From a few
other sources, it appears that this film is either a sequel to or a remake
of the Shaw Brother's Executioners from Shaolin (1977). I have yet to see
that and so have no opinion - other than I don't expect it really matters.
This works fine as a standalone film. Executioners was directed by Lau Kar-leung
and though he hands that duty over to Lo Lieh, he still does the action choreography
and in truth that is why any of us are here. It is another post the destruction
of the Shaolin Temple by the evil Manchus film. This was a true historical
event that occurred in the late 17th century in order to suppress anti-Qing
rebels. The destruction and the aftermath have been covered in more films
than you can count. Shaw produced a steady diet of them. The Manchu's
are always the bad guys.
This one begins with a nifty two on one
fight - and as in so many martial arts films, it is the good guys who have
the numbers against the villain. The main villain is usually a superior martial
artist - especially if he has white hair - and so they need help to bring
him down. Hung Wei-ting (Gordon Lui Chia-hui) and his comrade Wu Ah-biu (King
Lee) are doing a touch tag bang up of this white-haired fellow (Wilson Tong)
- Hung using the Tiger Claw technique and Ah-biu brandishing the Crane moves.
Hung keeps going for the man's testicles - a real ballbuster - while Ah-biu
goes for the top of the head. Beautifully choreographed with some terrific
acrobatics - classic Lau Kar-leung. The man is Pai Mei who was the villain
in Executioners and apparently a true character who betrayed the Shaolin
Temple. Tarantino resurrected him for Kill Bill where he was played by of
all people Gordon Lui. We next jump ahead and Ah-biu is getting out of prison
after the Emperor has pardoned all the Shaolin Temple fighters. But there
is evil brewing. Governor Ting-chun (Johnny Wang) persuades White Lotus -
another white-haired gent - played by Lo Lieh to revenge his brother Pai
Mei and kill all the Shaolin guys getting out of jail. Lo Lieh played Pai
Mei in Executioners.
Ah-biu has gone to his home to be with his
pregnant wife Mei Ha (Kara Hui Ying-hung), his friend Hung and their cousin
Wu Siu-ching played by Yeung Ching-ching. The White Lotus boys come for them
by the dozens and there is a wonderful fight even with the pregnant Mei Ha
fighting them off. So does Siu-ching in terrific fashion. Yeung Ching-ching
was a student of Lau Kar-leung from Hainan Island and is a wonderfully acrobatic
martial artist. She is sort of Moon Lee sized but a delight to watch - unfortunately
she got very few films to show her skills and later on became an action choreographer.
Only Hung and Mei Ha escape and most of
the rest of the film is Hung trying to improve his skills enough to kill
White Lotus. Ha has the baby but, in this instance, it doesn't grow up to
get revenge. That is up to Hung. His confrontations with White Lotus are
interesting - he just isn't good enough to beat him and goes back for more
lessons. White Lotus almost treats it as a joke - partly admiring this young
fellow for his persistence - but he keeps kicking his ass. They hold conversations
all through the fights. White Lotus only gets annoyed when Hung breaks in
while he is taking a bath and he has to grab a towel to cover his private
parts. He only has one weak point on his body but has the ability to move
it around - again Hung focuses on the groin and plucks his bushy eyebrows
a few times.
The fights are precise, clean, well-timed
- acrobatic with very little blood-letting. Like so many of Kar-leung's films
there is a large amount of time spent training - this time against paper
dummies, the goofy Lam Fai-wong and Kara - though having to avoid her womanly
areas! His message seems to be to just keep training - don't give up.
I found it a little disappointing that Kara doesn't get into any more action
after that one fight - but Kar-leung was to make up for it with My Young
Auntie and The Lady is a Boss over the next couple of years. In truth, this
isn't really my sort of martial arts film. I respect it more than love it.
Give me a wild messy wuxia any time. Too much of the choreography was similar
- attack, be repulsed, attack again, be repulsed - wonderfully done but repetitive.
But from what I have seen, this is a much loved film by kung-fu fans.
