The Plot is typical and simple... Set in 1925, starting of with Ti Lung's character 'Youlo' as a Chinese Opera Player, who catches his wealthy boss flirting with his wife. Youlo delivers a physical warning to his boss at his Kung Fu School and simultaneously smashes his signboard. He becomes so furious with the insult that he ambushes and kills Yulou with the help of gangsters plotted around the town. His brother 'Xiaolou' is determined for revenge.

If you are looking for 'Old School Kung Fu Action', then this is not the movie for you as all of action scenes are rather discontented with a lot of knife fighting. Occasionally the unarmed fight is squeezed in the movie and makes it ridiculous as they are in that style the West sometimes choreograph (rather poor); uninteresting is what I will say. However, this is Chang Cheh's best directed film in terms of camera angles and well presented shots - For an example; The scene where Ti Lung’s character Yulou's death takes place, it intercuts with shots from the opera and also how far David Chiang's character is taken as a revenger.

There is better than 'Vengeance' but the only thing that will interest viewers is Chang Cheh's editing and camera work, the rest is up to you on whether you can put up with another revenge story. Also funny to note that most of the music composed by John Barry is ripped from the 1969 Bond film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' starring George Lazenby.

REVIEW: Though using one simple sentence to explain the general plot of "Vengeance" may seem like a shortcut for someone who hates to summarize (though that may be true, this is pure coincidence), the story of this Chang Cheh joint is as straight forward as the title would have you believe. Therein lies the instant gratification this movie provides. The audience immediately knows what to expect from the plot and is thus allowed to sit back and watch the gruesome, gritty revenge unfold.

The opening scene sets up the catalyst for revenge, the murder of Xiaolou's brother who is an esteemed actor in the Chinese Operas. Chang Cheh frequently cuts together scenes of his stage play performance with those of his actual murder, as one mimics the other. Played by Ti Lung, his murder is a result of his affront to Master Feng and his school, which itself was retribution for Feng coming on to his wife. He dies a horrible death, stabbed countless times, rolling down the stairs with an axe in his stomach and finally stops writhing shortly after both of his eyes are gouged out. It's a jarring scene and the lasting effect it has permeates throughout the rest of the movie as a constant reminder of why Xiaolou has come to kick ass and chew bubblegum, eschewing the gum altogether.

It's impossible not to notice that Chang Cheh absolutely loves slow motion. It is his crack. Well, he fills the pipe up a lot in "Vengeance", but he's not stingy. Seriously, if Cheh could show an entire film in slo-mo, he would have in a flash, and damn if it wouldn't have been the best movie ever. Whenever someone gets notably stabbed you'll see time stop, and that funky soft "ch-ch-ch-ch-cha" sound blasts as the victim gazes about in bewilderment.

Speaking of slow motion, it's amazing just how influential Chang Cheh films like this one have been throughout Asian filmmaking as a whole, but especially in Hong Kong productions. John Woo's films practically scream, "I love Chang Cheh!". Even the flow of the story, from the violent opening in the teahouse to the "vengeance with a white shirt on" finale, is mirrored in many films throughout the 80s and early 90s. Films such as Woo's best known, the Killer and Hard Boiled ooze of appreciation and just like how many current films are throwbacks to the explosive HK heyday, so were the HK classics reminiscent of their predecessors as well.

David Chiang's performance compliments Cheh's direction well, as he grimaces throughout, bound and determined to show us he has earned his reputation as an inconsolable badass. Sure, he may kill the wrong guy a couple times, but they probably had it comin' anyway! Viewers will marvel at his ability to sneak into a room full of guards and kill them off one by one, leaving them standing, dead and propped up against walls and columns.

Speaking of killing, this movie is brutal. Not in the way that squeamish viewers will want to avoid, but in it's unrelenting gritty style. Red paint-like blood splatters every which way, and no one is spared in Xiaolou's onslaught. The whole film runs dark, and though his vengeance should be celebrated, everything just seems so hopeless. In this manner, the atmosphere is fantastic. Fight scenes follow furious brooding contemplation, which is followed by more action. The pace may stagger a couple of times, but other than a few minutes here and there, your attention will blast full steam towards the inevitable climax.

As far as Kung Fu action goes, it's not exactly the type you would expect. This movie focuses more on knife fighting and other forms of brazen stabbery. It might even be safe to say that "Vengeance" has more knives per minute than most movies have during their entire duration. Small knives, long knives, bloody knives, vicious knives and everything in between. The action scenes become a visceral crimson shaded extravaganza, and this being such a deadly game, it is always intense.

Basically, "Vengeance" is a must see revenge flick. Its story is as basic as possible, and Chang Cheh's balls to the walls style of filming drives the movie into the realm of classic Chinese action films. This movie needs to be in everyone's Shaw Brothers collection.