I remember being introduced to this film by a friend who kept insisting Frank Dux was an unstoppable badass and that this movie, which I was repeatedly assured was a true story, served as irrefutable evidence of that fact. Intrigued, I decided to check it out. I made the mistake of expecting a gritty, realistic, hard-hitting action drama (before you laugh, remember Van Damme was still a relative unknown at this time). Instead I sat through a movie with an unprecedented cheese factor, fight choreography reminiscent of a preschool playground tussle and a "true story" so obviously conjured out of thin air that even using the weasel words "based on actual events" was an insult to the intelligence of the viewer. The ridiculousness of the story was not helped by the asinine "Touch of Death" scene involving the breaking of bricks. The "lifting" of a line from "Enter the Dragon" about bricks not hitting back probably had Bruce Lee rolling in his grave. And if anyone was left with any doubt they were watching some cheesy crap that could only come out of the decade that was the 80s, Ogre from "Revenge of the Nerds" was given a prominent supporting role.

Forrest Whitaker must have really decided to go slumming it when he accepted his role in this travesty of modern American cinema. Or perhaps at that time he subscribed to Lo Lieh's philosophy of never turning down a movie role as long as it paid.

The worst part of this movie is the very facet that should have been its greatest strength. Obviously, in retrospect, no one should have expected anything remotely resembling acting from Van Damme. However one would think that the fight choreography would at least be up to snuff. Sadly, this is not even close to being the case. The "monkey style" on display is so bad one can only wonder what was going through the mind of the director when he decided to commit that particular scene to celluloid. Several of the fights seem to be nothing more than an excuse for Van Damme to do the splits in midair or to show off his pecs. The scene with Bolo is particularly bad. He clearly seems to be outclassed, yet he still wins, even after taking a beating and being blinded by a cheating Bolo. Evidently his teacher was more prescient than Nostradamus because it just so happens a younger Frank Dux received extensive training while blindfolded.

However, this movie deserves a 1/2 star simply because the unbelievable cheese factor is worth a few good laughs.

I own all 26 of the original "Zatoichi" movies, including the near-impossible to find 14th movie, as well as all of the released episodes of the "Zatoichi" TV series, so when I found out Kitano was doing a "Zatoichi" film, I eagerly awaited its release on DVD. Boy was I ever disappointed.

The tone is set immediately by the silly decision to make Zatoichi a bleached blonde. I guess this was Mr. Kitano's way of letting us know, in no uncertain terms, that this is not your father's Zatoichi. However, it makes the character look ridiculous more than anything else.

However, the hair color is merely a cosmetic change and could be overlooked. What can't be overlooked is Kitano's inexplicable decision to portray the Zatoichi character as a near-mute, devoid of almost all expression or emotion. His performance is so utterly awful, it must have had Shintaro Katsu spinning in his grave.

Katsu's ability to convey his emotions, to bear his soul and his ability to commiserate with the common man is what made the viewer sympathize, and even empathize, with a man who was, for all intents and purposes, a gangster. This emotional underpinning is totally absent from Kitano's Zatoichi. There is no real reason to care about Kitano or what he does. I feel I can write with no hyperbole that Takeshi Kitano's performance as Zatoichi is one of the worst acting performances I have ever seen in my life. Frankly, I am not even sure if walking around with a blank expression constantly on one's face can even be considered acting.

As for the CGI effects, I think several reviewers have commented on how silly they are. I can only add that I totally agree with this assessment. Not only are they totally unnecessary, they look extremely fake. Yet another reason to stay away from this movie.

If you have never seen any of the original "Zatoichi" movies starring Shintaro Katsu, I recommend not watching them prior to viewing this movie. Being able to compare Shintaro Katsu to the horribly inferior Takeshi Kitano may well ruin this movie for you. Better yet, stay away from this garbage and pick up some of the originals.

In my opinion, any discussion of this movie's greatness begins with a mention of Hau Chiu Sing. This movie, in addition to "Snake Fist Vs. The Dragon", demonstrates once and for all that Hau Chiu Sing is the greatest onscreen practitioner of drunken kung fu ever. His virtuosity is simply a sight to behold; the drunken swordplay scenes may be the best put on film. His scenes alone would be enough to recommend this film.

