“7 Grandmasters” Chinese Theatrical Poster
AKA: Seven Grand Masters
Director: Joseph Kuo
Cast: Lee Yi Min, Lung Fei, Jack Long, Mark Long, Corey Yuen Kwai, Chin Yuet Sang, Alan Chui, Nancy Yen, Cheung Ching Fung, Lee Yan Wa, Yuen Sam, Ma Chin Ku, Chen Chiu, Chiu Chung Hing, Lee Siu Fei
Running Time: 89 min.
By Tyler
I have to open my review by stating that this film is not groundbreaking stuff, but it is a bucket full of old school kung fu action. It’s one of the best Taiwanese kung fu flicks, and probably the one with the lowest budget. Joseph Kou is the most amazing martial arts director. He incorporates heavy acrobatics with incredible athletic choreography and some truly amazing acrobatic stunts.
One of the best scenes is when Mark Long battles the monkey stylist. When Li Yi Min joins the group, after countless scenes of getting taunted, he becomes Mark Long’s best student. Along with the taunting, there are scenes of Jackie Chan-style humor, and the always inevitable “bumbling students becomes kung fu master.” When Li Yi Min’s character hears that Mark Long killed his father, Li Yi Min learns the “3 Superior Strikes of Pai Mek (white-eyebrow)” from a dark clothed character. Mark Long knows the other nine strikes that he has already taught to Li Yi Min. After a fight between master and student, the dark character reveals himself as the man whom really killed Li Yi Min’s father.
I’m sure you can take it from here. I highly recommend this awesome kung fu Flick. Joseph Kou, god bless you for this film.
Tyler’s Rating: 8/10
very good
none
When you write a review at least take your time and give the very much needed respect to the actors’ and get their name right! It IS Jack Lung Sai-Ga who plays the main roll, fights the grandmasters and shows off incredible gongfu and the best sceen is undoubtedly his fight with Corey Yuen Kwai (Sun Hung -the blade master-) who also happens to be one of the martial arts or action director of this film.
Mark Lung Koon-Mo plays the First Brother aka first student or eldest student of Jack Lung Sai-Ga and although Mark is present throughout the film and shows some very nicely done “high kicks”, the story is NOT about his character. The only thing you got somewhat right was Li Yi-Min’s enthusiastic and stubborn but very much encouraging roll.
Also, absolutely worth to mention that the “bad guy” roll was played by Alan Chui Chung-San (Ku Yi Fung) who is also excellent in his art and the last grandmaster’s “best student” was played by Ma Chin-Ku (Nan-Lin), they don’t require any introduction either, if you know martial arts films.
This film is an absolute masterpiece, Joseph Kuo Nan-Hong’s (is the director and not martial arts director those are 2 completely different things) at his best. The story is not just about mindless fights but rather it is filled with lessons of courtesy, courage, modesty, righteousness and also, a unique way of bonding which is clearly, fantasticly played and carried out in the final fight sceen (Master -Jack Lung Sai-Ga Vs. Student -Li Yi-Min). Joseph Kuo made several more excellent films with the same people from the above mentioned names. He is also well known for writing 45 films and directing 72 films.
Hey MingChu – thanks for your comment. Apologies for some of the inaccuracies in this review. This review, in fact, is a very old one from our archives (probably dates back 1996, despite the Jan 2011 post date; it was written during a time when we didn’t have too many standards in place) Still, this isn’t an excuse. You’ll see that some of our newer reviews, posted in the last 3 years have been of a higher standard (as far as writing and accuracy). I can assure you that this review doesn’t reflect the site as a whole. You will occasionally come across an “archived” review that are kept present with respect to the original submitter.
Mighty Peking Man did make an error -mistaking Mark Lung for Jack Lung and crediting Joseph Kuo as action director, but I don’t think you need to be abrasive about the mistake -take a gander at your first sentence. There are more courteous ways of addressing the difficulty. I can understand if he argued with you, called you out or insisted that his information is correct, but he gracefully thanked you for pointing out the inaccuracies. Perhaps you can also learn from his response.