I think Tong Kai was holding
back a few tricks for his directorial debut. The action set pieces are magnificent
and inventive. Tong Kai is a legend in the world of action choreography.
Born in Macau in 1937, he moved to Hong Kong in 1952 where he first studied
Cantonese Opera and worked in a theatrical troupe. By 1954 he was appearing
as a stunt man in films and as an extra. By 1962 he was choreographing films
and was a student of the Northern style of martial arts. In 1963 he began
his lengthy and very influential collaboration with Lau Kar-leung in South
Dragon, North Phoenix. Over the next twelve years - first in Cantonese films
and then for Shaw - they worked together on over one-hundred films and changed
the face of martial arts with complex, intricate, fast martial arts as well
as an array of weapons that they brought to the screen. In 1975 Lau Kar-leung
became a director and Tong began working for Chor Yuen and choreographed
along with Huang Pei-chih many of those classic wuxia films. In 1983 he made
his debut as a director and would go on to only direct two more before basically
retiring from the film business. It would be fascinating to watch his films
from the beginning to the end to see how Hong Kong action choreography evolved
- but I think very few of his Cantonese films are available.
After all those films, you would not think there was much left in the tank
but the action here is quite wonderful and frequent. Literally from the first
minute when there is a big fight among opposing sides to the last minute
when the heroes take on the villain it is constantly entertaining and different.
All the action scenes take on their own distinct personality. The lengthy
set-piece in the Shaolin Temple is incredible - visually and physically -
as the two heroes fighting together take on various formations of monks with
iron rings. In the finale the two heroes take on the villain who is being
carried around by four men on a platform - that is a weapon in itself with
hidden blades and changeable shapes and which the villain can go flying into
the air and the four men catch him in his chair wherever he lands - like
an outfielder going back for a long fly ball. Lots of other fights as well.
It is a big crew of choreographers that put this together - besides Tong
Kai and Huang, he also brought on Yuen Wah (who has a great action scene),
Yuen Bun who plays the maniacal Water General and Lee Hoi-sang who plays
the traitorous monk.
The script is from none other than Wong Jing who was already on his way to
being the busiest man in Hong Kong film by directing, writing and acting.
It is a good if unfocused script - he throws in some kung-fu comedy at times,
a segment of a possessed man-killing woman that had nothing really to do
with the film but was very well done, a plot that was adequate enough and
of course every few pages he just had to write "ACTION SCENE". In the first
scene Lord 9th (Jason Pai Piao) overthrows the Emperor and puts a puppet
on the throne. But the two infant sons escape after numerous fights by their
carriers - but they get separated - Wang Zhi-tai (Derek Yee), the youngest
son grows up in the home of the Prime Minster (Ku Feng) under a pretend name
because Lord 9th is looking to kill the two boys.
Dao Xing (Ti Lung) gets adopted by the Three Dumbs in the Shaolin Temple.
But they have to stay in a separate living space from the other monks and
are not allowed to step on the ground outside the walls because they always
get in trouble and physically look like idiots. They decide to bring up the
child to have someone to play with and play pranks on - and also teach him
martial arts. In almost Bollywood fashion the two brothers come together
not knowing who the other is but become friends immediately. It is only a
matter of time before Lord 9th comes looking for them. I thought this was
terrific. Also keep an eye out for Chen Shen as the head monk. Elvis Tsui
as another traitor monk and Tong Kai was the two-swords monk who tests Wang.
I keep finding these lesser-known Shaw films that are just so much fun.
