The action scenes are lacking. The best parts are the training scenes with Liu and his teacher played by Jason Pai Piao. Wang Lung Wei's fight scenes are also quite good. None of the other action sequences really stand out in terms of technical excellence or great choreography. The comic scenes are really amusing at times, but the movie starts out as a comedy that ends up with piles of dead bodies lying around. The abrupt change in tone is hard to take. And then there's the ending: one of those "blink and you've missed it" finales. The cheesy triumphant swell of music accompanying the credit role seems out of place as well.

"The Young Vagabond" tells the back story or origins of the historical character known as Beggar Su. It was fun while it lasted, but I don't think I'll be watching it again any time soon.

What an amazing cast: Kwok Chue, Shiang Cheng, Lu Feng, Fu Sheng, Kara Hui, and many many other greats from the Shaw stable act out a really neat marital arts fantasy that demands repeat viewing. There are secret weapons, double secret weapons, cool nicknames, pretty much everything you could hope for and expect from this kind of film.

Only a couple of things were not up to snuff: I don't know her name, but there is one actress whose acting seems woefully inadequate in Life Gamble. Raising your eyebrows at random moments does not make you a great thespian!

Secondly, I have to question the narrative somewhat: I assumed that this was an ensemble picture with several stars sharing equal billing and screen time, but it slowly turned into a Fu Sheng movie. That was unexpected, given how much time was spent developing a certain blacksmith character...

But really, this is all quite forgivable once the action sequences get rolling. Life Gamble is a safe, sensible bet that pays off.

Two treasures are stolen from the court, and rebellion against the emperor are the two basic plot points of "House Of Traps". The treasures and list of rebels are hidden in the aforementioned house. Some of the Venoms are trying to break into the house, and some are working to protect its treasures. Martial arts mayhem ensues.

Special mention must be made of the "Baby Benoms" (Wang Li, Yu Tai Peng, et al) who do the most with their roles. Bonus marks must also be given for the execution (pardon the pun) of the titular house. Great sound effects and gore make it seem like something out of "Deathtrap Dungeon".

Repeated viewing is necessary to follow the narrative threads. A nice swan song for the end of an era, and a mandatory part of any Venoms collection. Seeing Chiang Cheng playing an acrobat makes me wish he were still alive, doing cameos for Quentin Tarantino movies or giving out autographs at conventions. Buy "House Of Traps", and give the Venoms the curtain call that they deserve.

The choreography is mostly excellent. A few of the opening fight scenes suffer because the performers are simply moving too fast! The rest of the action sequences are simply amazing.

The performances in kung-fu comedies are an acquired taste. Many of the actors are either good at comedy or drama, but few are good at both. It's hard to take a comic seriously in a tragic scene when you've previously watched them making humorous faces and gestures. All of the principal actors act and fight well, with the exception of Chen Kwan Tai. His action scenes are great, but I don't think he makes a good villain. He's too good looking!

"Opium And The Kung Fu Master" is a tragi-comedy that works in spite of (or perhaps because of) its unusual narrative approach to the genre. If you're looking for something a little different, you've found it with this movie.

The opening 'kata' sequence is 36th Chamber meets Bruce Lee: Fu Sheng is doing a Hung Fist sequence with a noticeable 'little dragon' bowl cut. It seems to go on a bit too long, though.

The story is also a mash-up of The Big Boss and Chinatown Kid: A poor boy sees ownership of material wealth (symbolized by a gold watch) as the ultimate status symbol without seeing the harsh realities of the union vs. owners environment that he works in. His older brother has experienced the reality first hand, and he is reluctant to join his brother on his rise to the top.

The acting is really quite good. In fact, there are only a few really good fight scenes in Invincible One. The characters are played well by the performers. My biggest critique of the movie is that, as usual in this particular genre, the viewer is getting exactly what they've seen many times over. If this is what the viewer wants, then there is no problem. But if you are looking for something unique or innovative, you really won't find it here.

Without spoiling the ending or the plot, you really do have to watch Invincible One's extremely satisfying finale. There's nothing like watching the bad guys get the beatdown they deserve, and the villains play their parts like wrestling's greatest heels. Let's hope that the Shaw catalogue is well-represented for the rest of 2007.

It is unusual because it has a 20th century setting, replete with guns, soldiers, and fairly basic kung-fu weapons: no flying guillotines or wooden ninjas here. "Shaolin Daredevils" is also unusual because Lu Feng, often the final villain in most Venoms films, is a hero in this story. In fact, all five of the Venom actors are on the same side: Lo Meng's father, a military general, is assassinated in a coup. His friends plot to gain revenge, honing their skills and trying to make some money through street performances of their martial and acrobatic prowess.

