Vengeance | aka Kung Fu Vengeance (1970) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Vengeance" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Vengeance” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Wong Ping, Guk Fung, Wong Chung, Cliff Lok, Hsu Hsia, Wong Ching Ho, Cheng Lui, Chan Sing, Cheng Hong Yip, Chuen Yuen, Guk Fung, Lau Gong, Shum Lo, Wong Kwong Yue
Running Time: 98 min.

By Joe909

Vengeance is the perfect revenge movie. Chang Cheh accomplishes in 90 minutes what it takes Quentin Tarantino 4 hours to do in Kill Bill. But don’t get me wrong. I am in the grip of a love affair with Kill Bill, so I obviously think it’s a better movie. I just can’t help but admire Chang’s fat-free nihilistic revenge fantasy.

The opening itself is lots of violent fun, with the film’s title briefly appearing in blood-red cartoon characters, only to melt off the screen. It’s 1925 in “a city in China,” and the story begins with Ti Lung, a Peking Opera star, trying to keep an eye on his adulterous wife while at the same time performing for an audience. The bitch is having multiple affairs, but for some reason Lung still hangs onto her. He warns a bunch of thugs to keep away from her. The next day Lung heads into a restaurant, only to find that every patron is strapped with a knife. They attack en masse, in a furious battle that prefigures the bloody climax of Boxer from Shantung. I should mention that this fight is very gory, even by early Shaws standards. By the end of it, Ti Lung is a mess, sliced up with his eyes poked out. He dies after taking out several enemies. All of this happens within the first twelve minutes.

Immediately after this (like I said, the movie’s fat-free), Lung’s angst-ridden brother David Chiang strides into town. He’s looking for, you guessed it, vengeance, because a movie with the title “Forgive and Forget” wouldn’t do so well at the box office. The film then follows mostly the same path as Fist of Fury, but we must remember that Vengeance came out two years before Bruce Lee’s movie. In some ways I prefer Vengeance’s handling of the subject matter. Instead of engaging in balls-to-the-wall kung-fu fights with his targets (Chiang of course was not nearly the martial artist Bruce Lee was), Chiang instead knifes everyone on his list. And boy, he kills everyone. That beautiful Shaws red-paint blood flows freely in this one. I love it!

But speaking of the kung-fu, there are several fights in this, and they aren’t choreographed as well as you’d wish. They’re not Mannix-level, mind you. In fact, they really aren’t that bad. It’s just that we all have been spoiled by modern-day, intricate choreography, thank you very much, Jackie Chan. Ti Lung has a few fights before his grand exit, and it’s obvious he was the better martial artist, but this movie was intended as a David Chiang vehicle. Although Lung is still revered as a great early kung-fu actor, David Chiang’s star has faded; it seems obvious to me that when Bruce Lee would famously poke fun at the sub par kung-fu talents of actors in early 1970s Hong Kong movies, he was indirectly referring to David Chiang. But still, Chiang does have a great screen presence; his hooded eyes and constant sneer make him believable in the role. And speaking of famous early Shaws actors, Chen Kuan-Tai makes a brief cameo as a guard who can’t NEARLY take a knife to the gut as well as his character in Boxer from Shantung could.

The Celestial disc is fantastic! I can’t believe how well they’ve restored these old classics. I could moan that the English dub wasn’t included (part of my lifelong enjoyment of Shaw Brothers movies has been the cheesy English dubbing), but it’s really no big deal. The movie is also uncut, in full color; Vengeance reverted to black and white in certain scenes in the US print, to hide the violence. Yes, this is what gave Quentin Tarantino inspiration to make parts of the “House of Blue Leaves” fight sequence black and white in Kill Bill; he himself stated this in an interview on the Charlie Rose show.

The DVD also features multiple extras. Several trailers are included, as well as behind the scenes shots and documentaries on Ti Lung, David Chiang, and most importantly, Chang Cheh. The Chang bio is worth the price of the DVD itself, as it features current-day Hong Kong directors (i.e. John Woo, Tsui Hark) and actors (i.e. Andy Lau) reminiscing about him. It’s all in Cantonese, but English subtitles are offered. We also see shots of several Chang movies, and the interesting thing is, Celestial uses clips from movies that aren’t remastered. For example, multiple clips from One-Armed Swordsman are shown, the print all faded and worn, with the burnt-on Chinese and English subtitles at the bottom of the frame. Really makes you appreciate even more how Celestial has cleaned up these movies.

Production quality for the movie is very high, the acting is pretty good, and the fighting, while not elaborate as a latter-day Shaws flick, is a carnage-filled delight. You need some Vengeance in your life.

Joe909’s Rating: 10/10

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Daredevils | aka Magnificent Acrobats (1979) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Daredevils" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Daredevils” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Daredevils of Kung Fu
Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: Lo Meng, Chiang Sheng, Wong Lik, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Phillip Kwok, Chui Tai Ping, Chan Shen, Wang Han Chen, Yeung Hung, Tam Jan Dung, Walter Tso Tat-Wah, Ng Hong Sang, Paul Wong Kwan
Running Time: 101 min.

By Joe909

Daredevils was one of the first Venoms movies I saw, and hence was an early favorite. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold up, these days. The Venoms give it their all, the acrobatic kung-fu is as great as ever, and the story’s different than the usual “vengeance for my dead dog” routine, but what kills the movie, I’m sad to say, is Chang Cheh’s directing, which for lack of a better word is just plain lazy.

Chang Cheh could have become the Hong Kong Sam Peckinpah, creating movies that dealt with social issues while at the same time delving into hardcore violence. Boxer from Shantung, Duel of the Iron Fist, and especially Vengeance all prove that Chang was a gifted director. But as the years progressed, he instead fashioned himself into a workhorse, and his directorial skills began to wane. But then again, the man directed around a hundred films in his lifetime, most of them made in the 1970s. The occasional misfire was only natural, as was the fact that his later films all feel like they’ve just come off a factory line.

There are long shots in Daredevils that are made up of nothing but Chiang Sheng, Kuo Choi, and Lu Feng doing backflips and other acrobatic tricks. In fact, you could just watch this movie and save yourself a few bucks, the next time a Chinese acrobatic troupe comes into your town. You’ll see most of the same stuff here in this movie. The three main Venoms had a Peking Opera background with a focus on tumbles, leaps, flips, and the like, and this movie serves as a display of the skills they learned. Apparently Chang was happy to just let them show their stuff, and either fell asleep behind the camera or let the boys block out the direction on their own.

The story concerns Lo Meng’s quest to avenge his father’s murder. That’s the starting point for the story, at least. As usual, Chang gives Lo Meng short shrift, and he’s barely in the movie. It’s no wonder Lo was soon to leave the Venoms crew. Anyway, it’s the early 20th century (Daredevils takes place around the same time period as two other Venoms movies: Killer Army and Magnificent Ruffians), and warlords are taking over China. Lo’s dad is a military chief who’s murdered by a ruthless general, played by Wang Li. Lo is the only survivor left in his family, and he hooks up with his pals Kuo Choi, Chiang Sheng, Sun Chien, and Lu Feng, hoping they can help him figure out how to get revenge.

