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Post by Xenorama ™ on Mar 20, 2006 23:37:08 GMT -8
ANOTHER Chang Cheh masterpiece- this one starring Fu Sheng and Ti Lung as our heroes, fighting Ku Feng as one of the most insidious white haired villians in Shaw history. he runs the Eagle Clan, which takes kids and cruelly twists them into merciless killers. Ti leaves the clan after falling in love. Fu's character joins him and helps him carry out his mission, for unknown reasons.
let's say it's easy to see the plot twist coming, but still fun to watch. the chemistry between Fu and Ti is great.
watching Fu Sheng in this role makes me realize how good an actor he was. he does comedy and drama very well, and would have been a big star if not for his untimely death.
highly recommended!
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Post by hman on Jun 30, 2007 15:26:44 GMT -8
I watched the version that Dave sent me today. The DVD quality was excellent, except in two spots where the track somehow went from the English dub to mandarin and back again. There was also a 2-minute part where the picture went from pristine condition to 4th generation video tape quality. Whatever.
I liked this movie. The story was pretty good, as Ti Lung is running from his former clanmates and then goes on the offensive once he joins up with Fu Sheng. Although I saw the ending coming, the way in which it happened wasn't quite what I expected.
Let's talk about the fight scenes. They were choreographed by the great Tong Gaai (Tang Chia), who was the Shaw Bros. foremost choreographer beside Lau Kar-Leung. He has a cameo as a spear-wielding government agent. It's been said that Tong Gaai's strength is using exotic weapons. That strength is played to the hilt in this film, as we get bronze rings, miniature tridents, maces, three-section staves, claws, etc. The choreography started out a bit sloppy, but got better as the film progressed. I think the best fights were the ones against Eddie Ko and Johnny Wang Lung Wei, and the fight against Ku Feng's henchmen before the climatic duel. I wouldn't say this is Tong's best work, but it's a good example of his style.
Overall, good story, good acting, pretty good action, and excellent cinematography make this a worthy film.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Oct 11, 2007 23:17:54 GMT -8
i agree, though i always forget how good this movie is. i should watch it again soon!
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Dec 12, 2007 23:41:42 GMT -8
and so i am. here's hoping these come out on legit DVD at some point in the future. i don't know if Image or Dragon Dynasty has this title, but it would seem likely. wish someone had a complete list somewhere.
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