However, this movie is more than just Hau Chiu Sing. The training and fighting scenes involving his three students are also excellent, particularly those involving the "kung fu corrector". The choreography of this film is so superb it reminds me of other classics such as "The Prodigal Son".

Furthermore, the comedic moments that accompany some of the training and fight sequences are actually funny, and the comedy is used sparingly and appropriately, unlike most of the oldschool films of this period, whose directors seemed to believe that grating non-stop slapstick was somehow appealing.

I highly recommend this gem to anyone. It is one of the all-time greats. A must-buy.

This film, as with most set in the so-called "martial arts world", has an often convoluted plot that leaves you scratching your head at times. However, in the case of this movie, it really draws in the viewer as more and more details are revealed about the various characters and more is learned about the motivations behind their actions.

And while those who are searching for a lot of empty-hand fight scenes may be disappointed, the weapons fighting is excellent; this film has some of the best sword-fighting choreography I have ever seen. It is unfortunate that the people who made this otherwise excellent movie almost ruined it by speeding up some of the fights to almost cartoonish levels. This is the flaw I mentioned earlier. And it goes beyond merely removing a couple of frames, a technique to which most old-school fans have grown accustomed. There were several times in the movie that the fights were sped up so much, it appeared as if someone had hit the fast forward button on my DVD player. This occurs during several fights throughout this otherwise great movie. This flaw really drags down my rating of this film.

Aside from the absolutely remarkable fight scene involving Gordon Liu near the very beginning of "Executioners from Shaolin", there is little else to recommend in this boring film. Even its greatest asset, Lo Lieh, is given scant few minutes of screen time.

The flaws in this film are numerous. The film is so dominated by scenes of Chen Kuan-Tai's extremely mundane domestic life it almost makes the revenge scenario against Pei Mei feel like an afterthought. What little fight action that does occur is slow and uninspired. Moreover, Chen Kuan-tai is never even remotely Lo Lieh's match, even after 17 years of training. The sheer one-sidedness of the fights makes them more tedious than exciting; I won't even go into the absurdity of Pei Mei's kung fu style. And to make matters worse, the training sequences that occur prior to the Hong Xiguan-Pei Mei showdowns are boring, consisting mostly of Chen Kuan-tai banging away on an immobile bronze dummy, when he isn't busy ripping the bark off trees.

But far and away the biggest flaw of the whole movie is the character of Hong Wending, played by the perpetually annoying Young Wang Yu. Regardless of the film, whenever Liu Chia-liang used Young Wang Yu as his comedy relief, it always produced the same annoying-as-hell slapstick result, and this film is no exception. The fact he is portrayed as an exremely effiminate, almost girlish, buffoon with a pronounced lack of kung fu skill does not help matters. That he is able to beat Lo Lieh at the end, after his father had failed twice at the same task even after two decades of training, is an insult to the intelligence of the viewer. This movie is utterly disappointing and completely forgettable.

This movie has everything: a multitude of weapons utilized in brilliantly choreographed scenes, great hand-to-hand combat, breathtaking acrobatics; all the physical qualities one associates with the Venoms are here.

And while the plot does evolve into one of revenge, it has much more meat to it than the standard "you killed my teacher, now I'm going to kill you" fare.

Lu Feng is at his sleazy, scheming best as the villian in this film, and he has the kung fu skills to back up his evil machinations. And unlike most Venoms films, all of them play major roles, including Sun Chien who is often inexplicably in the background in many Venoms films. His increased presence makes for some great kicking action. And though there is quite a bit of bloody violence, as usual with the Venoms, there are also some funny, lighthearted comedic moments that help to flesh out the characters and make them more than just two-dimensional killing machines.

This film is an absolute must-have for all old-school fans; it is one of the best ever. Highly recommended.

As with most Shaw films of this period, particularly by this director, there is some comedy. But unlike most other old-school films that contain comedy, the jokes and gags in this movie are actually funny instead of just being annoying and tedious, and this manages to give the movie a light-hearted tone throughout most of its running-time.

This movie is a definite must-have in any old-school film collection. It is impossible to use too many superlatives when describing its greatness. Absolutely brilliant.

