The 36 Deadly Styles: Reviews

SYNOPSIS:
The Ming Chu clan are after the Secret Book of 36 Deadly Styles. Several brothers possess the knowledge of these styles and are pursued by the villainous clan. Wah Chi, a son of one of the brothers escapes to a Buddhist temple with one of his uncles. He meets another uncle at the temple who takes Wah Chi under his wing. The Ming Chu find Wah Chi at the temple, killing his uncle and forcing him to run again. Wah Chi finds out from his remaining uncle that his father was killed by Silver Fox of the Ming Chu clan and wounded the remaining brothers severely. Wah Chi masters the ways of the 36 Deadly Styles styles just in time to fight the Silver Fox who has finally caught up with him.

REVIEW:
The film is plagued by a series of flashbacks and interwoven subplots that cause the viewer unnecessary confusion. The martial arts is nothing spectacular but is made more enjoyable by the humorous antics thrown in.

There is a plethora of intentional gags thrown in. Several of the bad guys sport huge colored wigs. Other gems include the "glue style" of kung fu, dubbed lines such as "Today, you're going to die here- why don't you just kill yourself now", and plenty of inept characters whose skill in complaining outshines their martial arts abilities.

The quality of the sound is average and the video contains several seconds of slight distortion on occasion. Overall, the film is a fun ride for the genre fan who like more "chop" in their socky despite the convoluted plot and run-of-the-mill action. Thanks to some classic dubbing and a feeling of nostalgia I'll hand this one three stars.