The only problem is, his pals are all starving acrobats, who put on street shows to raise eating money; they don’t have much help to offer. While they goof off and get drunk, Lo sits in the corner and sulks. Viewers hoping to see Lo Meng show off his superb comic timing will be let down. Lo gets the straight role in this film. And speaking of role reversals, Lu Feng, the shifty-eyed Venom who was always the villain, is actually one of the good guys in this movie. It’s kind of hard getting used to seeing him smile and joke around with the others, as you keep expecting him to stab one of them in the back.

Lo takes off on his own to confront Wang Li. The two square off in a nice fist-versus-swords fight, but the problem is, Wang employs a few bodyguards who also specialize in martial arts. Lo breaks out a pair of nunchucks, something uncommon in a Shaws film, but since we’re only about thirty minutes into the movie, it’s obvious how this fight is going to end.

The remaining Venoms find that Lo left them access to his bank account. Learning of their friend’s demise, they plan on gaining vengeance. Here’s where the movie differs from the norm. Ordinarily, the heroes would train for a while, then assault the villain’s headquarters. In Daredevils, the Venoms instead devise to get themselves into Wang Li’s confidence, so that they can just take on him and avoid the army at his command.

The Venoms break into an armory, steal a few guns, and use them to make Wang Li believe they are envoys for a high-ranking warlord. Using Lo’s money to make themselves appear important and influential, they successfully dupe Wang into believing they’ve been sent here by their master to offer Wang a new position in the army. (This matter of warlords and weapons shipments is similar to Chang’s 1971 movie Anonymous Heroes, which also took place in the same time period).

The middle half of the movie is made up more of intrigue and subterfuge than kung-fu chaos. There’s a great nighttime raid on an armory, when the Venoms steal the guns. Chang films it so it’s just a long shot of the boys rappelling down a rope, as a guard tower looms behind them. When you realize all of this is being filmed in an indoor studio, it’s very impressive.

Eventually, of course, the Venoms are discovered, but not before they’re able to corner Wang and his bodyguards and take them on in combat. The final fight brings the movie back into the normal Venoms oeuvre, but it’s strange to see Lu Feng fight WITH Chiang Sheng and Kuo Choi, instead of against them. This alone makes the movie unique. Here the Venoms use poles, ropes, and axes to fight their enemies, who themselves rely on short swords and throwing knives.

I wouldn’t rank Daredevils highly on a list of best Venoms movies. In fact, it’s now one of my least favorites. Not only for the reasons above, but also because the Venoms’ ruse to fool Wang is so paper-thin, you have to scratch your head that it even works as long as it does. Also, the movie doesn’t feature the outrageous weaponry and bloody violence that’s seen in other Venoms movies. I’d say this movie is the least violent Venoms movie of them all. But if you’re seeking a showcase of the Venoms’ acrobatic talents, look no further.

As for availability on DVD, as of July 2004, Celestial has not remastered this movie. You can find it either as a widescreen NS DVD release that has fair picture quality, or as a recent Panmedia release which is also widescreen, but apparently doesn’t have the best picture quality. Regardless, you want the Panmedia release. Like most other Venoms movies released by NS, the NS version is taken from a European edit of the movie. It’s missing several minutes of footage, most of which is exposition, but a lot of which is integral to the story. In fact, one of the scenes cut from the NS release is very important: it’s the scene where the Venoms discover that Lo’s left, and given them access to his bank account! It seems that the Panmedia release is uncut, so go with that one.

As a closing note, I’d like to mention that this movie has the strangest music cues of all time.

Joe909’s Rating: 6.5/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , |

Young Rebel, The | aka The Rebel Youth (1973) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The Young Rebel" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"The Young Rebel" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Ti Lung
Producer: Lin Hsiang Fan
Writer: I Kuang, Ti Lung
Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Ming Ming, Wan Man, Simon Yuen (Siu Tin), Fung Ngai, Chiang Nan, Kong Do, Lam Jing, Lo Dik, Yen Shi Kwan
Running Time: 99 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

After Xiang Rong’s (David Chiang) father passes away, he makes a promise to his mother and sister that he will earn money and look after them. He takes up a job as a grocery store delivery boy where he’s constantly treated like shit by his boss. With no choice and lack of any other working skill, Xiang deals with the job and continues to put up with the harsh work environment.

One day, on a routine delivery, he runs into a hood named Shi (Kong Do aka The Human Testicle), who wants to recruit him into his gang of crooks. Xiang declines his offer and is beaten up. After more encounters with Shi, Xiang decides to learn kung fu so he can defend himself. With the help of Gen Lai (Ti Lung), he is introduced to reputable kung fu teacher (Simon Yuen).

With his mind on life’s hardships and constant bullying by not only gangs, but also his own boss, Xiang obsesses over his martial arts training. Mixing rage, determination, and physical training, Xiang begins to master fighting styles faster than any other student do and becomes a killing machine almost naturally.

It’s during another brawl with Shi during which he becomes victorious, that his uncanny fighting ability catches the eye of a triad leader named Mr. Tou (Lo Dik) who wants to use him as a personal assassin. At first, Xiang is skeptical but when Mr. Tou reveals his lavish salary, he accepts; no questions asked.

What ensues is a war between two crime bosses with Xiang as the key player in the middle of it all. It is only a matter of time before Xiang rethinks his violent lifestyle and questions his role in life. After admitting to his mother about his deadly career, Xiang decides to turn himself in to the police. Mr. Tou ultimately finds out about Xiang’s change of heart and is threatened that he will tell the police about his crime operations. Now that Xiang and his mother’s life are in jeopardy, he decides that he must do one more thing before he turns himself in to the law; and that is to kill Mr. Tou.

“The Young Rebel” is yet another coming of age tale of those good boy turned gangster flicks made popular by Chang Cheh (ie “The Delinquent,” “Generation Gap,” and “Chinatown Kid”) throughout the 1970s. Though it was produced under Chang Cheh’s film company, “The Young Rebel” was directed by Shaw star Ti Lung, who also guest stars. By the end of the movie, you realize that Ti Lung’s talents go beyond his onscreen ability. Though not as well paced and easy moving as Chang Cheh’s similar themed films, “The Young Rebel” still holds its own. In fact, if someone told me that Chang Cheh was the co-director, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.

“The Young Rebel” plays as one big flashback; a structure style that would become an ongoing fad years later in Hollywood films such as in “Pulp Fiction.” That alone gives the film a hip, groundbreaking edge that was probably considered strange back then. Considering how the beginning and end of the film reveal what makes sense, you realize how ingenious the idea is. Between Ti Lung and I Kuang (the two credited screenwriters), I’m really impressed.