It is inexplicable to me me why people would complain that too much of the fighting is done with tridents. The virtuouso mastery of this weapon on display in the film is absolutely breathtaking; after seeing this movie you will wonder if there is any weapon Kuo Chui and Lu Feng can't master.

As with most Venoms films, the acting in this film is top-notch. Of course the choreography and fighting are absolutely brilliant as well. The intricacy of the final fight will have you wondering out loud how long it must haven taken to choreograph something so complex.

The fight scenes are not the only things that make this movie so worthwhile. It surprises at every turn, whether it be with its genuinely suspenseful mystery elements or the unexpected deaths of key characters. This movie will keep you guessing most of the way through.

I cannot shower enough praise on this awesome film. This is a definite must-purchase for Venoms fans and old-school fans. Absolutely brilliant.

This film displays all the usual Chu Yuan characteristics: a detailed, perhaps convoluted, plot containing mystery elements and a dizzying array of characters including the usual quota of outlandish assassins, lavish sets, beautiful women, expertly choreographed fight scenes and some of the best acting seen in this genre. Though the plot will sometimes have you scratching your head in disbelief, it propels the always-entertaining film at a rapid pace. The horribly boring Wong Kar-wai could take a lesson from Chu Yuan on how to make a swordplay film that is both exquisite and entertaining, without being absurdly self-indulgent.

But the greatest treat for genre fans will be the appearance of Lo Lieh not as a malevolent villain, but as a heroic, and very humorous, killer-for-hire who likes to fight in his bathrobe.

I highly recommend this film to fans of Ti Lung, Chu Yuan, Lo Lieh, and swordplay films in general. And you will never forget the hilarious closing scene.

I don't care how beautiful a movie is if it fails to entertain, and this movie is so mind-numbingly boring any discussion of virtuoso cinematography and lavish set designs is pointless. This movie would put even the most ardent HK film-fan to sleep.

Anyone who has ever read reviews of this director's work will rarely, if ever, find words like fun, fast-paced, riveting, exciting or even entertaining. Instead we get descriptions that contain words like langurous, brooding, convoluted and my personal favorite from the lexicon of arrogant critic-speak, challenging. These are all just euphemisms for "boring", which is how all of Wong Kar-Wai's incomprehensible, supremely self-conscious, snore-inducing vanity pieces can be described.

Unfortunately the above description cannot make up for what has to be the most ridiculous, stupid, insane (I could go on like this for a paragraph, but that would be beating a dead horse) plot twist in the history of Hong Kong cinema. It's worse that such a revelation occured near the end of the film, as it spoils the 70 minutes which precede it. For me the twist was so ludicrous, I almost considered giving this otherwise brilliant movie 1 star.

Buy this DVD for the brilliant first 2/3 of the film. But be warned though, the plot twist is asinine in the extreme, in my opinion.

The film does have its good points though, chief among them being the presence of Wang Tao. It is almost impossible for this guy to be in a bad kung fu movie. His charisma and skill automatically elevate even the worst of old school kung fu films. His fight scenes in this film are excellent, although I wish there would have been more of them. The predictable plot does not exactly help this film either. Also, those expecting to see a Lo Lieh film will be quite disappointed as he exits about five minutes into the film. This is a shame as it is one of the rare old school films where he is not the villain.

But if you are a fan of Wang Tao, this is a highly recommended must have for your collection.

Any discussion of this film's positive qualities has to begin with Ti Lung. His work in this film should silence any naysayers who question his acting chops. It is a very rare occurence to find multiple reviewers praising the acting contained within a kung fu film. The fight scenes in this film are also incredible, particularly when Ti Lung squares off against Chen Kuan-tai or Philip Ko. It was also a welcome surprise to see Chen Kuan-tai play the villain.

Unfortunately the film does have its bad points as well. Virtually every Shaw Brothers film from this period contained a degree of slapstick comedy, and this film is no exception. As with most kung fu "comedies", the comedy here is more annoying and tedious than it is funny. On the other extreme, the melodrama in this film is so overwrought it is almost suffocating. It delivers its anti-drug message with the subtlety of a jackhammer to the head. The most ridiculous example of this is a scene in which a woman poisons her children and hangs herself because her husband has become a neglectful opium addict.

