair amount of action and unbelievable displays of superhuman skill (although I didn't quite get why they were leaping through big circles of paper). Again, this is just the kind of stuff that inspired both BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and "The Powerpuff Girls", with warriors soaring through the air at each other as though flying or jumping straight up and fighting in midair for several seconds before coming back down. After watching all the tedious plot threads entwine around each other for an hour and a half, it's fun when these guys finally cut loose and get down to business.


Cheh Chang returns with his familiar directorial style in TWO CHAMPIONS OF SHAOLIN (1978), moving the camera in a dizzying series of lightning-fast zooms and pans that give his action scenes their own unique vitality. And finally--some good old-fashioned fists 'n' feet kung fu!

You may want to take notes, because the first scene is loaded with exposition as "courageous but reckless" young Tong Qianjin (Lo Mang) graduates from training in the Shaolin temple (I guess he snatched the pebble) and is told by Master Zhishan that he must locate fellow student and master boxer Hu Huigan (Chiang Sheng) and wait until the time is right for them to move against the rival Wudang Clan. (The Wudangs are loyal to the Qing Court, which the Shaolins wish to overthrow in order to restore the Ming Dynasty.) All of this is just to get us to the point where the fighting between the Shaolins and the Wudangs begins, which is when the movie takes off.

Tong hasn't been in town for long before Wudang brother Dezong shows up and starts flinging boomerang knives at him, which are pretty cool. The wounded Tong seeks refuge with a sympathetic brother and sister, Jin Tailai and Jin Bier, who teach him how to fend off the dreaded Bloody Knife. The next time Tong and Dezong meet it's a quick and dirty hand-to-hand clash that breathes some life into the movie.

The Wudangs then challenge Tong and Hu to a public one-on-one fight that becomes the most sustained and exciting action setpiece yet, with excellent choreography and lots of quick and skillful moves. Hu fails to endear himself to the Wudangs when he rips the junk right off one of their best guys during a slow-motion leap. Not surprisingly, this ticks off the Wudangs to the point where they invade the wedding banquet of Tong and Bier and turn it into a massacre in another lively fight sequence.

Things get more complicated as we go along, with a young Wudang named Wei switching allegiance to the Shaolins just as a fearsome badass named Gao Jinzhong shows up with the Yuan brothers, experts in monkey boxing and monkey rod, to take up the Wudang banner against the Shaolins. Also adding to the unpredictability of the plot is the appearance of Dezong's daughter, Li Erhuna, who's out for revenge. All of this leads to a climax that's a bloody free-for-all in which nobody is safe--you never know who's going to buy the farm next in this movie. Despite its many comedic touches, TWO CHAMPIONS OF SHAOLIN is filled with somber and downbeat moments that keep the viewer off-guard.


The only downside to this movie is the effort it takes to keep up with all of that exposition, plus a second half that tends to drag until the thrilling finale. At that point, however, the screen is filled with an extended flurry of bloody kung fu action in which you never know who's going to drop dead next. TWO CHAMPIONS OF SHAOLIN is a rousing example of old-school martial arts mayhem, rounding out the collection in suitable style.

Each of the four DVDs in this set from Well Go USA, Inc. and Celestial Pictures is widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Soundtrack is in Mandarin and dubbed English, with English and Chinese subtitles. The theatrical trailer for each film is included. Whether you're a longtime Shaw Brothers fan or just getting into them, SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION should provide plenty of fun-filled entertainment.

Read our review of The Shaw Brothers Collection II.

 

SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION -- DVD Review by Porfle

THE HEROIC ONES -- Movie Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 3/11/16

 

From the legendary Shaw Brothers, THE HEROIC ONES (1970) is a rousing tale of ancient China that's a feast for fans of sword and spear action done on a grand scale.

As the Tang Dynasty wanes, warlords Li Ke Yong and Zhu Wen become allies in the fight against bandit leader Wang Chao, who has taken over the capital city of Changon.

Li Ke Yong's thirteen generals, whom he has adopted and regards as sons, are fierce super-warriors who love a good battle as much as they love getting drunk and making whoopee. He chooses nine of them to be led by thirteenth son Chun Xiao in a mission to retake Changon and kill Wang.

But fourth son Li Cun Xin is jealous of the young general and wants more glory for himself, which will lead to him and another son joining Zhu Wen in a bloody betrayal of Li Ke Yong and the other generals.

Cheh Chang's direction is old-style with lots of restless hand-held camera and whiplash zooms. But with a big budget to work with, he offers up an opulent display of elaborate sets and costumes with hundreds of extras.

His battle scenes are often spectacular, featuring some impressive choreography involving numerous actors performing long, complicated bits of business. Swords and spears clash furiously as the generals take on waves of opponents and rack up body counts well into the hundreds.

There's some less than convincing wirework as Chun Xiao and his brothers execute a few super-human moves here and there, but it's all part of the fun.

The battle for Changon is an early highlight which is surpassed later on when Li Ke Yong is kidnapped by Zhu Weng and is rescued by courageous general Ju Li, who must fight his way through dozens of soldiers on a bridge as the enemy stronghold goes up in flames. Throughout the film, the action is eye-filling and intense.

