Writer-director Chang Cheh revisits southern Shaolin folklore in this Qing-era kung fu comedy featuring the Venoms Mob, Shaw Brothers leading man Jason Pai Piao as folk hero Hung Hei-gun and in a guest cameo, Cantonese martial arts film legend Walter Tso. Taking cue from the success of Jackie Chan’s DRUNKEN MASTER, Chang puts a light-hearted spin on the Ming vs. Qing theme with Philip Kwok and Lo Meng starring as mischievous pals languishing in thankless, low-paying jobs while dreaming of making a name for themselves as patriotic martial heroes. After clowning with each other while causing their employers constant grief, they get their chance when Shaolin rebel Hung Hei-gun shows up wounded and on the run from Qing General Gao Jinzhong (Lu Feng). Joined by a high-kicking master of the Plum Lotus pile (played by Sun Chien) and another Shaolin rebel (Chiang Sheng), the two would-be heroes find themselves cornered by Qing forces and forced to fight Gao and four of his deadliest fighting men in order to save Hung and the Ming resistance. This is a lesser film for Chang and the Venoms Mob that lacks the engaging storytelling and quantity of high-grade fight work that superior films like THE FIVE VENOMS and CRIPPLED AVENGERS do. Efforts to tie the film in to Chang’s earlier Shaolin Cycle epics are hindered by the film’s lower budget, a shoddy script and the presence of several little-known actors of modest fighting skill in high-profile supporting and throwaway roles. What should make the film enjoyable for Venoms Mob and avid genre fans is the enjoyable onscreen chemistry between Kwok and Lo Meng, as well as their frequent sparring. Fight work throughout is solid but too conventional at times, especially in scenes that attempt to kindle the comical magic that Jackie Chan had already mastered in his films. The exception is the second half of the final fight where co-action director Lu Feng gets his hands on a guan dao and unleashes a jaw-dropping display of weapons handling mastery while taking on Kwok, Lo Meng, Chiang Sheng, and Pai Piao all at the same time.
SHAOLIN RESCUERS is available on DVD from FUNimation with English (stereo) and Mandarin (mono) language tracks and optional English subtitles.
Revised on January 22, 2012
by Mark PollardRelated Topics:
Chang Cheh • Chiang Sheng • Genre: Kung Fu • Genre: Shapes • Hung Hei-gun • Jason Pai Piao • Lo Meng • Lu Feng • Philip Kwok • Shaolin Cycle • Shaolin Rescuers (1979) • Shaw Brothers • Sun Chien • Venoms Mob