There seems to be some debate surrounding the film’s choreography. The Celestial DVD sleeve credits Simon Yuen as the fight choreographer, however, in the film’s actual credits, it lists Liu Chia Yung, Huang Pei Chi, and Chan Chaun as the film’s “Fighting Instructors.” For a 1973 film, the fight scenes seem to be more defined and swift than, say “The Angry Guest,” which is of typical early 1970s Liu Chia Yung fare. Whoever was responsible for the fight scenes did a damn good job, especially considering the time.

“The Young Rebel” has a lot of action, but for the most part, the drama takes up most of the space (David Chiang’s character doesn’t learn how to fight until about halfway through the film). It’s not as bloody as the average Chang Cheh film of the time, but the hard-hitting detailed action makes up for it.

Look for a handful of cameos including ones from Sammo Hung, Simon Yuen, and an extended one from Eddie Ko. Not only, music enthusiasts might get a kick out of hearing Pink Floyd’s “Time” which comes out of nowhere and surprising, it fits in well with the movie.

Highly recommended.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 8/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , |

Boxer from Shantung | aka The Killer from Shantung (1972) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Boxer from Shantung" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Boxer from Shantung” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh
Co-director: Pao Hsueh Lieh
Producer: Runme Shaw
Cast: Chen Kuan Tai, Cheng Lee, Guk Fung, Tin Ching, David Chiang, Wong Ching, Mario Milano, Fung Hak On, Wong Chung, Geung Nam
Running Time: 128 min.

By Numskull

The Boxer from Shantung combines martial arts action with an earthy 1930s gangster story, and while neither element is of extraordinary quality, the synthesis makes for a pretty enjoyable film that quickly dispatches the visions of Shaolin monks, murdered paternal figures, and ninjas in garishly colored costumes that the phrase “kung fu movie” often conjures up.

Ma Yongzhen is the film’s protagonist (“Hero” would be pushing it, despite the fact that the 1997 remake is called just that), Xiao Jiangbei is his meek but loyal buddy, Tan Si is the affable crime lord he idolizes, and Boss Yang is Tan Si’s rival…and, therefore, Ma’s as well. Ma and Xiao are manual laborers busting their asses in Shanghai at the beginning of the film, and Ma’s first encounter with Tan Si starts him off on the underworld influence ladder. Step by step, he earns the respect of everyone he meets, either with his strength of character or by beating them up. When he gets a really big break by defeating a Russian strongman, he indulges himself in a fancy cigarette holder, much like the one Tan Si uses. However, he is mindful of his humble beginnings, and of the fact that times are still tough for many in Shanghai. He shares his good fortune with his old fellow wage slaves, and when they assist him in his various extralegal activities, he lectures them on the futility of trying to extort money from people who simply don’t have any to spare.

The tea house that Ma and his underlings frequent employs a singer, Jin Lingzi, and her uncle, who provides the music. Ms. Jin’s hopes that Ma’s arrival will mark a turn for the better for conditions in the crime-plagued city are dashed when she ascertains that he isn’t different enough from the other bosses she’s seen rise and fall. This is a plot element that I could have done without, but since it never blooms (decays?) into a full-fledged romance, it’s bearable.

There are fights here and there; some minor scuffles and a mass brawl or two. The lot of them combined can’t match the intensity of the staggering finale. Ma Yongzhen, alone and badly injured, must fight Boss Yang’s champion fighters and (literally) dozens of hatchet-wielding thugs. His foes treat him as they would a wounded animal, knowing the advantage is theirs but reluctant to approach, not wanting to be one of the few he takes out should they decide to rush him. This is one of the “angriest” fight scenes you’re ever likely to see, as well as one of the bloodiest. As with the other fights, the choreography is very much lacking in finesse and “prettiness”; kung fu showboating has no place here. The psychology of this sequence is excellent; rather than going for the frantic adrenaline rush, it paces itself in such a way that the viewer has plenty of time to wonder how long it will take for Ma to fall victim to a fateful blow, drop dead from blood loss, or maybe…just maybe…emerge victorious. You can see the inspiration in the climaxes of Gordon Chan’s Beast Cops, in which the maniacal Anthony Wong keeps fighting out of sheer hatred when he really ought to be dead or comatose, as well as in John Woo’s silly-ass A Better Tomorrow 2, in which the good guys get shot multiple times with little ill effect.

The Boxer from Shantung utilizes a somber musical score and a quietly memorable ending, as if the movie itself knows what sort of misery lies ahead for China, but the characters within it do not (or perhaps are underestimating it). The acting is sufficient, though David Chiang and his gleaming grin give Tan Si a weird hammy flavor that some may find annoying. Also, Chen Kuan Tai’s (Ma Yongzhen’s) default facial expression is one of irritating smugness. Only at the sight of his own blood (and boy is there a lot of it) does he get rid of it. Speaking (again) of blood, in this film it’s an unnaturally bright red; a minor but constant source of annoyance. Ah well, at least it isn’t that pink Kool-Aid shit.

So, that’s that. A solid movie, this, that shouldn’t be lumped together with Shaolin This and Kung Fu That. The sheer audacity of the last 20 minutes in and of itself makes it well worth your time.

Numskull’s Rating: 8/10

By Joe909

One of the early Shaw Brothers movies, Boxer from Shantung doesn’t have much in common with later Chang Cheh movies. It’s actually filmed outdoors, instead of in the Shaw Brothers studios, there are no colorful costumes or exotic weapons, and it’s more of a bona fide movie than a chop-sockey epic. It’s also very slow-moving, when compared to later SB flicks. As a matter of fact, this movie was so slow-moving that my friend and I drifted off (my wife was already long asleep), until we were re-invigorated by the bloody, cathartic finale.

Pure and simple, this movie is a direct lift of the “Godfather.” Warring factions, young upstart who carves out his own territory, ambushes, backstabbings, etc. The only difference is, there isn’t a gun in sight in Boxer from Shantung, and no horse heads magically appear in beds. This is one of those movies where everyone wears the same sort of clothing throughout the film: those old-style, bathrobe-looking Chinese outfits. Only David Chiang dresses differently, wearing a Western three-piece suit. The problem with this is that everyone in the movie looks the same, and also these costumes aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as the later, eccentric Shaw Brothers costumes.

Knives and hatchets are the weapons of choice. The evil, old boss employs a legion of axe-carrying goons, who for some reason, no matter the opportunity, refuse to throw their axes. Instead, they use them more like knives. If you’re carrying a throwing axe, throw the damn thing! There are a few fights before the finale, but they aren’t that fast, and poorly choreographed, when compared to later kung-fu movies. Throughout this film I kept comparing it to “Way of the Dragon,” the Bruce Lee movie that was produced the same year as this. It’s amazing how much faster Bruce was than any of these guys. No wonder his movies were such a lightning bold in Asia.

