Eagle’s Claw (1977)

How many times have you seen a kung fu flick where the plot was hideously obvious, ludicrously complex or absent altogether? Yes, most kung fu plots well done are mighty rare. Let’s not go so far as to say Eagle’s Claw is a masterpiece of Shakespearian proportion but its better than many of its brethren. The story is genuinely fun and has more than one plot twist that is pulled off quite nicely.

The story begins as your typical revenge thread and well, stays there but adds the drama of characters whose loyalties change while both schools plot to undo the other in as much of a psychological battle as a physical one. As the Eagle’s Claw teacher lays dying, he breaks protocol to appoint his second student rather than the first to take over the school. The first student becomes jealous and ends apparently up killing the teacher himself. But all is not as it seems. Meanwhile, the rival teacher of Mantis Fist is playing his own game of deception, anticipating the other school’s moves. If you can look beyond the stereotypical goofy dubbing and formulaic choreography, you’ll find a story that is more thought provoking than your average chopsocky fare.

The action doesn’t hold up as well. Opening scenes of Eagle’s Claw kung fu being performed is about as interesting as any of the fighting gets. One exception would be two weapons masters brought in by Chow Mao Woo to help destroy the Eagle’s Claw. While we don’t see any spectacular choreography, the introduction of spear and knife wielders in open-hand combat adds a bit of spice.

While not the best of its genre, Eagle’s Claw is a solid entry in the Martial Arts Theater series. Although uninspiring, the action is plentiful and the dynamic story actually breathes more life into the characters than one would expect.