Shu and his gang move on to Black Town, where they have hatched a plan to steal the riches of the wealthy but well guarded Kou family. However, hot on their trail are two men, Captain Siu, who has outfitted himself with a steel glove to replace his crippled hand, and the young and wily Ting (Meng Fei- Prodigal Boxer, 5 Masters of Shaolin) who wants the bounty on Shu’s head. Both use the same informant to try and find out where Shu is and what he is up to, and subsequently the two form an unsteady alliance, contrasted by the two personalities, one a blank vehicle of revenge, the other a happy-go-lucky bounty hunter. Shu finds out about the two and rather than have his plans spoiled, he sets up traps to try and kill them (such as, Ting fighting off several men throwing blinding powder at him), and when that fails, even attempts to take advantage of the profit seeking Ting by offering a bigger bounty for Captain Siu’s head. Eventually, the day of the robbery comes, and Captain Siu and Ting must deal with a pair of swordweilding assassins, before trying to stop the raid on the Kou family compound and defeat Shu and his wicked henchmen.

Basically, Shaolin King Boxer (1979, aka. Iron Fists) is the kung fu equivalent to Sergio Leone’s For Few Dollars More- a tale of two men after a villain, and the two having distinctly different motivations, one out of personal revenge, the other for pure profit. And, it is a classic structure of the kung fu revenge tale that goes all the way back to the genre defining One-Armed Swordsman(1967) and Five Fingers of Death(1972)- the crippling of the hero, leaving him to die or suffer, only to have him be motivated by his disability and fueled by it in his revenge. Chen Kuan Tai’s deadly cold, black hand is one of the best symbolic devices of angry revenge since William Devane’s hook in Rolling Thunder.

Director Karl Maka, best known for his silly HK comedies like Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog, His name is Nobody and By Hook or by Crook, presents a well told, classic kung fu tale, with little hint to the goofier nature of his reputation. Shaolin King Boxer is typically violent and dark, filled with lots of motivation, and story, as well as fights (though they don’t really kick it into high gear until the end). The film features weapons like double daggers, spear, fan, and broadswords. The cast is who’s who of kung fu cinema, with Liu Chia Liang, Chen Kuan Tai, Wilson Tong, Leung Kar Yan, and Meng Fei all giving very good performances, particularly Lui Chai Liang’s standout role as the evil gang leader Shu. There are many simple, beautiful things in this world, snowfall on a full-moonlit night, water running over smooth river stones, the look on a woman’s face when she’s in ecstasy, and the way Liu Chia Liang can fight with two broadswords.

So far, for me, at least filmwise, this is probably the best film in the Ground Zero Wu Tang releases.

THE DVD:
Ground Zero presents another feature packed and budget minded addition to their superior Wu Tang Hidden Chambers collection of DVDs. Picture- Once again, like all their releases, another fullframe well worn print of the film, with typical washed out colors, softness, and dull blackness levels. It is acceptable, but unfortunately the only way Ground Zero goes wrong is in their picture presentation. But, fans know good sources are tricky to come by, and this is the best we can expect from tape masters. Sound- 2,0 mono, English dub (and not a great one) with some audio wear, but overall clear and distinct. Extras- Another fantastic, feature packed addition, including- Wu Tang Music video, interview, and audio interview sound bite. Temple of Knowledge breif interview with two kung fu practitioners. A Ground Zero commercial and weblink. And, the good stuff, 18 Fatal Previews, totaling around 20 mins of fight footage from various films (including Mysterious Footwork, Chess Boxing Vs Buddhist Fist, Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu, and Enter the Invincible Hero to name a few- this feature is the same on every Hidden Chamber release), and finally the fantastic Cast and Crew Bios with Bonus Fight Footage and, this time, Interviews with the stars- Wilson Tong (5 fights 10 ½ mins, and 2 1/2 min interview), Leung Kar Yan (5 fights 6 mins, and 1 min interview), Meng Fei (5 fights 8 mins, 1 ½ min interview), and Chen Kuan Tai (4 fights 61/2 mins). It is another Hidden Chambers DVD packed with enough extras to make a fan drool and priced so low it’s hard to pass up.

A group of bandits infiltrate the local jail, and break out their evil leader, Shu Tin Shen (Chia Liang Liu). Feeling his gang is up to full strength, Shu Tin Shen’s first stop is home of Captain Siu (Chen Kuan Tai), the constable who imprisoned him. Shu Tin Shen and his posse (including Leung Kar Yan as Pau and Wilson Tong as Slasher Pete) surprise Captain Siu and murder his wife and daughter. Shu Tin Shen then cuts off Captain Siu’s thumb, so he cannot grasp a sword in retaliation. Confident that Captain Siu no longer poses a threat, Shu Tin Shen allows him to escape. But Captain Siu is a very dangerous man and plans to destroy the gang who murdered his family. Captain Siu seeks out a blacksmith and forces him to craft an iron gauntlet. Captain Siu may not be able to grasp conventional weapons with the loss of his thumb, but his steel gauntlet proves more than a match for any aggressors. While searching for his family’s killers, Captain Siu meets Ting Yi Lang (Meng Fei), a roguish adventurer with a penchant for women and money. Ting Yi Lang and Captain Liu strike up a reluctant friendship because Captain Sui wants Shu Tin Shen dead and Ting Yi Lang wants to lay his hands on the gang leader’s stolen loot.