Things meander for a couple of hours as the plot builds. Ma gets some power after beating a foreign wrestler in a tournament. He then goes on to face down challenges from other bosses, but there’s no real spark until the final twenty minutes of the movie. Ma goes to a restaurant to meet with a rival boss, but it’s an ambush. Everyone in the restaurant is under the boss’s control, and carries either a knife or a hatchet.

The fight starts out badly for Ma, as he takes a hatchet to the gut. But he’s just gotten started. Ma proceeds to fight every person in the restaurant, even though he bleeds enough for two men. Gallons pour out of him. The lower half of his body is literally drenched in crimson. This end fight is pure Shaw Brothers material, a big step up from the preceding two hours of boredom. Chen Kuan Tai moves fast, and finally lets loose. The ending of Boxer from Shantung is without a doubt the bloodiest finale I’ve ever seen in a kung-fu movie.

So if you’re looking for the usual Shaw Brothers flick, this will leave you uninspired. But if you’re looking for an old-school kung-fu film that was made back in the days when kung-fu movies were more like “real” movies with some martial arts thrown in, you’ll be in for a treat. Either way, the ending will blow you away.

Joe909’s Rating: 5/10

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Heroes Two | aka Bloody Fists (1974) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Heroes Two" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Heroes Two” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Kung Fu Invaders
Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: Alexander Fu Sheng, Chen Kuan Tai, Fong Sam, Bruce Tong, Wong Ching, Zhu Mu, Fung Ngai, Chiang Nan, Fung Hak On, Tino Wong Cheung, Wong Shu Tong, Lau Kar Wing, Chan Chuen, Lee Hoi Sang
Running Time: 91 min.

By Joe909

The first of Chang Cheh’s Taiwan-produced, mid-1970s Shaolin cycle, Heroes Two is the low-budget beginning of several films starring Fu Sheng, which culminated with the grand Shaolin Temple in 1976. Fu’s later co-star Chi Kuan-Chun isn’t in this movie, however; instead, Chen Kuan-Tai steps in as Hung Sze-Kwan, providing a supporting role to Sheng’s Fong Sai-Yuk.

The story is so simple it could be a kid’s cartoon. The Manchu have burned Shaolin to the ground, and only Hung Sze-Kwan escapes. Hung kills a whole bunch of the Ching bastards, and try as they might, they can’t capture or kill him. This is especially troublesome for non-threatening main villain Zhu Mu, a Manchu prick given to sneering and not much else. His second in command, the cruel Fung Hak-On, is more of a believable main villain, but oh well.

Meanwhile, Fong Sai-Yuk makes a name for himself in the Chinese countryside, generally doing good deeds. A quick recap shows us his history: leaving Shaolin by the alley of death and defeating a Manchu dog while fighting on poles. These scenes can be seen more fully in two other Chang/Fu Sheng movies that are part of the Shaolin Cycle: Men from the Monastery and Shaolin Avengers. Fong’s a good fighter, but he isn’t very bright; the Manchu (foot soldiers, nonetheless, not even the leaders!) easily fool him into thinking Hung’s a villain who’s been murdering innocent people. Fong attacks Hung (much to Hung’s amazement) and captures him for the Manchu, who promptly cart Hung off to be tortured in a dungeon.

Fong finds that the locals are now pissed at him. Only upon being attacked by fellow Shaolin students does our hero realize his screw-up. The movie provides its most touching moment as Fong breaks into the Manchu base, where Hung is chained to a stone wall. Knowing he’s outnumbered and can’t save Hung by himself, Fong nevertheless dashes into the dungeon as the Manchu attack him, just so he can kneel before Hung and beg forgiveness. Fong escapes, beaten bloody by Zhu Mu’s special technique, and becomes a man possessed, devising a way to free Hung.

He soon gets an idea: he can dig a tunnel to free Hung. Unbelievably, this works, although it takes several days. Upon freeing Hung, the Shaolin fighters team together and wait for the Manchu, who of course follow the tunnel to see where it leads. So begins the final battle, with the Shaolin taking on Zhu Mu and his imported band of Tibetan warriors. Chang spices things up, as he does in the other Shaolin Cycle films, by using colored film gels to obscure the bloodshed. Not that the movie’s very violent, especially when compared to other Chang Cheh films, but it still looks pretty brutal when these guys get impaled and chopped by swords.

Liu Chia-Liang served as fight choreographer, but the martial arts on display fall into the early 1970s “slow and awkward” category. Especially from Fu Sheng, all of 19 years old at the time, who obviously lacks the kung-fu skills he would later acquire. When he defeats Chen Kuan-Tai, it’s hardly believable. I’m not saying the fights are “early Bruce Li” subpar quality, though. It’s just that they aren’t as good as in later Chang Shaolin movies. However, the quality of the fights increases as the film progresses, with the finale being very well done.

A problem also arises with the characterization. Fong Sai-Yuk is portrayed as a simpleton, easily swayed by anyone with a walnut-sized brain. Hung Sze-Kwan is more of a killer than the worst of the Manchu; I lost track of how many people he killed. Seriously, the guy’s an early-model Terminator. The villains are all underdeveloped, particularly the hateable Zhu Mu. All the guy does during fights is lurk around, watching his men take on the Shaolin fighters, just to sneak up and throw in the occasional cheap shot.

The sets are low-budget, compared to later Shaolin films. Most of the movie is filmed outdoors, with the indoor sets mostly relegated to the dungeon and other nondescript locations, though there is a nice reproduction of a village. There’s a great film flub when Fong escapes the Chings after his failed rescue attempt on Hung. Fong runs along a roof and jumps over a wall, and if you look close, you can see his shadow on the painted “sky.”

In conclusion, there are too many problems with the story and its execution to consider this film a flawless classic. Still, it’s recommended for all Chang Cheh/Fu Sheng/Chen Kuan-Tai fans. As a closing note, the film’s soundtrack features a fanfare that sounds exactly like a section of the theme from Phantom Menace.

Joe909’s Rating: 6.5/10

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Boxer Rebellion | aka Bloody Avengers (1975) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Bloody Avengers" American Theatrical Poster

“Bloody Avengers” American Theatrical Poster

AKA: Spiritual Fists
Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: Alexander Fu Sheng, Jenny Tseng, Chi Kuan Chun, Johnny Wang, Li Lihua, Leung Kar Yan, Richard Harrison, Bruce Tong, Hu Chin, Alexander Grand, Au Lap Bo
Running Time: 137 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Let’s kick off with some bold statements: Boxer Rebellion is one of the most extravagant Shaw Brothers flicks I’ve ever seen. It has a strong budget and is polished with an international cast. It features some of the finest martial arts choreography of the time (compliments of Liu Chia-Liang); as well as outstanding performances by its lead cast (Alexander Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun, Liang Chia-Jen and Wang Lung-Wei).