Even with its flaws, I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys good acting and excellently choreographed fight scenes.

This movie also contains some well-worn cliches that fans of the genre will be tired of by now. The secret kung fu manual every incompetent martial artist in China is after, the man that is obviously just a woman dressed as a man, the mysterious character behind the mask whose real identity is obvious about fifteen minutes into the story. They are all here and more.

The production values, as with most independent productions, are nothing to write home about either. This is evident about 20 seconds into the film when the title is flashed on the screen and reads "Mask of Venjence". This was merely a harbinger of things to come.

As a final caveat, Tan tao-liang is only on screen for about thirty seconds. Fans considering the purchase of this movie after seeing his name on the cast list should steer clear.

There are also some excellent fight scenes contained within this film, with many strange and unusual weapons making appearances.

However, this movie is not without its flaws. I am no fan of wire-fu and magic-fu and this movie has both in almost every frame. But given the rest of the film, this is not surprising. It would have been nice to have seen some more plausible fights though. But given this flaw, the film is still highly entertaining and it represents the pinnacle of the fantasy kung fu genre, in my opinion.

As with any other film starring Hwang Jang Lee and John Liu, you would expect a lot of kicking action, and this film definitely does delivers on that front. This film contains, in my opinion, the best fight sequences ever produced by these two men. The kicking sequences will have you picking your jaw off the floor.

This would not be an old-school classic if it didn't contain some old-school cheesiness. The first half of the film in which Gold Fox's brothers discuss going to a martial arts tournament in the capital has little or no bearing on the film and serves primarily as a poor excuse for throwing in more fight sequences. Given the quality of these fights, it is tough to complain much about this though. There are also some unintentionally funny moments in this film as well. It is hard not to laugh when you see the iron hand that is supposed to have replaced the hand of one of Gold Fox's brothers. It is also fun trying to spot the numerous and blatant continuity errors within the film. A perfect and hilarious example is Yiu Lam's disappearing and reappearing sweat stains in a fight versus Tino Wong.

However, it is things like this that give old-school films much of their endearing charm. Combine that charm with the amazing fight sequences and you have a film that you will want to watch over and over. I recommend this to all fans of old-school kung-fu films, and if you love high-kicking action this one is definitely for you.

For me personally, the most irksome part of the whole film (I use the term loosely when describing this piece of shit) was its ridiculous anti-Americanism; evidently justifying 9-11 was supposed to imbue this "provocative" film with a measure of anti-establishment street cred. The message this dreadful movie seemingly wishes to convey is that terrorists, including the "heroes" of the story, are really only misunderstood idealists rather than cold-blooded mass-murderers.

This film does have several flaws though. When discussing the beginning of the film, several of the lengthier reviews have pointed out Joseph Kuo's obvious use of a model for the distance shots of Shaolin Temple. This wasn't really a big deal for me. The most ridiculous part of the Shaolin Temple portion of the movie was not the model, but rather a scene that occurs during the bombardment of the temple by the Ching. The shots inside the temple show monks being killed and fires igniting everywhere. With all the carnage that is occurring, the abbot still insists that the monks cannot leave the temple until they defeat the bronzemen that guard one of the exits. I am not kidding; more people die to the bronzemen than are killed by the Ching. This bit of stupidity almost made me stop the film right then and there. Another stupid moment occurs when Carter Wong returns badly injured from a failed attempt to kill the emperor. Instead of treating his wounds, the teacher orders him hung upside down and beaten.

Aside from a few ridiculous moments, this movie does have some good fight scenes, although I wish there had been more of them. As for the reviewers who mock the emperors anti-sword vest, it is certainly much more plausible than having him invincible except for the presence of one hidden weak point, a ridiculous device that is used far too often in old-school movies.

Another small point that I found to be ridiculous was the seeming ubiquitousness of Carter Wong's presence. It didn't seem to matter where the students hid, Carter Wong, out of the middle of nowhere, seemed to always wander upon them at the most inopportune times.

For the people who take solace in seeing Lo Lieh's name in the credits, I will warn you that his screen time is limited in this film. This film would have benefitted immensely if he were the lead villain. Carter Wong pales in comparison.