A lighthearted mood fills the early part of the story as we get to know the comically self-confident and cocky Heroic Ones, who revel in the fact that they can defeat just about anyone and have fun celebrating their invincibility with plenty of wine and women.

As thirteenth son Chun Xiao, David Chiang does a good job taking his character from brash insouciance to wounded disillusionment as the story takes on tragic proportions.

What happens in the latter half of the film is pretty heavy stuff, with the final confrontation between brothers carrying quite a lot of emotional weight along with the action.

I wasn't expecting an epic when I started watching THE HEROIC ONES, but it certainly does its best to resemble one. In addition to being an opulent historical piece, it also has elements of the Italian western and war films such as THE DIRTY DOZEN. And there's a gripping story to go along with all of that beautifully-staged carnage.

Read our review of the SHAW BROTHERS COLLECTION

THE HEROIC ONES -- Movie Review by Porfle

THE SWORD OF SWORDS -- DVD Review by Porfle

 Originally posted on 1/17/11

 

One of the early Shaw Brothers swordfests, 1968's THE SWORD OF SWORDS helps set the standard for similar films to come with its heroic protagonist facing overwhelming odds to defeat an evil clan amidst a flurry of clashing blades and aerial acrobatics. 

The Sword, which took ten years to forge and, like Excalibur, influences the prosperity of the country whose leader wields it, is in the possession of venerable teacher Master Mui Lingchuen.  On the verge of his death, he announces a competition to decide who is worthy to inherit the invincible blade and deliver it to the prince upon his coronation.  The contest comes down to two men--the kindly young Lin Jenshiau (Jimmy Wang Yu), and treacherous Fang Shishiung, secretly a member of the evil Shang clan. 

Lin emerges the victor, but The Sword proves a terrible curse as the Shangs begin a prolonged assault against both him and his loved ones.  His wife is kidnapped and beaten, his family brutalized, and just about everyone else who helps him along the way meets with violence.  Lin foregoes revenge in order to deliver The Sword to the prince, but is repeatedly drawn into battle as the Shangs' attacks become more brazen and vicious.  Finally he suffers a setback so extreme that it seems nothing can stop Fang from wielding the mighty blade himself.


Director Cheng Kong (THE MAGNIFICENT SWORDSMAN, 14 AMAZONS) does a solid job in this early kung fu effort, although the film retains a rough-hewn quality that adds to its charm.  Camerawork and lighting are very good save for several times in which those trademark whiplash pans get a little out of control.  There are also some pretty jarring transitions between actual locations and studio interiors.

The fight choreography is relatively simple for the most part--you can see how the filmmakers are still developing their staging and editing techniques, and laying the groundwork for the more complicated stuff that will follow in later years.  One showdown between Lin and Fang is wonderfully atmospheric, with a chilly wind giving way to driving snow in the midst of the battle, while another takes place in the pouring rain.  Wirework is sparsely used and varies in quality from crude to fair.  Some of the violence is pretty gory and there are more than a few gushing gouts of crimson. 

The story maintains constant tension throughout, mostly since we're always worrying about what's going to happen next to Lin and his family and friends.  Tragedy upon tragedy is heaped on our beleaguered hero until it becomes rather frustrating to see the bad guys running roughshod over the innocent characters at will. 

It gets to a point where we feel that no amount of vengeance by Lin could be enough.  We even wish he could be a little smarter and more cunning as Fang outwits him at every turn.  How he manages to overcome the grievous injury that eventually befalls him and strike back at the Shangs provides some uplift, but even in the final free-for-all battle for vengeance Lin is in for more soul-crushing heartbreak.


Jimmy Wang Yu (ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN, MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE) gives an earnest, sincere performance as Lin, and is much more realistic and vulnerable than the usual kung fu hero.  In one priceless moment, while torn between rescuing his wife and fulfilling his duties regarding The Sword, Lin actually faces us straight on and asks, "What should I do?"  In another, a volatile domestic scene finds the distraught hero hunched over in dismay as his angry father pounds on his back with a wooden stool.

Fang (Tien Feng), one of the most ultra-vile villains ever, will have you wanting to run him through yourself before it's over.  He just couldn't get killed bad enough for me.  Most of the other actors emote in the broadest, most colorful strokes possible, with much tearful melodrama and gnashing of teeth. 

The DVD from Funimation in in 16.9 with Mandarin and English Dolby mono, and English subtitles.  There are no extras besides some trailers for other releases.  The sound seemed to get a bit sputtery at a few points on my copy--hopefully this won't be a problem with all of them.  See if you can pick out the John Barry "James Bond" samples along the way. 

The arduous narrative finally comes to a head with a furious swordfight between Lin and the Shangs that boasts more energy and enthusiasm than finesse, ending THE SWORD OF SWORDS on a lively note.  This is a fun film with lots of action and drama, but the constantly downbeat tone will definitely give your emotions a workout. 