While you wait for the final fight against the evil general (what is that actor's name? I should know...maybe Ti Lung), sit back and enjoy the circus-style routines of Chiang Sheng, Kwok Choi, and Lu Feng. They really seem to have a ball performing in this style.

The fighting is buried deep within the last quarter of the movie, but it is worth the wait. The Venoms quickly dispatch the mini venoms (I don't know their names, but they always play mini-bosses in these movies), and then gamg up on the evil general for some kick-ass retribution. the choreography is, as always, inventive and blindingly fast. You'll be surprised who walks away from this battle, and who doesn't.

"Shaolin Daredevils" is a solid entry within the Venoms genre. It's an essential movie for any Shaw collector, and a good primer for newcomers.

Kung fu fans will enjoy this movie, but just try to get anyone else to sit through Treasure Hunters. The fight scenes are fast-paced and funny, but some are quite bizarre. Gordon Liu's posse who carry his litter bust out some strange and outlandish stances. The comedy is also an acquired taste; I found the library scene quite funny, but only kung-fu fans will. Your friends, children, and partners will wonder why you are laughing.

The story is clear enough: two con artists stumble onto a treasure caper, and try to get a piece of the action. The apparent guardian of the treasure, a bald monk (guess who?), appears to leave a wake of death in his path. Any who cross him seeking the treasure are beaten by his superior style and sent packing. Later, all are found dead. The monk is unaware of his reputation, and of the noble (Wang Lung Wei) who shadows all treasure seekers, looking for not a piece of the action, but the whole pie. He is the one killing all those defeated by the monk.

You can probably figure out the rest without even watching it, but then you'd be missing a suprisingly funny and exciting action comedy. But I'm already a fan of the genre, and if you are reading this, I assume you are as well. I'm being as objective as possible, realizing the limited appeal and audience of Treasure Hunters.

Fu Sheng carries the film nicely, supported ably by Chang Chan Peng as 'rich kid' Chow Su Chee. Gordon Liu as Wu Sun is actually kind of one-dimensional, and really a supporting cast member rather than the star.

Somehow, I was expecting more from such formidable actors and producers (Lau Kar Wing and Lau Kar Leung). Treasure Hunters delivers the requisite action finale, but getting there is going to be a bit of a chore.

Kwok Chue makes the most of the role, and I admit he does act like a martial arts amateur very convincingly. The other Venoms just don't have a lot of screen time (Chiang Cheng), or they don't have a lot to do (Sun Chien). Actually, Sun chien plays his role of a gang leader pretty well, but we just don't get to see him in action as much as we like to. The rest of the main Venoms are not in this one. Wang Li is okay as the kung fu master who has achieved ultimate power.

It is expected that some Shaw Brothers films reward the patient viewer with top notch fighting scenes during the finale. While I can't fault the calibre of the fighting, there isn't enough of it in Ode to Gallantry to make sitting through the first hour or more seem worth your time. Venoms fans will enjoy this one, but I doubt it would make a fan of anyone else.

Three separate stories make up this release. Chang Cheh is credited as the director or co-director of each feature, although the last seems to bear his style the most. Each story is between 30 and 40 minutes. Surely you can spare that much time to watch some entertaining fare?

The first story is reminiscent of "The Odyssey": a young girl can only be wed by the man who is strong enough to draw the bow and shoot an arrow that belonged to her dead father. A spoiled noble tries to win her affections, but is disrupted by a wandering stranger.

The second story is a cool love triangle featuring Lo Lieh as a bandit who hides his affections for a girl. With a price on his head, does their relationship stand a chance? Watch and find out!

The third story is your basic martial arts world throwdown featuring some unusual weapons, like the bell-and-rope net. Chang Cheh? You bet! The most fighting scenes of the three. It also features the dynamic duo of Ti Lung and David Chang.

Some real good vintage Shaw acting and action vehicles in small enjoyable portions. About the worst I can say is that the title might be a bit misleading: I don't recall a lot of scenes involving swords. Bows, spears, sticks and nets are mixed in with the odd sword. Recommended.

If you have seen the other Brave Archer movies, you will have to look closely to figure out what actor is playing what character. Fu Sheng plays the offspring of another character, not the title role. Kwok Chue plays the archer. Other roles also played by different actors and actresses, so you have to look closely at costumes or flashbacks to figure out who is who.

