Five Shaolin Masters (1974)

Chang Cheh

Hong Kong

105 min, color, Mandarin (English subtitles)

Review © 2004 Branislav L. Slantchev

This is the film to which Shaolin Temple was a prequel to. Confused yet? Well, recall that in the later film, the Manchus have conquered and unified the warring kingdoms, have set up the Qing dynasty, and the Han Chinese are not too happy about it for ethnic reasons. Shaolin Temple was apparently a hot-bed of anti-government activity and in its heyday managed to attract tons to wandering "patriots." But the temple was betrayed and destroyed by the imperial forces.

Live long and... what was the rest?	3 masters of death + 2 apprentices = no plot

This film opens with the destruction and the escape of five disciples. The really senior Hu Te Ti (David Chiang) and Chi (Ti Lung), the somewhat less senior Li Si Kai (Chi Kuan-Chun) and Fang Ta-Tung (Meng Fei), and the totally non-senior Ma Chao-Hsing (Alexander Fu Sheng). Apart from Meng Fei, a newcomer to the crew, the cast unites two generations of Chang Cheh protégés in what should have been an excellent romper stomper.

IKEA assembly gone bad	Ti Lung piggybacks on Tsai Hung

Unfortunately, the effort falls flat rather quickly despite the nice music and one or two semi-decent fights. I Kuang's script is mind-numbingly unimaginative: the five survivors have to travel to Central China to band together with other patriots in an attempt to overthrow the dynasty. They have to take different routes, battle enemies on the way, and then totally fail to achieve anything. This makes them even more resolute as they decide to confront their respective nemeses, also conveniently numbering five although the neat symmetry is destroyed by two annoying twins who insist on accompanying the enemy General. So how does one defeat the invincible enemy? By training, of course. If one is to believe all these kung fu movies, about a week of arcane but intense flexing of the pectorals is sufficient to enable the student to defeat even the most devious opponents.

Bruce Tong: bad at math	Meng Fei shows totally secret sign

So after the obligatory training routine (preceded by obligatory mayhem in which two required elements must be established; namely that (a) our guys cannot beat the baddies in their present state of training, and (b) the baddies are truly evil, which they demonstrate by killing many extras), our five Shaolin masters set up an elaborate trap and the face off their opponents in combat to the death. The only pleasurable part in the really long final sequences was watching Chi Kuan-Chun.

Fu Sheng wants YOU	We're, like, real bad, man

Despite the hare-brained plot, the film could have been salvaged if it was done better. Alas, it has the feel of a trashy B movie shot on a shoestring budget. The locations are mostly familiar outdoor sets in forests, quarries, and fields. The one "elaborate" set included a rickety highway outdoor restaurant with three tables, and some ruins of the burnt temple. Although the action is non-stop, the choreography leaves a lot to be desired: many times the lack of impact is obvious, the non-essential extras sort of mill about during fights, and some scenes seem especially contrived (e.g. the liberation of the prisoner by Fang).

You're gonna stick this where?	$80 for a freakin' pony tail cut?

This is not to say that the film is totally devoid of value. It is actually rather likeable despite the flaws. David Chiang and Ti Lung are quite intense, as usual, even though they are relegate to supporting roles. It appears that Fu Sheng was supposed to be the focal character in this film, and ordinarily I would welcome it: he is among my favorite actors of the era. He is, of course, quite charming in his young-easily-distracted-apprentice who is perpetually bumbling but somehow manages to emerge victorious in the end. He is not without his flaws, of course, but his care-free attitude reminds me of the earlier David Chiang films.

Real prisoner abuse scandal	Fu Sheng likes Ti Lung's broom stick

The problem with Fu Sheng here is that there's not enough of him fighting. He and Chi Kuan-Chun are really the only ones who are truly good at martial arts, and even though we are treated to a couple of nice training sessions with the latter, there's nothing much with Fu Sheng, probably because he's supposed to be sort of not very good and in dire need of much training. Well, this was good for the plot but not good for the screen.

The real deal (Fu Sheng & Chi Kuan-Chun)	Yale rowing team escapee

On the whole, then, the film delivers about as much fun as an 80 minute feature, making it a tad too long for my taste. The villains are pretty neat even if the General (Kung Do) exercises his facial muscles way too much. Beardy (Liang Chia Jen) is appropriately grim and to the point, and I really enjoyed the mean ax of Tsai Hung, who also happens to have the most gratifying death scene in the film to boot! A good effort by Chang Cheh, that would be surpassed by him in just a couple of years.

Your ... style is nothing to my ... style!	David Chiang battles the evil synchro-twins

The Celestial DVD is quite nice, with the usual 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen that is very clean and free of dust. Only the Mandarin Dolby Digital soundtrack is included, and the English subtitles are bright and refreshingly error-free. Not much in terms of extras (would have been nice to see a demonstration or two by some of the real kung fu stars): includes a still gallery (with behind-the-scenes photos), talent files, and trailers. For fans of the genre or the main leads only.

If too lazy to fight standing...	Applied gravity lessons

October 29, 2004