But truthfully, I’d rather watch Masked Avengers over this any day.

I haven’t seen all of Chang Cheh’s “let’s seriously base this on an historic event” movies, but let me tell you, the guy shines a lot more when he’s making brainless ultra-violent action flicks like Five Element Ninjas and One-Armed Swordsman.

I personally don’t think Chang Cheh and factual scenarios mix. At some instances, Boxer Rebellion is a serious piece of historic drama. Other times, it’s a badass kung fu flick in the vein of a Venoms movie. In the end, we end up with a half-assed true story (with many inaccuracies) smothered with Saturday afternoon Black Belt Theater action. I mean, imagine if Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket had ninjas in it or something? Where I’m getting at is there aren’t enough gray areas, just a sloppy mix of black and white. Make either a no-nonsense, high budget period movie or or a straight up kung fu tale. Don’t try to cram both into one package.

Boxer Rebellion is a very Americanized production. They definitely didn’t skimp out when it came to extras (of all races), set designs and locations. Even the soundtrack (which I’ll assume is the original) sounds like some kind of American TV show from the 70’s. Richard Harrison – an Italian film star who made dozens of films in the 60’s and 70’s, including Chang Cheh’s Marco Polo; as well as unintentionally starring in a string of goofy Ninja movies for Godfrey Ho and Joseph Lai – has a chunky cameo as an American officer who tries to take on Alexander Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan Chun (take a guess who wins?).

All bullshit aside, Boxer Rebellion isn’t bad, but it does take a while to build up into something we’d expect from a Chang Cheh film. The final third of the movie is what packs the most punch (mind you, this is a very LONG movie). The action is brutal, entertaining and bloody remarkable (no pun intended). As with most Chang Cheh films, don’t expect a 100% happy ending. Heck, a lot of the movie has kung fu guys vs. men with rifles, so use your imagination.

Now, excuse me while I pop in Crippled Avengers.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Don’t Tell My Partner (1997) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Don't Tell My Partner" Chinese DVD Cover

"Don't Tell My Partner" Chinese DVD Cover

Don’t Tell My Partner (1997)
Director: Otto Chan Juk Tiu
Producer: Norman Wong Chi Hung, Wong Hon Wa
Cast: Siu Chet-Yuen, Wong Shu-Kei, Tong Tak-Wai, Cho Wing-Lim, Ben Ng Ngai-Cheung, Gan Piu-Kwan
Running Time: 91 min.

By Gwailo

Category III meister Otto Chan casts his ‘Grand Gugniol’ violence stylings aside in favor of something a tad different. Chan’s 1997 offering, ‘Don’t Tell My Partner”, is an attempt at the most frightening of all genres, the romantic-comedy hybrid. He’s used both before in other films, but opts to leave the blood and carnage out, solely relying on romance and laughter- not much of either are on display unless you count ‘ye ol’ in-out’ as romantic or comedic. My ex-girlfriends vote the latter. Anyway, a staple of Chan’s film’s stays intact-the nudity. The ever-lovin’ gobs of naked excess-the films strength, naturally.

The paper thin excuse for a plot has an add exec (Jimmy Wong)-nicknamed ‘Little Cock'(My ex’s must have gotten a hold of this film) getting involved with the new office girl (Ozawa Madoka). Little Cock’s close friend has persuaded him to forsake his upcoming nuptials to a fashion photog, and get a bit adventurous. How odd his friends words coincide with the hiring of the new office hottie. Kismet or plot device? You make the call!

The sex scenes in DTMP are just short of x-rated and seems as if shots of penetration were trimmed before release. Jimmy Wong always seems to get sweet tail (see The Fruit is Ripe) and here rides Madoka, holding on for dear life. Ozawa Madoka is rather good looking, but needs to see an orthodontist. The Brits may have left HK, but it seems they have left their legacy of mangled oral hygiene behind.

Though I am a big Chan advocate, in all honest, the film isn’t really good. It’s rather slow and the sex scenes, which I’m sure the film is built upon, are few and far between. There is absolutely no need for the film to exist save for the booty on display. It’s all just softcore, late night skin flick, nonsense (not that I’m complaining, really). One thing seems to be certain and seen in many a Chan flick – he sure knows how to film scenes of carnal pleasure. The kind that make theater floors sticky and the rewind button constant.

Gwailo’s Rating: 3.5/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews |

Duel to the Death (1982) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Duel to the Death" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Duel to the Death” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Duel, The
Director: Ching Siu-Tung
Cast: Norman Chu, Flora Cheung, Damian Lau, Kuo Sheng, Eddy Ko, Paul Chang Chung, Yeung Chak Lam, Kwan Yung Moon, Casanova Wong, Hon Gwok Choi
Running Time: 82 min.

By Numskull

Bo Ching Wen is a wise young Chinaman, itching to test his skills after ten years of intense study at the Shaolin Temple. Hashimoto is the warrior champion of the Sun Yin Sect, eager to illustrate the power of his Japanese martial techniques, even at the cost of his life. Both men of honor, both master swordsmen, both snappy dressers. Both headed to Saint Sword Village in China to meet their destinies and determine once and for all whose skill is superior in a…(drumroll please)…DUEL TO THE DEATH!!!

Yes, it’s a hokey old Hong Kong melodrama, but it’s no Lo Wei bullshit. It’s an entirely different kind of bullshit. Swordplay replaces Kung Fu, honor replaces revenge, and LSD-induced fantasy replaces realism as warriors fly through the air with the greatest of ease, engaging in elaborate combative exchanges while floating twenty feet off the ground. There’s also a talking bird (though it is not a parrot) named Chicken (though it is not a chicken, either) who looks after Bo Ching Wen’s crazy old mentor who appears to have modeled his life on the teachings of Tarzan rather than Buddha. Even better, when a villain is decapitated and his severed head gets impaled on a tree branch, he utters a curse at his killer before dying. I always thought that you needed your lungs to draw the breath necessary for speech, but maybe I was wrong. And let’s not forget those darn ninjas. They pop up everywhere, working against Bo Ching Wen and his allies. And when I say “pop up”, I mean that in a very literal way, because they can appear out of thin air in the blink of an eye, vanish in a puff of smoke, explode in suicide frenzies, and merge into a fifteen-foot Super Ninja.

Bullshit…but entertaining bullshit.

The fight choreography seems competent enough, but don’t expect anything too spectacular. The aerial super-heroics get in the way sometimes. The plot is coherent despite the absurdities of the action that drives it along. Towards the end of the film, it looks as though the grand finale will be a cop-out and that no actual…DUEL TO THE DEATH!!!…will take place. But take place it does, and the winner should surprise no one. Keep a barf bag handy if you can’t handle severed limbs with Kool-Aid blood flowing like…well, like blood.

