Through his tireless endeavour in the early 1970's (the most notable offerings being "Heroes Two", "Shaolin Martial Arts", and "Men From The Monastery"), Lau redefined action cinema locally by acknowledging China's martial arts heritage. In an era when audiences were obssessed with the more practical, powerful fighting style of the legendary Bruce Lee; Lau's incorporation of the traditional animal styles provided an intricate yet thoroughly engrossing alternative to such (especially for western audiences, to whom the whole practice of such was a relative mystery).

As I have stated previously, Lau was reported to have been dissatisfied with the manner in which the martial arts were presented in such works, and for this reason (amongst others, including a distinct lack of credit for his input) the two "parted ways". "Boxer Rebellion" focuses on the foreign occupation of mainland China, the pillaging of townships and the country's resources; highlighting how a nation was quickly brought to its knees by the greed of such powers.

Falling halfway between a full blown historical epic and martial arts effort, Chang's work is sporadically engaging but his attempts to emulate Japanese cinema through the pacing of this work ultimately falter. The principal roles were inherited by Shaw's stalwarts Chi Kuan Chun, Alexander Fu Sheng, and future fan favourite Leung Kar Yan, with villainous support provided by the ever charismatic Wang Lung Wei. Unfortunately, the arbitrary manner with which the film's historical "insight" was handled affords the audience a rather unwelcome sense of disatisfaction. Therefore it is for this reason that the film ultimately fails in drawing in the viewer.

Action-wise the film does not focus upon specific martial arts styles or even offer up much in the of the conventional one-on-one encounter. In truth the most impressive display of physicality is Chi Kuan Chun's phenomenal performance of traditional Hung Gar form, which is nothing short of outstanding.

"Boxer Rebellion" is far from a failure and is sporadically enjoyable, but if one is hoping to gain insight into the inner workings of China during this period of history or to be blown away by a multitude of exemplary action scenarios then they will more than likely be disappointed.

But truthfully, I’d rather watch "Masked Avengers" over this any day.

I haven’t seen all of Chang Cheh’s “let’s seriously base this on an historic event” movies, but let me tell you, the guy shines a lot more when he’s making brainless ultra-violent action flicks like "Five Element Ninjas" and "One-Armed Swordsman".

I personally don’t think Chang Cheh and factual scenarios mix. At some instances, "Boxer Rebellion" is a serious piece of historic drama. Other times, it’s a badass kung fu flick that we love to watch. In the end, we end up with a half-assed true story (with many inaccuracies) smothered with Saturday afternoon Black Belt Theater action. I mean, imagine if Kubrick’s "Full Metal Jacket" had ninjas in it or something? Where I’m getting at is there aren’t enough gray areas, just a sloppy mix of black and white. Make either a no-nonsense, high budget period movie or or a straight up kung fu tale. Don’t try to cram both into one package.

"Boxer Rebellion" is a very Americanized production. They definitely didn’t skimp out when it came to extras (of all races), set designs and locations. Even the soundtrack (which I’ll assume is the original) sounds like some kind of American TV show from the 70’s. Richard Harrison - an Italian film star who made dozens of films in the 60’s and 70’s, including Chang Cheh’s "Marco Polo"; as well as unintentionally starring in a string of goofy Ninja movies for Godfrey Ho and Joseph Lai - has a chunky cameo as an American officer who tries to take on Alexander Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan Chun (take a guess who wins?).

All bullshit aside, "Boxer Rebellion" isn’t bad, but it does take a while to build up into something we’d expect from a Chang Cheh film with a cast like this. The final third of the movie is what packs the most punch (mind you, this is a very LONG movie). The action is brutal, entertaining and bloody remarkable (no pun intended). As with most Chang Cheh films, don’t expect a 100% happy ending. Heck, a lot of the movie has kung fu guys vs. men with rifles, so use your imagination.

Now, excuse me while I pop in "Crippled Avengers". - Mighty Peking Man