AKA: Battle for Shaolin
Director: Tang Chia
Cast: Derek Yee Tung Sing, Lau Yuk Pok, Jason Pai Piao, Elvis Tsui Kam Kong, Chan Shen, Kwan Feng, Lee Hoi San, Philip Ko Fei, Ku Feng, Alan Chan Kwok Kuen
Running Time: 95 min.
By Chris Hatcher
It’s not every day a good detective mystery shows up in the midst of a great old school kung fu flick. So when a gem like Tang Chia’s Shaolin Intruders comes along with such a formula, you tend to sit up and take notice. And take notice you will… because the film is magnificent in every sense of the word! From gravity-defying action to intriguing story to great acting, it elevates the typical kung fu tropes to greater heights on every level. In short, it’s Tang’s masterpiece of his directorial trilogy and boasts the excellent fight choreography that made him a household name at Shaw Brothers for nearly two decades.
Tang’s work as a stunt coordinator for Shaw films was the stuff of legend from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. He collaborated as co-action director with greats like Lau Kar-Leung on more than 170 films (with over 100 of those being for Shaw) and was considered a master at staging all types of weapons-based fights. Tang’s Temple of the Red Lotus (1965) was his first coordinator project for Shaw and it set the tone early on for great things to come; the film broke box office records and was heralded as the start of a new era in Hong Kong martial arts cinema.
By 1970, Tang worked exclusively for Shaw and became an action staple for directors like Chang Cheh, Chu Yuan, and Sun Chung. His work with Chang in the late 60s and early 70s produced such classics as The One-Armed Swordsman (1967), The Boxer from Shantung (1972), and Shaolin Martial Arts (1974). In 1977 alone, Tang and Chu put out four Wuxia hits: The Sentimental Swordsman, Jade Tiger, Death Duel, and Clans of Intrigue. And by the end of the decade, The Avenging Eagle (1978) and The Deadly Breaking Sword (1979) were two of Tang’s most popular films under Sun. So as the 1980s rolled around, regardless of director or what style of kung fu was being Continue reading
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