REVIEW: ‘Invincible Shaolin’ (1978)

A Qing general (Johnny Wang) deviously pits lay students of South Shaolin Temple against North Shaolin in hopes that they destroy each other. Initially outmatched by the superior skills of North Shaolin and vowing to avenge their dead comrades, three Southern students each master a different style though elaborate training exercises.

What does one do after establishing one of the most popular screen teams of kung fu stars in the supreme classic The Five Venoms (1978)? Writer and director Chang Cheh’s answer was to keep the Venoms train rolling strong with Invincible Shaolin. It’s a rollicking kung fu classic highlighted by colorful training sequences, the Venoms’ charm and physical prowess, and Chang’s streamlined heroic bloodshed theme.

The weakest part of the film is the plot of a Manchu general, played by Johnny Wang, trying to set North and South Shaolin against each other. Chang clumsily constructs a rivalry among Shaolin lay students that is never really convincing. But this is just a pretext to get Northern kung fu masters Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, and Sun Chien to battle Southern masters Lo Meng, Philip Kwok, and Wei Pak and that should be good enough for most viewers. Initially, our Northern trio easily defeats three inferior Southern representatives of Shaolin in a contest set up by General Pu to determine who will train the Manchu army. Of course he’s really just trying to start a feud and helps it along by killing the three losers and putting the blame on the Northerners. Three more Southern students arrive to avenge their brothers and are soundly defeated. An ailing Southern teacher (Chan Shen) disbands his school and sends his top three students to train in specific kung fu styles in order to defeat the Northern Shaolin students. This is where the film gets interesting.

While Sun, Chiang, and Lu flirt with several local girls (including Kara Hui) and uneasily enjoy the General’s hospitality, a buff Lo Meng trains in the powerful Mantis Fist by working his way up to performing push-ups on his thumbs and over a well with a massive (foam) boulder on his back, all without crushing eggs under his palms. The threat of having to eat all the eggs he breaks proves to be useful motivation. A similar tactic is used by Wai Pak’s teacher who threatens him with gardening chores every time he falls off of poles while training in Wing Chun. Phillip Kwok masters stick fighting and light step kung fu for use against the acrobatic Chiang Sheng.

Having completed their training, the three southern masters swear to get revenge which proves to be the key element that forces them to fight their northern brothers even when they all suspect foul play on the general’s part. The result is a wild three-on-three battle that turns bloody as the general and his forces join in.

Accompanying the film is a great soundtrack from Chang Yung-yu featuring a suitably heroic trumpet fanfare. Like screenwriter Ni Kuang, Yung-yu was a fixture at Shaw Brothers, one who helped to define the sound of their films. His scores are almost always a cut above the endlessly rehashed stock and lifted music used in independent kung fu movies.

Invincible Shaolin isn’t the craziest or bloodiest Venoms film, but it gets by on solid performances from the leads, inventive training sequences, and great kung fu that culminate in a smashing finale. The interplay between the Venoms stars, both friend and foe, is a lot of fun to watch and has a strong feeling of camaraderie that is enhanced by their distinctive personas. There is a well-rounded mix of weapons and open hand combat, acrobatics, and exaggerated or fantasy fu. Other action highlights include Lu Feng putting perfect palm prints in a wooden dummy, Chiang Sheng’s impressive acrobatics, a thoroughly gruesome chest-ripping scene, and an awesome finishing move at the end that leaves two combatants in midair with either end of a broken pole sticking out of their chests. This is definitely kung fu Chang Cheh and Venoms style and anyone who enjoys their other films will find this one to be entertaining.