Rating: **
Review Date: 2/18/24
Director: Huang Feng
Cast: Chen Sing, James Tien, Samo Hung, Shan Kwan, Chin Kang,
Casanova Wong, cameos by Mung Hoi, Lam Ching Ying, Mars, Yuen Wah,
Fung Hark On, Tai Bo (?), Philip Ko (?)
"Good is strong, but evil is ten times stronger!"
The evil Prince Daglen (Chen Sing) is intent on obtaining martial arts manuals from every martial arts school, often through violent and nefarious means. Shaolin Temple offers the biggest challenge, and when sheer brute force fails to produce results, Daglen disguises himself as a disfigured monk and sneaks into the temple to steal the manuals. Meanwhile, James Tien is training for revenge under the tutelage of a former Shaolin monk played by Chin Kang, and a ridiculous looking mutton-chopped villain named Golden Cymbals (Samo Hung) is out to get them both. After Daglen's ruse is finally exposed, the film abruptly shifts back to his palace, where Tien and Casanova Wong beat the tar out of Daglen and Golden Cymbals.
It's a long and tedious film that spends way too much time on Daglen's scheming and not enough time on action, although that picks up considerably towards the end. While the choreography is excellent, the fight scenes tend to be stiff, overly mechanical, and not particularly memorable. The exception is in the exhausting finale, where James Tien does a very respectable job of holding his own against Chen Sing, and tae kwon do expert Casanova Wong delivers a stunning exhibition of spinning kicks and fancy leg work. The location shooting is beautiful and the temples are very large and ornate, while the bombastic musical score is a bit overwhelming and nearly drowns out the action. Lots of familiar kung fu faces show up as various extras and stunt performers, and it's fun trying to pick them out in the background. It's also interesting to note that there is not a single woman to be found anywhere in the film. Zilch.
From a historical perspective, this was Samo Hung's final collaboration with Huang Feng before making his own directorial debut with "The Iron-Fisted Monk" (1977). It's not a great kung fu classic, but it does have its nostalgic charms for fans of the genre.