THE SWORD OF SWORDS -- DVD Review by Porfle

RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN -- DVD review by porfle

 

Originally posted on 6/13/10

 

Master Fang Gang (Jimmy Wang Yu), the legendary one-armed swordsman, has dropped out of the martial world and settled down to the quiet life of a farmer with his lovely and devoted wife Xiaoman (Chiao Chiao).  But just when he thinks he's out, they keep pulling him back in.  With Dragon Dynasty's new DVD release of the Shaw Brothers' 1969 classic RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN, Master Fang's peaceful new existence is shattered when he finds himself up to his eyeballs in blood-drenched mayhem against a host of uniquely-talented opponents. 

A gang of self-proclaimed martial arts kings invite all the sword clans in the area to their stronghold to participate in a contest that will decide the "King of Swords."  Actually, it's a ruse to attract all sword clan elders into a trap so that the bad guys can eliminate their competition by threatening to kill them unless their followers cut off their own right arms and deliver them as ransom.  When the young pupils beseech the retired Fang Gang to take up his sword once again and help rescue their elders, he's reluctant to do so until his wife is threatened, which prompts him into action.  But the journey to the enemy fortress is fraught with danger as the group is ambushed at every turn by the various evil sword kings and their minions. 

Despite its fanciful characters and colorful action, RETURN is a sober, somber film with little or no comedy, in which the frequent deaths of likable lead characters give it an atmosphere of dread.  The group of young rescuers is constantly attacked along their route by gangs of bloodthirsty villains, each dealing death by their own bizarre means in some of the bloodiest Shaw Brothers action I've seen.  Hell's Guardian and his Seven Earth Bullies spring out of the ground itself while Heaven Strike and his Nine Flying Pupils drop out of the sky; Spinning Wheels and his men slice their opponents to ribbons with razor-sharp whirling blades.

Other frightful sword kings include Poisonous Dragon, Great Muscles, and Quick Arms.  The most treacherous of the bunch is the beautiful Lady of a Thousand Hands, who poses as a damsel in distress in order to gain the trust of our heroes and then strikes with her many deadly blades while their guard is down.  Worst of all, however, is the Stealth King, a master of deception whose weapons can't even be seen until they've already killed you.  Master Fang has to take this guy on along with his hordes of bodyguards (none of these crumbs fight fair) in the climactic battle.

Swordplay takes place in bamboo forests, teahouses, roadside inns, and finally in the villains' fortified lair itself.  The fight choreography isn't as refined as it would become over the years, but this is some pretty furious stuff for its time and there are several exciting free-for-all combat sequences throughout the film.  The few instances of primitive wirework which pop up now and then are a bit jarring since the characters appear to be swinging rather than flying (which, of course, is still fun to watch anyway).  More effective is the scene in which Master Fang's attackers are bouncing high into the air all around him with the help of unseen trampolines.  Other special effects depicting the bad guys' unusual weaponry in action are generally good, particularly those nasty spinning wheels of death.
 

Chang Cheh's relatively restrained direction not only keeps the action under control but also gives the dramatic scenes the air of gravitas required to lend depth to the story, especially during the interactions between Fang and his wife. The cast is generally very good and there is little of the hammy overacting one often sees in these old Shaw Brothers films, save that which is expected of the more over-the-top villains.  Jimmy Wang Yu is very appealing as the title character, whose humility and reluctance to fight make him an even more admirable hero. 

The DVD from Dragon Dynasty is presented in its original widescreen with both Mandarin and English mono soundtracks.  Subtitles are in English and Spanish.  This is a barebones disc with no extras.

Fans of the clash 'n' slash genre won't want to miss this fight-filled epic.  With its fascinating main character, imaginative array of villains, inventive fight scenes and weaponry, and epic storyline, RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN is clearly one of the films that helped create the template for all the Hong Kong sword operas to come. 

 

RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN -- DVD review by porfle

THE LADY HERMIT -- DVD review by porfle

Originally posted on 2/18/11

 

More swordplay and kung fu action, with a little romance thrown in for good measure, should please Shaw Brothers fans in 1971's THE LADY HERMIT, a modest but sincere effort that's pretty entertaining.

Cui-ping (Shih Szu) dreams of taking the martial world by storm and showing off her skills.  She's the usual brash young upstart who's cute and funny but incredibly talented.  Seeking the elusive Lady Hermit to be her master, she meets a humble maid named Miss Leng (Cheng Pei-Pei) and Changchun (Lo Lieh), a handsome security guardsman who is in love with her. 

Cui-ping soon discovers that Miss Leng is actually the Lady Hermit, who has been lying low while healing from a terrible wound inflicted by the evil Black Demon (Wang Hsieh) and his Shadow-less Claw technique.  Lady Hermit has been honing her own Tiger Style skill to combat it and teaches it to Cui-ping, who aims to defeat Black Demon herself.  But when she falls in love with Changchun, a romantic triangle threatens the unity of the good guys before the battle against Black Demon begins.

