Wong Han (Chi Kwan Chun) travels to a small town to escape his past and lands a job at a nearby textile mill owned by Mr. Lee (Lu Ti). Wong Han’s naïve best friend Wong Fan Yi (Alexander Fu Sheng) comes looking for him. Wong Han convinces his boss to hire Wong Fan Yi as a lowly laborer. Meanwhile, Mr. Ko (Chiang Tao), a rival businessman with ties to the Manchurians, uses harassment and extortion to get the workers from the textile factory to quit the company and join his own textile business. Mr. Lee, concerned about his employers leaving him and getting beaten up by Mr. Ko’s enforcers, arranges for all his men to get training in the martial arts. All employees are encouraged to participate and Wong Fan Yi notices that the instructor is lacking the necessary skills. He confronts the instructor on his training methods, and the older guy gets offended and attempts to teach Wong Fan Yi a lesson. The young fighter is forced to protect himself, allowing the other workers to witness Wong Fan Yi’s impressive fighting talents. Word gets back to Mr. Lee, and the tightwad businessman offers Wong Fan Yi the Kung Fu instructor position instead. Wong Fan Yi teaches the employees to the best of his ability, and they quickly gain confidence. They rise to the occasion when Mr. Ko keeps sending his men out to punish the workers. Both the workers and Mr. Lee hail Wong Fan Yi as their savior, and the boss keeps rewarding his loyalty by promoting him. Wong Fan Yi is quite proud of himself, because before he got a job at the textile factory, he couldn’t afford a pair of shoes. And now he is the highest paid (and most respected) man in the company. He goes to meet up with his comrade Wong Han and invites his friend to share in his newly-acquired wealth. Wong Han refuses, and furthermore tells his former friend that he has become possessed with material endeavors; something the old Wong Fan Yi would never have concerned himself with. Mr. Ko sends his undefeated enforcer Leung (Fung Hak On) to face the workers’ champion. Wong Fan Yi hands Leung his first defeat, and sees that Leung will never fight again by purposely crippling him. Mr. Ko’s demoralized gang retreat, but Mr. Ko and Leung plan their revenge. They set a trap for Wong Fan Yi by claiming that Leung no longer works for Mr. Ko and only wants to make amends. Believing that he has nothing to fear from a cripple, Wong Fan Yi goes to Leung’s place and walks right into the trap. He must fight against extreme odds if he is to survive and uphold the name of his employer, Mr. Lee. His friend Wong Han must intrude upon this powder keg situation if he is to save the soul of his friend.

THE INVINCIBLE ONE is heavily based on Bruce Lee’s THE BIG BOSS, with the plotline of rival businessmen; one who would do anything to eliminate his competition. Sure Chang Cheh differentiates the two films by making THE INVINCIBLE ONE about the textile industry (a legitimate practice in ancient China), as opposed to the ice supply business. Cheh also makes Alexander Fu Sheng the centerpiece of the film, showcasing his abilities in the rags-to-riches portion of the plot. Wong Fan Yi has a unique character trait, especially for a martial artist. He is a man who has an obsession with shoes. Chang Cheh reminds us of the potentially lethal feet of Alexander Fu Sheng by constantly aiming the camera at the actor’s feet; which ultimately foreshadows his path in life and his ultimate fate. In true Chang Cheh passion, the protagonist pays some heavy prices to account for his behavior. Alexander Fu Sheng really rises to the occasion with his multi-layered performance. His character is basically naïve and roguish, and Fu Sheng lets it all hang out when circumstances turn tragic. His fighting skills are also well-showcased, except he only gets into two or three major scrapes throughout the entire movie. In fact, the timing and pacing of the fight sequences seem rather reserved for a Chang Cheng film, and the violence is not even bloody. So people that need to witness a fight scene every five minutes may find little value here. Those who appreciate a good story and acting should be delighted. Not only does Fu Sheng give one of his best roles, Chi Kwan Chun delivers his strongest performance to date, at least acting-wise. Sadly, the filmmakers do not allow Chi Kwan Chun to kick ass like only he can do (perhaps because it take away from Fu Sheng’s thunder?). Chi Kwan Chun is the most intimidating fighter in the entire movie and towers over the rest of the cast. The supporting players, especially Lu Ti and Fang Hak On also do a commendable job. The direction by Chang Cheh is one of his best and he incorporates some marvelous black & white shots and flashback sequences that Alfred Hitchcock would admire.