Oh yeah, and there’s a token female character who falls in love with one of the duellists (after knowing him for about eight minutes) and wishes she could fight as well as everyone else seems able to.

One other point I wish to address. The subtitles. The version I saw was from Tai Seng’s Remaster series, and they look great. The film is in letterbox format and the text is in (O Hosanna!) the blank space underneath the picture, with clear electronic characters. This in itself is a minor miracle, but the thing that really impressed me was their coherence. I did not notice a single spelling error, and there were only two or three grammatical snafus that anyone could have made. You won’t have any problem following the story. Well done.

The best recommendation I can give you: “You could do worse.”

Numskull’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , |

Champions, The (1983) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The Champions" Theatrical Poster

“The Champions” Theatrical Poster

Director: Brandy Yuen
Cast: Yuen Biao, Dick Wei, Fung King Man, Cheung Kwok Keung, Gam Biu, Moon Lee Choi Fong, Eddie Ko Hung, Tino Wong Cheung, Ho Pak Kwong, Johnny Cheung Yiu Wah, Brandy Yuen Jan Yeung, Cheung Ging Boh
Running Time: 94 min.

By Vic Nguyen

A mischevious country boy, who after many amusing situations, becomes Hong Kong’s soccer king.

This early Yuen Biao vehicle is an entertaining blend of light comedy and some of the best soccer sequences ever commited to film. Here, Ah Biao stars as an acrobatic country hick from the sticks who must flee out of town after inadvertantly injuring a wealthy socialite during an innocent competition. While exploring the area, he runs into a soccer team who discovers his talents, and subsequently joins the team.

Despite the martial arts adept cast, there is little to no fistacuff duels in this film, instead, the action all involves well choreographed soccer games that are every bit as exhilarating. Yuen Biao, at the prime of his career, gives a fun performance, while Dick Wei provides a great portrayal as the arrogant villain. An underrated gem that unfortunately does not receive the attention it deserves.

Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 8.5/10

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , |

China Strike Force (2001) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"China Strike Force" Hong Kong Theatrical Poster

“China Strike Force” Hong Kong Theatrical Poster

AKA: Thunder Cop
Director: Stanley Tong
Cast: Aaron Kwok, Norika Fujiwara, Mark Dacascos, Leehom Wang, Coolio, Ruby Lin, Jennifer Lin, Ken Lo, Kim Won-Jin, Jackson Lau Hok-Yin, Li Xue-Tong
Running Time: 103 min.

By Reefer

Wanna know why I like Stanley Tong? Because he is a guy who must have sleepless nights trying to figure out how the heck he’s going to get a motorcycle on top of a double-decker bus. He’s a guy who probably wonders out loud “Can Coolio do kung fu?”; and says “Forget that Jackie hanging from a helicopter crap. Let do one better!”; and asks “Can Aaron Kwok’s hair actually move?”

Needless to say, Tong’s Chinese Strike Force is an effort to make a bigger, better action movie. Unfortunately, you feel that he judges success by the amount of wrecked cars and mangled stunt men and not by creating any emotional attachment to his characters or telling an interesting story. It is because of this that Chinese Strike Force comes off as a hollow exercise in complicated physical mayhem.

CSF follows the adventures of two agents (one of them is Kwok) as they chase bad guy Mark Dacascos and LA gang-banger Coolio who are planning a big drug deal along with the help of a skillful and beautiful Japanese chick.

Filmed mostly in English, the acting is truly a bore. It isn’t exactly a good thing when American rapper Coolio turns in the best performance. Kwok, who looks like the Asian Gumby, acts like he doesn’t quite understand what he is saying. Dacascos comes off as nothing but a typical sneering bad guy. The rest of the cast just kinda wanders around until they get behind the wheel or find a gun in their hands or are, uh . . . suspended on a giant pane of glass hanging by a crane connected to a skyscraper. You get the picture. A couple plot twists are thrown in, but who really cares? For the most part, I was just waiting for some more excitement.

Fortunately, excitement comes in some heavy doses as Tong gives you a wild car chase involving an Indy car and a Lamborghini, another insane chase with the aforementioned double-decker bus, several lively fistfights and finally a Supercop-topping finale.

Tong clearly is a guy who should stick with stunt coordinating and producing but save the actual filmmaking for more complete directors. I am trying not to make this a slam because what Tong does with his imagination and skills as a stuntman are truly amazing.

Reefer’s Rating: 5/10

By Ben Poppel

Wow, what a disappointment. The way this movie starts out, you get the feel that it’s going to be an all out action bonanza buffet. But what we get instead is a big ball of cheese. What the hell was Coolio doing in this movie anyway, he used more terrible potty-mouthed one liners than the guys from Night at the Roxberry, I just hope he had nothing to do with the writing of his own lines. At least the almost always cool Aaron Kwok was pretty up to par in this movie. And Talking about pretty, the Japanese co star was probably the highlight of the film.

Now, I can’t say this is a flat out terrible movie – It had a few nice set pieces and crazy stunts, with the help of some wire work, but you talk about a terrible ending. I know some Hong Kong movies are trying to go for that Hollywood look and feel, but give me a break, the ending was just too unrealistic! Overall, It has the look and feel of a low-budget Mark Dacascos movie…oh wait a minute he was in this film too with the help of director Stanley Tong. But the good action was just too few and far between and was filled with dialogue (which is over half in English) and lousy plot lines that are overused.

This will probably be released in America in a year or so and have a big picture of Coolio and Mark Dacascos on the poster art. Nevertheless, this will probably be a movie you will either love or hate.

Ben Poppel’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , |

Dead End (1969) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Dead End" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Dead End" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh
Writer: Chiu Kang Chien
Producer: Runme Shaw
Cast: Ti Lung, Li Ching, David Chiang (Da Wei), Chen Hung Lieh, Angela Yu Chien, Chen Yan Yan, Goo Man Chung, Fong Min, Hsu Hsia
Running Time: 100 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Zhang Chun (Ti Lung, in one of his first starring roles for Shaw Brothers) is a good natured, twenty-something playboy who loves his family, despises his office job and envies the rich. At a glance, he’s a happy go-lucky ladies man; but deep down inside, he’s frustrated with his ant-like 9 to 5 work routine. Burnt out and depressed, his mind becomes more and more self-destructive; he even fantasizes about “living fast and dying young” like his idol, James Dean.

It’s only when he meets a rich girl, named Wen Rou (Li Ching), that his world is turned inside out. The two fall madly in love with each other and Zhang Chun’s pessimistic nature begins to see a happy light.

Trouble begins to boil when the girl’s older protective brother, Wen Qiang (Chen Hung-lieh), finds out about their relationship. Because of Zhang Chun’s unsuccessful white collar status, Wen Qiang immediately disapproves of him and requests that the two stop seeing each other. Zhang Chun ignores his request and the two collide in a bloody opposition, leaving Wen Rou caught between the two in a helpless situation.