Without all the tangled plotlines and scads of peripheral characters complicating things, THE LADY HERMIT is much simpler than the usual Shaw Brothers films of the era.  The emphasis is on the three likable main characters and the story moves along at a good pace, with Cui-ping learning Lady Hermit's methods by day and teaching them to Chungchan by night.  The romantic complications that result from this arrangement are engaging without lapsing into overt melodrama.


The frequent battle scenes between the protagonists and the Black Demon's henchmen are lively and surprisingly gory, replete with hacked-off limbs, punctured eyeballs, and lots of blood.  The fight choreography is more piecemeal than usual since none of the leads seem especially adept at martial arts--most of the extended takes feature Cheng Pei-Pei's stunt double.  During the final battle sequence at the Black Demon's lair, however, the shots are longer and more involved, with Shih Szu going through some pretty elaborate moves against scores of opponents. 

Ho Meng Hua's direction seems simple at first but as the action intensifies the camera begins to move impressively, especially during an atmospheric battle within a fog-shrouded bamboo forest.  This small-scale production sometimes has the feel of an old matinee western, even down to some of the loping soundtrack music.  (As usual, a couple of John Barry's "James Bond" cues can also be heard.) 

An exciting sword battle between Cui-ping and several bad guys on a suspended rope bridge has an "Indiana Jones" quality along with some pleasantly hokey miniature effects.  With a number of individual clashes climaxing in a showdown at Black Demon's tower--where we finally get to see him and Lady Hermit fight to the death--the final twenty minutes or so of the film are non-stop action.


Cheng Pei-Pei (of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and BROTHERS FIVE) makes a solid heroine as Lady Hermit, lending a strong presence to her character.  Shih Szu and Lo Lieh are appealing as her young cohorts, with Shih Szu giving an especially energetic performance.  Unfortunately, Wang Hsieh's "Black Demon" isn't much of a villain--we don't see a lot of him and when we do, he does little besides bark that standard forced laugh and order his henchmen to kill Lady Hermit.  Only in their final confrontation does he start to become somewhat more interesting.

The DVD from Funimation is in 16:9 widescreen with Dolby Digital Mandarin and English mono soundtracks and English subtitles.  There are no extras besides several trailers for other Funimation releases.  As in a couple of Funimation's other Shaw Brothers DVDs, I noticed some occasional "sputtering" on the soundtrack.  I don't know what causes this and it's not a big problem for me, but I thought I should mention it.

With its lean story, likable characters, and fun action scenes, THE LADY HERMIT should be of interest to more than just wuxia fans.  It's one of the most enjoyable small-scale Shaw Brothers films I've seen.    
 

THE LADY HERMIT -- DVD review by porfle

THE SUPREME SWORDSMAN -- DVD review by porfle

Originally posted on 1/18/11

 

A late-era entry in the Shaw Brothers' celebrated series of swordplay thrillers, THE SUPREME SWORDSMAN (1984) benefits from good production values and plenty of action, the only drawback being that sometimes it can't quite decide what kind of movie it wants to be.

The first two-thirds of the story are pretty straightforward, as we join master swordslinger Qin Wu Xin (Pai Piao) in his quest to defeat 100 of the greatest fighters in China and display their weapons in his "100 Sword House."  The film leaps right into the action with three straight duels, bringing Qin's bloody total to 99.  All that's left is for him to challenge you-know-who and claim trophy number 100.  But in a short-but-sweet exchange, he suffers a humiliating defeat.

Seeking a more substantial weapon in hopes of a rematch, Qin calls upon blacksmith Old Eagle, who is fashioning a special sword out of the best materials.  But he then hears of a legendary blade known as Cold Eagle Sword, whose location is known only to the elders of the disbanded Black Magic Clan.  Discovering Old Eagle to be the keeper of Cold Eagle, Qin kills him in another exciting duel and claims it for himself.  Old Eagle's son Yan Bei (Derek Yee) then swears to get revenge and begins to train under the tutelage of the former Black Magic Clan members, wielding his father's specially-crafted sword.


With this set-up, we're treated to one sharply-choreographed blade brawl after another in a fast-paced story that's briskly directed by Keith Li.  The action is fairly grounded in reality compared to other films of this kind, with wirework and fanciful elements kept to a minimum and the main emphasis on furious bouts of swordplay and hand-to-hand combat.  The actors' movements are speeded-up in some shots, which some may find distracting, but otherwise the choreography is impressive.

Shortly after the halfway mark, the original title character disappears entirely from the film, leaving the way open for either Qin or Yan Bei to assume the mantle of "Supreme Swordsman."  When their initial bout leaves Yan Bei wounded, he awakens in a cabin deep within a dark forest.  Here, the tone of the film changes dramatically.

We're suddenly introduced to three previously unseen elements--raucous comedy, weird magic, and a really cute leading lady--when Yan Bei finds himself in the presence of The Three Grandpas and their granddaughter, Qing Qing (Li Tien-lang).   The freaky old wizards overwhelm Yan Bei with their prankishness and beat him senseless until Qing Qing insists that they help the young warrior by teaching him their kung fu. 