SIGHT
PanMedia International presents THE INVINCIBLE ONE in the full frame format, truncated from the film’s original 2.35.1 ratio. The source print used is obviously a worn video master. The opening title sequence was nearly unbearable bringing to mind the total unwatchability of PanMedia’s KUNG FU INSTRUCTOR disc. Thankfully, after the opening credits things improve quite a bit. The overall quality ranks up there with a Xenon DVD, with soft edges, dark grain, and oversaturated colors. The Shaw Brothers movies always have exceptional lighting and production values, so this film still looks acceptable considering the age and inconsistencies of the video material. The fight sequences are few but they are very well executed, and the panning and scanning does little hinder their impact.

SOUND
The sound is Dolby Digital Mono 2.0. This is a strong mono mix with a few flaws. No drop-outs, hiss, or pops. Some very slight background noise is detected during certain times. The English dubbed dialog is delivered precisely and without distortion. The voices are provided by the people who dubbed all the other Shaw Brothers pictures. The score is credited to the great SB composer Chen Yang Yu, yet clearly this is the same mismatched stock music that sounds like it was lifted from a Spaghetti Western or Euro-horror opus.

FEATURES
There are no features.

CONCLUSION
The last Alexander Fu Sheng/Chi Kwan Chun movie we reviewed (on DVD from PanMedia) had a few good fights, but was a disappointment. THE INVINCIBLE ONE is clearly the better of the two films, showcasing the slick direction of Chang Cheh and performances of the principals. Both the director and the stars provide an added complexity you don’t expect to find in the genre. A solid peice of classic Hong Kong filmmaking that may never see the light of day from the Celestial Pictures. If you have to see THE INVINCIBLE ONE, PanMedia’s disc may be your only option.

Fu Sheng takes the lead role as Kwan, an innocent country bumpkin who travels to town to see his trusted old friend (played by Chi-Kwan Chun). Chi is working in a textile mill and manages to arrange work for his friend. Kwan notices that the real wealth never filters down to the common worker and the affluence he longs for (superbly represented by a pair of brand new shoes) will never be his. However, when a rival mill uses violence to get their own way, Kwan uses his kung-fu skills to great effect and is soon showered with goods by the mill owner. Chi dissuades him from becoming a hired thug for his uncaring employees. In an expertly filmed flashback, we see that Chi once found himself in similar circumstances, but realised that those in charge care little for the lackeys they employ. Instead it's better to live a quiet life away from this strife and concentrate on making ends meet. As Kwan becomes more and more spoilt by the riches that are thrown at him, he loses sight of his real friends and becomes just another property owned by the mill boss. His new position, however, soon means that he is thrust into the middle of life-threatening combat and it is not long before he meets his match. Now, Chi musters recalls his past one last time, in an effort to avenge his naive friend.

Had he lived, it is possible that Fu Sheng would have been Hong Kong's greatest ever actor. His acting ability, whether it be in a comic or dramatic vein, was quite astonishing. Disciples Of Shaolin presents primary evidence of this. The various complexities of the character (his inner struggle between his lust for riches and his essentially good character) are handled with ease. Often, Fu Sheng would walk away with the acting honours in most of the films he starred in, but here he is matched equally by Chi-Kwan Chun. Chi's physical prowess sometimes distracted critics from the fact that his acting ability improved with every film, but in 'Disciples...' this is brought to the forefront. His character is, on the surface, basic, but further inspection and the probing of Chang Cheh's exceptional direction proves that all the depth is there to be found.

Among world directors, Chang Cheh remains sadly unappreciated by his contemporaries. Only recently are film critics around the world beginning to rank him as a great. In the truest sense of the often misapplied term 'auteur', Chang Cheh blends recurring themes into everyone of his films. His masterpieces, of which this is one, feature cutting edge choreography and the ideas of brotherhood and morality which signify his work. The only thing that holds back the cinematic intelligensia from ascribing far more credit to Chang is the simple fact that he elevates the action to the highest level. Kurosawa used action in a sparing and subtle way, whereas Chang Cheh focuses attention on its development and use. There is no reason, aside from the usual snobbery, that the two shouldn't be said in the same breath. Disciples of Shaolin is a beautifully crafted masterpiece that requires a global audience.