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For the fifth entry in his Shaolin Cycle, writer-director Chang Cheh revisited the origin story of Shaolin martial arts folk hero Fong Sai-yuk, previously depicted in Chang’s MEN FROM THE MONASTERY (1974). Some of that film’s script is recycled word for word while the frequent use of flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks makes a mess of the narrative. Despite this, the semi-remake is a superior kung fu actioner possessing a more focused plot that expands substantially on the Fong Sai-yuk legend. It also has a much better cast of fighting villains and nearly non-stop, blood-soaked kung fu carnage to sate the appetite of all but the most demanding kung fu movie fanatics. The film opens with a fight pitting Shaolin men Fong Sai-yuk (Alexander Fu Sheng), his brother Hsiao-yu (Bruce Tang) and Hu Hei-chien (Chi Kuan-tung) against rival Wudang men led by Jingang Palm expert Feng Tao-te (Tsai Hung). As the battle rages on, flashbacks reveal how the three heroes wound up in their present predicament. They cover Fong Sai-yuk’s kung fu training and body conditioning under his mother’s guidance and the efforts of Sai-yuk and his brother to avenge their father’s murder at the hand of Wudang men, played by fan favorites Lung Fei, Leung Ka-yan and Wang Lung-wei. These efforts include vicious tandem dueling in front of a blood-thirsty crowd and Sai-yuk’s famous duel atop Plum Lotus piles. Interspersed are scenes depicting Hui-chien’s own struggle to avenge his father’s murder by the same Wudang villains. Infamous kung fu villain Bak Mei, better known as Pai Mei or “White Brows,” makes a brief appearance courtesy of actor Chen Hui-lou. A year later, this character would be famously played by Lo Lieh in Lau Kar-leung’s kung fu masterpiece EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN. Of note, fight scenes for this film were choreographed by incoming Taiwan-based action directors Chen Hsin-yi and Hsieh Hsing after Chang’s longtime action directing partners Lau Kar-leung and Tang Chia left to pursue other filmmaking ventures at Shaw Brothers. Chang also recruited a new stunt team for this film that included future Venoms stars Chiang Sheng and Lu Feng, both of whom make brief appearances onscreen.

REVIEW: Shaolin Avengers, The (1976), 8.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating Related Topics:
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