Then things really start to get weird when Yan Bei gets drawn into an altercation in a nearby village and tries to rescue a kidnapped girl, which leads him into a strange hidden valley.  Here, he ends up fighting a trio of skull-faced zombies known as the Flying Corpses, a ghostly man named Living Dead who carries his coffin on his back, and an urbane stranger at a banquet table who attacks him with a large fan.


With this extended through-the-looking-glass detour, steeped in farcical humor and the supernatural, the main story seems to have gone off the rails.  The purpose of it becomes clear eventually but it takes awhile for the movie we were watching before to get into gear again, especially since the character of Qin has been absent for so long.

Finally, however, with his new knowledge of several different styles of kung fu and a powerful sword in his hand, Yan Bei takes on Qin in a rousing showdown that's worth the wait.  This sequence bristles with complex lightning-fast moves and stunts, and builds to a suspenseful surprise finish.

The DVD from Funimation is in 16:9 with Mandarin mono soundtrack and English subtitles.  The sound is a little sputtery in a few spots but not enough to bother me too much.  There are no extras save for some trailers for other releases.

Although THE SUPREME SWORDSMAN sometimes resembles two entirely different movies that have crashed into each other, they're both pretty good movies.  And the endless succession of fantastic swordfights should keep Shaw Brothers fans supremely satisfied.

 

THE SUPREME SWORDSMAN -- DVD review by porfle

RETURN OF BASTARD SWORDSMAN -- DVD review by porfle

 

Originally posted on 12/28/10

 

Picking up where the previous film left off, director Chin-Ku Lu serves up another blazing batch of kung fu and swordplay with RETURN OF BASTARD SWORDSMAN (1984).  As a sequel, it doesn't quite scale the dizzying heights of its predecessor, but on its own terms it's still a pretty wild tale.

Having defeated the villain Fu Yu Xue with his Silkworm Skill, Yun Fei Yang has taken a leave of absence from the Wudang clan and retired to the seaside with his sweetheart Lun Wan Er.  But two things will force him to return.  One is the slaughter of the Wudangs by old nemesis Dugu Wu Di, whose Fatal Skill has progressed to such a level that he now challenges Yun Fei Yang and his Silkworm Skill to a death duel.  The other is a new enemy, the Japanese Ega clan, who have declared war on the Wudangs, the Wu Di, and everyone else in China. 

Mochitsuki Soryu Han, leader of the Ega, wields something known as Phantom Skill, which might be more accurately dubbed "Heart Throw-Up Skill."  Whatever the name, it has to be seen to be believed.  A scalding blast of colored steam shoots out of his chest, which then begins to expand and contract like a bellows.  Grabbing his opponent from behind in a sort of sinister spoon position as his chest continues to pump, he controls the victim's heartbeat in a way that forces the heart itself to eject from the poor slob's mouth.  It's not something you see every day, and it's just one of the typically weird visuals to be found in a Chin-Ku Lu film.


A fortune teller named Li Bu Yi throws in with Yang and Wan Er as they travel to confront Wu Di (whom Ega has framed for the Wudang slaughter) and his fighting skills come in handy as there are bushels of Ega assassins bursting out of the foliage wherever they go.  Several of these fight scenes, while well-staged and full of action, are of the meat-and-potatoes variety.  It isn't until Yang and Wu Di first go at it that we see some of the previous film's magical weirdness come into play, with plenty of good wirework, unique fight choreography, and eye-candy cartoon animation effects.  The editing here seems even more rapid-fire than before.   

After Yang is defeated by Wu Di's new-and-improved Fatal Skill and the good guys are forced to flee, there's an extended subplot with Wan Er and Li Bu Yi seeking the help of a legendary doctor named "Papa."  The dying Yang is taken to the cave of the Frigid Pool to be treated, where they discover something called the Reincarnation Rock.  With various plot threads weaving their way in different directions, the story tends to meander almost to the point of boredom at times, although there's always something strange and intriguing popping up to keep us involved.

Somewhat more somber than the earlier BASTARD SWORDSMAN (and nowhere near as hysterically freaky as this director's borderline-insane HOLY FLAME OF THE MARTIAL WORLD), the film shoehorns in several overtly "funny" characters whose antics range from entertaining to irritating.  There's an amusing scuffle between two fake fortune tellers early on ("Get out of here!  You're interfering with my feng shui!" one of them barks), and the elder masters of the Wudang clan are bundles of comically frayed nerves as they quake, cower, and fret over their impending doom. 

Worst of all is when Papa's medical rival, the Ghost Doctor, sends three inept assassins whose blatant mugging makes the Three Stooges look like Sir Cedric Hardwicke.  As usual, the main bad guys revel in their evilness by frequently bursting into strident gales of forced laughter, which is always a delight.  But the most genuinely funny thing about the film is how the utterly insane fight sequences are served up in such a straightfaced manner.
 