First of all, hats off to Celestial Pictures for their newly produced trailer for DEAD END. In a word, brilliant. The trailer’s perfect edits and choice of music grabs your immediate attention. In fact, the trailer’s vibe is so positive that I’m beginning to second guess my disappointing thoughts that followed watching the actual movie.

DEAD END marks a change of setting for your typical pre-1970s Chang Cheh flick. The sword is now a gun; feudal China is now modern day Hong Kong. Also, it’s the first in a series of endless urban tales of troubled youth (i.e. Chinatown Kid, The Delinquent, Friends, The Generation Gap…like I said, endless.) and their association with violence. In addition, DEAD END marks the first real team up of the Chang Cheh, David Chiang and Ti Lung collaboration, dubbed “The Iron Triangle,” because of their successful line of films together which would last several years.

The main problem with DEAD END is its story line. Sometimes, it’s a little too much to-the-point; other times, you’re wondering which way that point is facing. Plot elements come in, then plot elements disappear. More than anything, there are just too many moments of plain stupidity that are extremely evident. When the film comes to a conclusion, we never really know WHY anyone did what they did.

Despite the film’s line of talent and it’s visually-hip 1960’s yester-year style of filmmaking, DEAD END is a rushed mess. Unless you’re a super-duper Cheh/Chiang/Lung fanatic, or you just like to stare at Li Ching’s unbelievably cute face, skip it. It’s just a friendly reminder that not everything Chang Cheh touched turned to gold; however,it would only a take a couple of years for him to do a much better job with similar films like the ones mentioned above.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 5/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , |

Blood Brothers | aka Dynasty of Blood (1973) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Blood Brothers" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Blood Brothers" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh, John Woo
Writer: I Kuang, Chang Cheh
Producer: Run Run Shaw
Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, Ching Li, Wang Lung Wei, Tin Ching, Cheng Miu, Wong Ching Ho, Yeung Chak Lam, Wong Kwong Yue, Fan Mei Sheng
Running Time: 118 min.

By Perkele

Set in the waning years of the Ching Dynasty, this dramatic, tragic, romantic, blood-soaked martial arts tale of betrayal and revenge explores one of the most sensational scandals in Chinese history.

Widely regarded as one of the finest of the early Chang Cheh films, and at least from what I’ve seen [not nearly all of ’em], this statement is certainly correct. “Blood Brothers” is an epic tale of three sworn blood brothers, friendship, honor, betrayal and revenge. It’s sort of like a kung fu version of “Bullet in the Head,” and in fact, John Woo worked as an assistant director on this one so the similarities can’t be just coincidence.

Based on the real events and characters, Ti Lung plays terrifically the power-greedy general [quite like Wise Lee in BITH], whose lust for power finally makes him murder Chen Kuan Tai [in BITH it’s Jackie Cheung], with whom wife (Ching Li) he’s also having a secret love affair. David Chiang [compare: Tony Leung] finds this out, and avenges Chen Kuan Tai’s death by finally killing Ti Lung.

The film uses efficient beautiful outdoor locations [get the widescreen version], and there’s dozens of extras in the biggest fights, making the movie look real good. Fight choreography (in courtesy of Hong Kong legend Liu Chia Liang) is pretty much the best of the era [if you don’t count Bruce Lee’s films], though many will consider it a bit slow nowadays.

Highly recommended for the fans of this older SB stuff.

Perkle’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , |

Come Drink with Me (1966) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Come Drink With Me" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Come Drink With Me” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: King Hu
Producer: Run Run Shaw
Cast: Cheng Pei Pei, Yueh Hua, Chen Hung Lieh, Yeung Chi Hing, Simon Yuen (Siu Tin), Guk Fung, Lee Wan Chung, Kok Lee Yan, Han Ying Chieh, Fung Ngai, Nam Wai Lit, Wong Yeuk Ping, Chan Hei, Jackie Chan, Yam Ho
Running Time: 91 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

I was hesitant to watch a Shaw Brothers movie made in 1966; I admit, the stuff I have grown to love in kung fu cinema started in the 1970s: the colorful gore of Chang Cheh, the intensity of Bruce Lee, and the physical genius of Jackie Chan. So, could there possibly be some appeal in a late 1960s flick for me? Hmmm… 1966… let’s see, Sergio Leone made The Good, The Bad & The Ugly; The Beatles made Revolver (okay, that’s an album, but you get my point). The fact is, yes, the 1960s was a groovy time for music and movies all over the world, and the Shaw Brothers produced-films were no exception.

I’ve never been a big fan of heroine kung fu movies; in fact, I’ve tried to stay away from them every chance I got. Could you blame me for being a male chauvinist pig when it came to genuine ass kicking? Of course not. With Come Drink With Me, I’m forced to say that Cheng Pei Pei (who plays Golden Swallow, the film’s protagonist) is the real deal; for the first time in kung fu movie history, I actually enjoyed seeing a woman beat the hell out of the bad guys. I’m not sure what it exactly is about her, but she pulls off a believable kung fu fighting babe and does a much better job portraying one than Angela Mao, Michelle Yeoh and Moon Lee COMBINED… and I’m not talking in a fight choreography sense; I’m talking in terms of how she carries herself with her no-nonsense charisma. And who knows, maybe some of the credit could be given to director King Hu? Frankly, I haven’t seen enough of his or Cheng Pei Pei’s work to give a valid opinion.

As it stands, Come Drink With Me is one entertaining film. I’ve heard both good and bad things about it… it’s “boring”, there’s “too much talk”, it’s a “classic”, it’s “influential”… I’m shooting for the more positive remarks. It has a plot that’s solid and simple. It’s probably not as graphic and action packed as your average Chang Cheh film, but you do get the occasional blood-in-the-face shots, dismembered body parts and even some mystical shit (and the visual effects were done pretty damn well, especially for the time). Even the villains are colorful and have a lot more character than the majority of baddies in an average kung fu film. And you have to love Golden Swallow’s semi-sidekick, Drunken Cat, played by Yueh Hua.

King Hu’s direction is top notch. The cinematography is beautiful. The sets are visually lavish. For the most part, the fight choreography may seem bland when compared to today’s standards, but to even up the odds, they bare less edits and camera tricks. To sum it all up, Come Drink With Me is a film that I appreciate and its innovation and influence reflects many popular martial arts movies of today. Sounds like a classic to me.

And now, my eyes are drooling over Golden Swallow (the Chang Cheh-directed sequel to Come Drink With Me) and the One Armed Swordsman series.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 8/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , |

Young People (1972) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Young People" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Young People" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, Agnes Chen Mei-Ling (Agnes Chan Mei Ling), Irene Chen I-Ling (Chan Yi Ling), Bolo Yeung (Yang Sze), Yen Shi Kwan
Running Time: 118 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Young People is a story of active college kids who are divided into three groups, with each one having a leader: David Chiang’s consists of musicians, singers and dancers. Ti Lung’s are basketball players. Chen Kuan Tai’s men practice kung fu.

