| MOST OVERRATED OLD-SCHOOLER OF ALL TIME? (555 views) | AUTHOR /
DATE |
| As I wrote in my review of this movie, I believe this film is vastly overrated, perhaps more so than any other film in the entire Shaw catalog.
Entirely too much time is spent showing the home life of the lead character. This makes for some extremely slow and boring viewing.
His training regimen is also boring to behold. Watching a guy rip the bark off of trees and bang on bronze dummies that look like they belong in a pachinko parlor is not really my definition of exciting.
But the worst part of this whole movie is undoubtedly the presence of Wang Yu. He really outdoes himself in the annoying department in this movie. He is so obnoxious, I believe North and South Shaolin would forget their rivalry just to team up to kick his ass. The fact he is portrayed as a limp-wristed, effeminate sissy makes his character even worse. His training lasts only a fraction as long as his father's and it is quite clearly indicated that he has much less skill than his father, yet he is able to defeat Lo Lieh rather easily, something his father wasn't even close to accomplishing, even after 17 years of training. The notion that he could beat Lo Lieh is ridiculous, almost as ridiculous as Pei Mei's ability to move around his weak point, based upon the time of the day. The whole concept of invulnerability aside from a single weak point is an extremely silly concept employed in way, way too many old-school movies.
The only bright spot in this movie is the moments Gordon Liu is on the screen. The ferocious fight scene he has in the beginning is awesome, and makes you ponder what this movie could have been. | MS10197
10/6/2008 10:28 AM |
| #2 | That the son wasn't as skilled as his father was the point. Pai Mei wasn't defeated by the father's style, but a combination of the father's hard style and the mother's soft style. The father was too proud to use "women's" kung fu, and despite his extensive training, was doomed to failure. | TheDenizen
10/6/2008 11:49 AM |
| #3 | This one was surpassed in all respects by the superior Clan/Fist of the White Lotus, which is to me, a perfect film. At least, a perfect kung fu film. | Apix1
10/6/2008 12:28 PM |
| #4 | I've actually got Clan of the White Lotus on order right now, I've always been curious to see Lo Lieh's remake of Executioners. :D | TheDenizen
10/6/2008 12:43 PM |
| #5 | Actually the son not being as skilled as the father is the point. The notion that Wang Yu's character had enough skill to beat Pei Mei even after his much more skilled father couldn't is absolutely ludicrous. I don't care if he did know "women's" kung fu, in comparison to his father, he had virtually no skills at all. That Lo Lieh couldn't counter him is ridiculous.
However, even if he was more skilled and the last fight was somehow plausible (it wasn't) this movie would still be boring and Wang Yu would still be annoying. | MS10197
10/6/2008 6:14 PM |
| #6 | I agree with you that the son is nowhere near as skilled as the father. But the point is that Pai Mei had no counter to the combination of hard and soft styles, something he had never encountered before. The father refused to be flexible and adapt as the situation required and paid the ultimate price for his stubbornness. | TheDenizen
10/7/2008 10:52 AM |
| #7 | The whole thing was essentially a parable of the creation of Hung Gar, or Hung Kuen - the fusion of Tiger (father) and Crane (mother). No, I could never believe Wang Yu (as a martial arts practitioner) could prevail where the great Chen Kuan Tai (as a martial arts practitioner) failed - but I could accept that Hung Kuen defeated Pai Mei where Tiger Style could not. The whole thing is a defense of Lau Kar Leung's family Hung Gar style. | Jeffrey Frawley
10/16/2008 11:00 AM |
| #8 | That's exactly what I was trying to say, just less eloquently :P | TheDenizen
10/16/2008 12:43 PM |
| #9 | The two gentlemen above could'nt have put it any better. I would also add that Pai Mei's arrogance also led to his unrealistic but entertaining defeat by Wang Yue. | Sgt. T
10/16/2008 10:39 PM |
| #10 | The film makes it quite obvious that the son is a buffoon, and is in no way a master of any style whatsoever. I have watched this boring dreck on more than one occassion (I tried mightily to find something praiseworthy), and nowhere does this movie even remotely make it look like Young Wang Yu's character is some great master.
I don't give a crap what style he is using, the notion that some lazy layabout who barely practices can beat a man that his father couldn't beat after 17 years, simply because he also half-heartedly practices the crane style is a laughable joke.
Couple that ridiculous nonsense with how boring this film is and you have a grade-A piece of crap.
I wouldn't recommend this garbage to my worst enemy. | MS10197
12/1/2008 9:59 AM |
| #11 | You and I are not close friends, so I suppose it's alright if I think this is a masterpiece. | Jeffrey Frawley
12/3/2008 12:13 PM |
| #12 | MS10197 If you do not care what form he is using or that this was an attempt to infuse a little real life into the mix I guess you must only wish to see...I don't know, guys beating the shit out of each other for 93 minutes?
The idea is to demonstrate how the Hung Gar came about and how important it was! I do not care for Wu but it is perfectly reasonable to accept he knew a few things his father didn't including a life time of training in Crane style. Pai Mei was taken off guard because he had never seen such moves before and that made him vulnerable.
This is an epic must have along with the other "kill the Shaolin" movies.Crap? I'm beginning to think you might enjoy this discussion too much :) | Cinema!
8/7/2009 1:18 AM |
| #13 | In either case, this film is overrated. Ba-zing! | slave 2 (the ressurection)
8/12/2009 6:14 AM |
| #14 | Once again, someone seems to have misunderstood my entire point. I do care what form he uses. The notion that he could be a mediocre fighter, as the film quite clearly demonstrates he is, yet easily dispatch a master that easily killed his father, a bona fide expert, simply because he practiced a few crane forms from his mother is one plot hole that is too big to leap over.
And I don't seem to recall that Wending had a lifetime of training in Crane style. He only started training in earnest after his father's death. And I use the term earnest in a relative manner, as it makes it quite clear in the film that he never really took his training seriously. Yet somehow, we are to believe he killed the greatest master in China simply because he knew a few crane style moves? Give me a break. Lo Lieh could float through the air and can move his weakpoint at will (yeah, they really "infused a little real life" into the movie allright)for crying out loud. . | MS10197
8/24/2009 8:28 PM |
| #15 | I think you made your point very clear, and you are certainly entitled to your opinion just as anyone else.
I think the "real life" comment came from me, and what I meant was not fighting but what happened when there wasn't fighting. The way the escapees from Shaolin had lives and family etc. and not 93 minutes of beating the shit out of people. You express some pretty intense feelings about how much you hate the movie - "grade A piece of crap", "wouldn't recommend this garbage to my worst enemy". For my part I have watched the film again and had the same feelings and I don't think they will change. I don't think you will be having a change of mind either. I have expressed my feelings and will end them here. We will just have to disagree:) | Cinema!
8/25/2009 3:00 AM |