What really kicks the film into gear as we near the climax are the two main match-ups we've been waiting for--Ega versus Wu Di, and Yang versus whoever wins.  Here's where all the fanciful supernatural surrealism returns in full force, with the opponents flying all over the place, launching objects by force of will, and whipping up colorful animated force beams to shoot at each other.  It's a lot like those "Star Wars" scenes with Jedis using the Force against each other, only a lot more gleefully bizarre and frenetic.  The inevitable clash between Phantom "Heart Throw-Up" Skill and Silkworm Skill is about as nutty as you'd imagine.  (My favorite line: "How dare you try to humiliate me with that drumstick!")

The DVD from Funimation is in 16:9 with Mandarin mono and English stereo soundtracks.  Subtitles are in English.  No extras save for some trailers for other Funimation releases.

I didn't enjoy this sequel as much as the first film (although some express a preference for it) and found some passages a little ponderous and uninvolving.  Still, there's more than enough furious action and mindboggling magic in RETURN OF BASTARD SWORDSMAN to make it a must for Shaw Brothers fans. 

RETURN OF BASTARD SWORDSMAN -- DVD review by porfle

BASTARD SWORDSMAN -- DVD review by porfle

Originally posted on 12/21/10

 

Every once in awhile you come across a Shaw Brothers film that leaps out of the pack, grabs you by the lapels, and practically explodes in your face.  BASTARD SWORDSMAN (1983), an exercise in sheer kinetic thrills, is one of those films.

The story twists and turns us from start to finish, but what it all boils down to is a deadly rivalry between two kung fu schools, the Wudan and the Wu Di.  The title "bastard" is Yun Fei Yang, who lives with the Wudans as a servant and is constantly abused and ridiculed by the students.  We later find that a mysterious hooded teacher is secretly giving him kung fu lessons and he's become an adept fighter.  His unrequited love for Lun Wan Er, the school's only female student, leads to him being falsely accused of murder and forced to flee. 

Meanwhile, the Wudang chief, Qing Song, fears a third loss at the hands of Dugu Wu Di during their upcoming ten-year contest, knowing that his own Polar Sword Skill is still no match for Wu Di's superior Fatal Skill.  A possible war between the two groups would be decided by the invincible Silkworm Skill of Qing Song's elder brother, Yen Zhong Tian, whose powers are fading.  Qing Song is saved during an attack on his life by a young warrior named Fu Yu Xue, who becomes his heir as Wudang chief should anything happen to him.  But several levels of treachery infest both houses, with a bloody betrayal leading to a conflict that only the "bastard" and his new knowledge of Silkworm Skill can resolve.


With a story that's complex and involving, BASTARD SWORDSMAN is more than just a bunch of fight scenes linked by filler.  A wealth of interesting characters take part in scenes of high drama which constantly surprise us with unexpected revelations.  Our loyalties continue to shift as good guys become bad guys, and vice versa.  Here, the action definitely doesn't outweigh the plot as they compete for our attention.

But what action!  There are so many exhilarating, outlandish fight scenes that it's impossible to describe them all.  Just about everybody gets into the act sooner or later, and the air is filled with swords, fists, unusual weapons, and anything else that can be hurled, projected, or willed into motion.  Just when you think you've seen it all, each successive sword-clanging clash proves more stunning than the last.  Add to that the supernatural element, visualized with great imagination and colorful SPFX, and just about anything can happen. 

Here is some of the best wirework I've seen, augmented by uncommonly sharp editing and choreography that pulls out all the stops.  The early practice fight between Qing Song and his elder brother Yen Zhong Tian is a truly magical sequence, yet it's only the beginning of a series of stunning setpieces that constantly strive to top each other.  The attack of the four assassins on Qing Song is one of the wildest free-for-alls I've ever seen, as is the fight that occurs when Wu Di's daughter and chief warrior Kung Suen Wang encounter the Wudangs' Busby Berkeley-like "Dipper Sword Formation" in a spectacular battle.  And these are but a few of the thrilling match-ups.


While the usual fun and exciting elements of the earlier Shaw Brothers films are present here, direction and cinematography show a growing level of sophistication.  The film is wonderfully cinematic in a way that foreshadows the more mainstream successes of later years, yet it still retains the raw energy of the 70s classics. 

Director Chin-Ku Lu harnesses the frenetic, off-the-wall hilarity of his HOLY FLAME OF THE MARTIAL WORLD from the same year and applies it to much more serious effect, with impressive results.  In particular, Yun Fei Yang's mastery of the Silkworm Skill (in a wildly surreal sequence) and usage of it in the intense final battle must be seen to be believed. 

The DVD from Funimation is 16.9 widescreen with Mandarin and English mono soundtracks and English subtitles.  No extras besides trailers for other Funimation releases. 

A brisk, invigorating assault on the senses, BASTARD SWORDSMAN is one of the most all-around entertaining and impressive Shaw Brothers productions I've seen so far.  It's exactly the kind of experience I'm looking forward to every time I watch one of their films, and more.


 

 

BASTARD SWORDSMAN -- DVD review by porfle

DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER -- DVD review by porfle

 

 

Originally posted on 12/9/10

 

Not quite up to par with the previous entry in the Shaw Brothers' series, DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER (1985) still has a lot of exciting fight scenes amidst a barrage of slapstick comedy.