They’re all from the same school, yet there’s still a sense of rivalry between the students. Ti Lung’s jocks and Chen Kuan Tai martial artists poke fun at David Chiang’s group for being into non-manly activities; Chen Kuan Tai has a beef with Ti Lung for stealing his girl (it’s fun to watch Irene Chen juggle all the guys around); David Chiang seems to be the cool cat of the bunch, who spends most of his time breaking up fights; and even though his forte is playing the drums, he tears it up when it comes to any activity, especially kung fu.

I don’t know how Chang Cheh did it, but he managed to make an enjoyable movie with no deaths, no blood, and a limited amount of PG-rated brawls. Mind you, I walked into Young People knowing it was a non-action movie based more on a friendly plot about competitive, fun-loving college kids. I just never realized I’d end up liking it as much as I did. In fact, I can honestly say that it was much more enjoyable than your average Shaw Brothers basher. But who knows? Maybe I just needed a break from watching a bunch of guys killing eachother.

Young People is cornball movie making at its finest. The comedy isn’t smart. The story is nothing intriging or original. Expect a lot of dated music (some of it’s in English). With all this said – and I know it doesn’t make much sense – Young People is interesting throughout it’s 90-minute duration. It’s kind of like watching an episode of some cheesy 1970’s TV show: it’s outdated, it’s far-fetched, but for some reason, you just keep on watching it.

If there’s anything truly negative to be said, there are a couple of draggy segments. One is an overlong basketball game (we only needed a few minutes of it, not 15 or whatever it was). Also, there are a couple of numbers performed by Agnes Chan that seem to go on forever. Depending on your taste (or mental stability), these scenes may knock off the film’s nice pace.

No biggie though.

Besides, where else you gonna see Ti Lung and Bolo play basketball? Where else are you going to hear Agnes Chan perform a cheesy cover of James Taylor’s “You’ve Got A friend”?

Need a break from the usual Chang Cheh flick? Give Young People a try.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Web of Death (1976) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Web of Death" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Web of Death" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Literally: Five Poison Web
Director: Chor Yuen
Cast: Yueh Hua, Cheng Lee (Ching Li), Lo Lieh, Guk Fung (Ku Feng), Wong Hap (Wang Hsia), Lily Li Li-Li, Wong Chung (Wang Chung), Angela Yu Chien, Ngaai Fei, Yen Shi Kwan
Running Time: 87 min.

By Joe909

I’ve loved these old school Shaw Brothers movies since I was a kid, and figured I knew a little about them. But I had never heard of director Chor Yuen. I had heard of one of his movies, though: 1977’s Clans of Intrigue, and the only reason I knew about that one was because it starred the fucktastic Nora Miao. But it turns out that Yuen was one of Shaw’s biggest directors. Unlike Chang Cheh and Liu Chia-Lang, Yuen delved into the esoteric world of swordplay films, with all-powerful characters, fantastic sets, colorful costumes, and complicated plots. He lacked the buckets of blood Chang Cheh doused his films with, but hey, no one’s perfect. Re-introducing Yuen’s body of work is just one of many things Celestial should be thanked for.

Praise aside, the only things hampering Yuen’s movies were the byzantine plotting and cluttered cast. You can’t entirely blame him, because the majority of his movies were based on convoluted Gu Long novels, a few of which I’ve read, and which themselves can be very confusing. But it can still be hard figuring out who’s who in Chor’s movies, and what’s going on. Web of Death is no exception, even though it doesn’t seem to be based on anything by Gu Long.

The sets are the most interesting thing about this movie. That’s not an insult to the film; these sets are fantastic, even beyond the usual magnificent Shaws set design. There’s a trap-filled dungeon, a clan headquarters that seems to be colossal, and fog-shrouded cauldrons with pools of acid. I can only imagine what martial chaos Chang Cheh could’ve wrought on such sets, but Chor Yuen’s movies are more introspective, complex, and feminine than Chang’s bloodthirsty tales.

Another interesting aspect of this movie is the similarity of its plot to the Shaw Brothers classic Five Venoms. Both of these movies came from the pen of I Kuang; Web of Death in 1976 and Five Venoms in 1978. You could consider Web a prologue to Venoms. It’s about the Poison Clan, but whereas Five Venoms is a kung-fu mystery of the highest order, Web of Death is a high-brow swordplay/romance/B-grade horror movie.

The plot concerns the evil leader of the Snake Clan’s search for the fabled Five Poisons spider, the most powerful weapon in the martial world. It’s just a little spider in a weird box, but it glows red, screeches, and ensnares its victims in a radioactive cobweb. It can also apparently do all sorts of wacky stuff. The Poison Clan leader won’t let him have it, as the spider was banned ages ago and is now hidden. So the Snake Clan leader devises a ruse to find it; he makes it seem that other martial artist clans are out seeking the spider. This causes all sorts of confusion, fatal mistakes, and plotting in the martial world.

In the middle of this, a love story brews between virtuous swordsman Fei and the Poison Clan leader’s daughter, Hong. At times this part of the story takes on aspects of a kung-fu version of Three’s Company. Lots of mistaken identity, holding of secrets, and misunderstandings. All the movie really needs is a topknotted Normal Fell as Mr. Roper, who could live upstairs from these crazy kids.

The two plot threads come to a head when Fei is framed for the massacre of an escort agency, and the Snake Clan leader, now in possession of the spider, comes after him. The final battle is good for a while, but then the spider is unleashed. The special effects in this part are entertaining solely due to the cheese factor. We’re supposed to buy it when this fake-looking spider ensnares all of the master swordsmen in a radioactive web. Unfortunately, there is only way to kill the spider, and doing so gives the movie its requisite tragic ending.

Cheng Lee, as the clan leader’s daughter, is the true star of the film, with lead-billed Yueh Hua mostly providing back-up. Lo Lieh is the black-garbed villain, and he’s perfect as the power-mad leader of the Snake Clan. He also has the best outfit in the movie, though I did like the wiry Centipede Clan leader’s “centipede” shield. I would’ve preferred to see more of these clan leaders in action, but when people do fight, it’s generally along the fantasy side of things. Lots of leaping and bolts flying from fingertips.

Action-wise I didn’t find this movie on par with Chang Cheh, though surely others will disagree. I guess it comes down to genre preference. For me, I tend to like just about anything which begins with that majestic Shaw Brothers logo, save for the odd movie or two. I do prefer kung-fu to swordplay movies, but it’s not a hardcore preference. That being said, I still found the action scenes to be over too quick in this one, and would have loved to see the violent epic Chang Cheh might have created with these sets and costumes.

Joe909’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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