Hopeless Visions with Rob (Movie Review) #1: INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN (SHAW BROTHERS) [Funimation Entertainment]

This is the first time this Shaw Brothers movie has been released uncut in the U.S.  It also got a remastering treatment.

In the film it is a warlord’s plan to pit two Shaolin schools against each other and wipe them out. The warlord goes on to frame the northerners for murders he commits.  A somewhat complicated story unfolds – a story of betrayal and revenge.

This was directed by one of my favorite directors of Asian Cinema, Chang Cheh. INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN features really aggressive acrobatic kung-fu skills and awesome training sequences.  It’s got the best chest-rip-opening scene ever!  It was one of my favorites to watch on Kung-Fu Theatre when I was about 10.  It’s also one of the rare times that Lu Feng (who usually plays a bad guy/antagonist) plays a good guy/protagonist.  Lu Feng also served as one of the fight choreographers.  The story line with the girls is a little weak.  It’s not as epically violent as Masked Avengers or Daredevils.  Still great.  (3/4 Throwing Stars)

If you like this, check out the Five Deadly Venoms – also directed by Chang Cheh who discovered the Five Venoms (Lu Feng, Sun Chien/Phillip Kwok, Chiang Sheng, Wei Pai, and Lo Mang).  Three of them were from a famous Taiwanese opera troupe.

And, of course, this is available for purchase at Redscroll.  Check out all of my (Rob’s) picks on the top shelf of the DVDs.