Hou Hsaiao stars as Fang Shiyu, an incorrigible class clown who's so averse to study that he must be tied to his two brothers during class.  He's so strong and sinewy that any blow directed at him is bounced back against his attacker, making him difficult to punish.  When a dour Manchurian education officer visits the school, Shiyu manages to offend him so grievously (in one of the film's funnier scenes) that the Manchus threaten to close the school. 

Things get even worse when Shiyu offends the entire membership of the Qing Imperial Gym and must seek sanctuary from the Imperial Court by becoming a secular pupil in the Shaolin Temple.  Even under the strict tutelage of Master San Te (Gordon Liu), Shiyu can't stay out of trouble and soon gets mixed up in a plot by the Manchu governor to destroy the Shaolin temple.

The opening titles sequence is fun, with a stylized presentation of how Shiyu gained fame by defeating the terrible Tiger Lei.  He then must take on the beautiful Li Xiahuan who seeks to avenge her husband, and whose skills are great.  Then Li Bashan shows up to avenge his son-in-law in a battle that takes place on upright log poles with steel spikes between them.  As in much of the film, the fight choreography here is intricate and rather dance-like at times, with an emphasis on humor and playfulness but always with an impressive degree of acrobatic skills.

The rivalry between the Hans and the Manchus provides the opportunity for several exciting fight scenes, in addition to the lively Shaolin training sequences.  All of this leads to an intense climactic battle between the Shaolin students and the Manchu governor and his men during a wedding, which becomes a furious free-for-all.  Hou Hsiao and Gordon Liu get to show off their martial arts abilities to the fullest, pulling out every trick in the book as the Shaolins bring all their extensive training to bear against their foes.

As Fang Shiyu, Hou Hsiao is a good comic performer whose acrobatic skills and boundless energy make for a wildly kinetic character.  Gordon Liu, who played San Te in the first film, THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, and then the comedy lead in the sequel, returns to the role of San Te here and is appropriately monk-like.  Lily Li does a great job as Fong Sai-Yuk's mysterious mother, Miao Cuihua, who has had past experiences with San Te and the Shaolin monks and really shines in the big fight finale.  Chia-Liang Liu's punchy, hyperkinetic direction keeps things moving at an almost cartoonish pace at times.

The DVD from Dragon Dynasty is widescreen with Dolby 2.0 mono in Mandarin and English, and subtitles in English and Spanish.  The sole bonus feature is a commentary track by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan, which, as usual, is exhaustively informative.

DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER is a fast-moving and comedic actionfest that should please Shaw Brothers fans. 




Read our review of RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER

DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER -- DVD review by porfle

RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER -- DVD review by porfle

 

 

Originally posted on 2/15/10

 

 

It's not every day you get to watch a kung fu movie that's as much pure, hyperkinetic fun as RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER (1980), a thrilling fists 'n' feet comedy from the Shaw Brothers that's a sequel to the classic THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN.

The story opens with the shady boss of a fabric mill hiring some Manchurian thugs to intimidate his employees into working harder while giving them a pay cut. Horse-faced worker Chao (sporting a set of buck teeth that would embarrass Mortimer Snerd) enlists his con artist pal Chou Jen Chieh (Gordon Liu, who's most widely-known these days from the KILL BILL movies) to pose as revered Shaolin monk San Te in order to frighten Boss Wong and his men. The ruse works at first, but when the suspicious Wong challenges Chieh to demonstrate his skills, the result is a humiliating defeat that sends him fleeing for his life as the hapless workers are thrashed into submission.

Vowing to help his friends somehow, Chieh resolves to learn kung fu for real and bluffs his way into the Shaolin temple only to come face-to-face with the real San Te (Ching Chia, in the role originated by Gordon Liu himself in the first film). Thus begins the middle section of the film which is a non-stop slapstick delight, with Chien bumbling around like a dervish amidst the solemn monks and apprentices and comically mimicking their training.

When San Te orders him to construct bamboo scaffolding around the entire temple in preparation for its renovation, which will take years, Chien thinks he's being shunted aside. As he labors at his task he observes the trainees going through their paces and applies their movements to his own work, thereby eventually learning kung fu without even realizing it. This lengthy sequence is incredibly inventive and endlessly fun, and Gordon Liu displays a boundless energy and natural comic ability that's downright infectious.

His task completed, Chien is expelled from the temple and returns home in defeat, believing himself a failure. But it doesn't take long for him to realize that he's not only inadvertently learned kung fu but has also created his own variation--"Scaffolding Style"! His final confrontation with Mr. Wong and the Manchurians leads to a frenetic 20-minute action sequence that beats the hell out of MATRIX: RELOADED's CGI-laden "Burly Brawl", with no special effects and little or no wirework in sight. The action doesn't let up for a second and the fighting style is dazzlingly inventive, building to the final showdown between Chieh and Mr. Wong on--what else?--a scaffold.