The pacing in the movie is excellent. There are fight scenes throughout, and the story seems not to suffer in spite of (or because of) this. The ending does leave much to be desired, however; it is very sudden and very disappointing.

The other venoms play supporting roles, only appearing in the latter half of the film. But still, knowing that you get to see them in action (Lu Feng, Chiang Cheng) makes it worth the wait. Brave Archer and his Mate is a recommended film for fans and their mates.

This movie wastes no time getting right to the story. I haven't yet seen part two, but I wonder about the continuity regarding the end of part two and the beginning of part three.

Before getting treatment, the archer (Fu Sheng) and mate must run the gauntlet of guardians who protect the path to the lair of their master. Some guardians have to be overcome with cunning, intelligence, and a degree of fighting skill. It is refreshing to see these types of story complications employed, and the guardians in turn become impressed with the resourcefulness and determination of the archer.

But by the time they reach the centre of the lair, they become ensnared in the story of the clan master (Ti Lung) and the skeletons in his closet.

Pay close attention, because the story has well-exexuted plot, characters, and motivations. The finale comes together very neatly and satisfyingly.

Did I mention that the guardians are all Venoms? Did I mention that the leader of the Iron Palm Clan is Lo Meng, 'The Toad' from Five Deadly Venoms? Did I mention that the final fight is a complete Venom-style throwdown with weapons, fists, and weak points? Buy this film now!

The setting is China during a time of civil war. A steady flood of immigrants keeps four regional bosses on their toes. The four bosses are each in charge of a gang, and each gang is responsible for security in their quarter. Three immigrants (Kwok Chue, Chiang Cheng, Lo Meng) get caught in their web of intrigue, power plays and deception.

Early on, you can guess which bosses are just and which are corrupt by their treatment of immigrants. You can also sympathize with a character like Jin Zheng Peng (Lo Meng): if he weren't starving, his martial skills would rival the bosses. Very spartan dialogue, but the acting speaks volumes about the characters.

The conflict and resolution are highly entertaining. The martial arts is side-splitting when it goes for humour (the gambling house fight) and deadly serious when it goes for heroic bloodshed (final battles).

The plot is given a further twist by the introduction of a character who fights with 'modern' weapons. He arrives just in time to turn the tide decisively agianst the town. I don't want to give away too much, so let's just say it's a novelty that owes a small debt to Kurosawa, in my opinion.

In the post-9/11 world, the themes of this movie are especially relevant. All people suffer cruelty, violence, and terror in this film, but none suffer so much as the youths who confront the evil bandits directly.

The Hand of Death has a standard revenge plot with good weapon/hand-to-hand combat scenes and excellent character development. Although the main character is out to avenge his slain master, other characters want retribution for dead brothers and lovers. The swordsman, for instance, was vain about his skills, which led to a tragic encounter with the main villains (played by Sammo and James Tien). He becomes a passive drunkard who takes up the fight for personal redemption.In fact, the plot moves along nicely once the band of shaolin brothers decide that they can only accomplish their task by working together.

The fight scenes are entertaining. It's revealing to watch Jackie Chan show his weapons skills: some very nice spear moves. Personally, my favourite fight is the final battle involving James Tien and Dorian Tan. They put on a good Wing Chun clinic, with other Shaolin forms thrown in for good measure.

About the worst that could be said about The Hand of Death is that it doesn't break any new ground. The destruction of Shaolin Temple and persecution of its students is standard martial arts movie to the point of cliche. But give the movie credit for exceptional action, writing, and directing. It will stand up next to any other kung fu films of this era, and it will stand up to repeated viewing. Boring? Amateurish? Your kung fu review is good, but mine is better!

The story concerns rival fighting schools: one is allied with foreign invaders, while the other tries to restore the authority of the former ruling nobles. The skirmishes start small, and build towards a final fight between the patriots and the collaborators.

Lo Meng shines as the strongman Tong. I'm now convinced that he is a credible actor: his good nature and gullability come across very well. Lu Feng is equally brilliant as the top student of Pai Mei, the deceptive collaborator. Honourable mention also goes to the actors who portray the retainers of Lu Feng's character: they don't have much to say, but their actions speak volumes.

I don't have to mention the fight scenes, Do I? It's a Shaw Brothers movie, it's a Venoms movie (no Kwok Chue, though), it's a solid kung-fu action movie. 'nuff said.