The direction (by Liu Chia-Liang), camerawork, and editing are all first-rate for this kind of film, with fight choreography that doesn't always look totally realistic but is lots of fun anyway. The ways in which Chieh's "Scaffolding Style" is worked into the final battle is almost cartoonishly effective as he leaves his opponents hogtied to bamboo poles or wrapped together in bunches with lightning-fast moves. In some ways, the film is wonderfully cheesy and the castmembers overact their roles with abandon, which, in this case, is entirely appropriate.

With his amazing feats of dexterity and comedy timing, Gordon Liu carries the story with a full-throttle performance that never lets up. Pretending to be an experienced kung fu master, he blunders his way through one obstacle course with such artless abandon that one monk marvels, "Your kung fu is incredible! I could hardly follow it." Low comedy rears its head as he tricks another pupil into drinking some laxative-laced tea and then calls after him, "Better find a place to take a dump!" My favorite line, though, comes during the final battle with the evil boss, when Chieh brings things to a sudden halt and states magnanimously, "That's it, Mr. Wong. I will hurt you if we continue."

The single-disc DVD from Dragon Dynasty and Celestial Pictures is in widescreen with Mandarin, Cantonese, and English mono. Subtitles are in English and Spanish. With naught but a few trailers at the start, this is surprisingly barebones for a Dragon Dynasty release.

A fast-moving, fun, and colorful romp with lots of old-fashioned kung fu-movie charm, RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER is a must-see for Shaw Brothers fans and anyone else who's in the mood for a hefty dose of thrills and laughs. I had a ball watching it.

Read our review of  DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER

RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER -- DVD review by porfle

THE 5 DEADLY VENOMS -- DVD review by porfle

 

Originally posted on 9/4/11

 

A genuine cult classic among Shaw Brothers devotees in particular and martial arts fans in general, the influential THE 5 DEADLY VENOMS (1978) is a colorful tale that, while a little slow at times, is a lot of fun thanks to cool characters, rich atmosphere, and some wild and fanciful fight sequences.

Five martial arts masters whose identities are unknown have emerged from the Five Venoms house, each proficient in a particular animal-related fighting style. Now, a former disciple in possession of the school's vast fortune is in danger from the less scrupulous of the five. The House's founder, who is dying, sends his final student Yang De on a quest to discover which of his predecessors can be trusted and enlist them to help him fight the bad ones. Since Yang De has been partially trained in all five skills but is a master of none, he must always battle the enemy in conjuction with one of the masters.

Yang De (Sheng Chiang) is one of those likably humorous characters whose natural skill and cunning are mixed with a flippant attitude and somewhat childlike naivete. He's just about the only lighthearted element in this somber story in which two evil Venoms, Centipede (Feng Lu) and Snake (Pai Wei), murder the old disciple and his family in search of the treasure, while one of the good Venoms, Toad (Meng Lo), is found guilty of the crime by a corrupt court that's been paid off.

Yang De eventually learns the secret identity of Gecko (Philip Kwok), who can walk on walls, and teams up with him against Centipede and Snake, while the mysterious Scorpion remains a wild card until the very end. While often exhilarating thanks to the action scenes, the film is also dishearteningly tragic and downbeat at times.

This was one of the first Hong Kong kung fu movies to feature the furious over-the-top fight scenes that we've become accustomed to over the years. While watching it, it's easy to recognize elements that would show up in both Asian films and homages such as BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and, of course, Tarantino's KILL BILL movies.

Here, the choreography is so well-planned that shots go on for several moments without a cut. It may look a little unrefined compared to today's fight scenes, but one can see how awesome this stuff must've looked to viewers yet to grow jaded by such things. Combining meticulously choreographed combat moves with gymnastics and some wirework, not to mention a few endearingly cheesy special effects, these scenes are especially fun to watch--especially the climactic showdown involving Yang De and the four remaining Venoms in a frenetic free-for-all.

Chang Cheh's direction is lean and unobtrusive with occasional flashes of style and fluid camerawork, and gives the action plenty of breathing room without a lot of fancy angles or rapid-fire editing. While the budget is relatively modest, the period set design and costumes look great. The library music fits the action well, and Monty Python fans will recognize one particular passage as the main titles theme from MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL.

The Dragon Dynasty DVD is a single disc in 2.35:1 widesreen format and Dolby Digital sound. Languages are Mandarin mono and English mono with English and Spanish subtitles. The sole bonus feature is a commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan, who gives his usual enthusiastic and informative analysis.

Admittedly, I found the story to be pretty slow going the first time around, especially while trying to keep all the characters, their various skills and motives, and relationships to one another straight. With a second viewing, however, I was able to forget all that and concentrate on what turned out to be a pretty intriguing and well-acted tale of mystery, corruption, betrayal, and heroism. And considering that THE 5 DEADLY VENOMS is just about the first film of its kind, whose strong influence is still being felt throughout various areas of pop culture, then, overall, it must be regarded as a pretty stunning achievement.



Read our review of RETURN OF THE FIVE DEADLY VENOMS

 

THE 5 DEADLY VENOMS -- DVD review by porfle