Meanwhile, the gang is planning another heist at the home of a wealthy aristocrat. Ting Yi Lang visits the aristocrat and warns him that his fortune may be in jeopardy. The aristocrat surrounds himself with a small martial arts army for protection. But this army is no match for the skills of Shu Tin Shen, Pau, and Slasher Pete (Chia Liang Liu, Lau Kar Yan, and Wilson Tong, respectively) who descend upon the place like jackals. Shu Tin Shen and his gang slaughter all those inside the homestead, and claim the fortune for themselves. They load the riches up onto a horse-drawn carriage and begin their escape. But there is a traitor amongst the jackals (we won’t reveal who). Shu Tin Shen is forced to abort his plans to deal with the gang’s internal problems. Unfortunately for him, that’s when Captain Siu shows up to settle the score, and Ting Yi Lang arrives to recover the riches. As the old saying goes, payback is a bitch.

Although the plot of SHAOLIN KING BOXER is propelled by the tired revenge motive, director Karl Maka gives the film a fresh perspective with distinct characterizations and the constant application of intrigue. The character of Captain Sui is admittedly one-dimensional (though Chen Kuan Tai brings fire and fervor to the role), he is but only one part of an ensemble picture. Maka divides the focus between Chen Kuan Tai and Meng Fei, whose character uses wit and deduction to out think the villain, Shu Tin Shen. Maka also devotes much screen time to the antagonists, and there are moments when this feels like a heist movie. But every line and nuance in this production only serves to elevate its status. Maka employs comedy only to depict some of the more outrageous character types, and the humor never takes away from the gritty, hard driving, Spaghetti Western edge of SHAOLIN KING BOXER. Chia Liang Liu produces some amazing fight choreography guaranteed to take your breath away. The fighting is very natural, and not flashy. The choreography consists of one-on-one fights, multiple participant battles, and plenty of swords and staff fighting. Don’t miss the finale where Chia Liang Liu fights both Chen Kuan Tai and Meng Fei.

The casting is perfection. Chen Kuan Tai dominates the film despite the limited character definition of Captain Siu. We witness Chen Kuan Tai interacting playfully with his family in the beginning and you can feel the peace emanating from this man. Later, on his blood quest, nothing and no one dares to get in his way. Chen Kuan Tai here reminds me of a Chinese Christopher Lee, because he has that same look in his eye as Lee’s Count Dracula. When Chen Kuan Tai stares menacingly at those around him (with that steel gauntlet waving around) those within his glare cower in fear. Chen Kuan Tai makes you feel he has been wronged, and his burning desire for vengeance reaches a primal chord in the viewer. Meng Fei is very charismatic in his co-starring role. His character, Ting Yu Lang, is cunning and warm, and supplements the coldness of Captain Siu quite well. Chia Liang Liu, often cast as a bad guy, gives the best villainous performance of his career, and he gets equal the screen time as co-stars Chen Kuan Tai and Meng Fei. Leung Kar Yan is also great as Shu Tin Shen’s lead henchman.

SIGHT
SHAOLIN KING BOXER was released theatrically in the 2.35.1 aspect ratio. Ground Zero presents the film in a cropped 1.33.1 version. However, the fight scenes appear to be filmed at the center of the frame, and rarely does the action go outside the boundaries of the TV screen. Ground Zero mastered the transfer from a serviceable full frame print which exhibits very little wear. Colors are slightly muted, but the dark tones enhance the grim mood of SHAOLIN KING BOXER The image is a tad soft at times, making it difficult to appreciate the detail of the production and costume design. As with all these old school films, grain is a problem. SHAOLIN KING BOXER contains a large amount of bloody violence, all served up with bright crimson hues. Overall, this is a satisfactory visual presentation equal to the best efforts of Xenon or Tai Seng.

SOUND
The audio is PCM Mono 2.0. As good as SHAOLIN KING BOXER is, the one weak spot to the presentation is the awkward dubbing. Thankfully the voices for the three principle characters (Chen Kuan Tai, Meng Fei, and Chia Liang Liu) are adequately handled, but the henchmen and character actors are all hideously dubbed with unrealistic inflections bound to make you wince. The PCM soundtrack is clear and natural, though a bit flat. There are no unwanted audio anomalies like hiss, drop-outs, or background noise. The music score is also reminiscent of a Spaghetti Western, and provides a perfect soundscape for the martial arts action and melodrama. The score, sound effects, and dialog are perfectly synchronized and without any distortion.

FEATURES
From the Main Menu, you can select the Special Features-menu to access the various extras. There is a sub menu called Ground Zero that provides their Website information and previews of Ground Zero’s urban themed productions. Also from the Special Features menu, you can access the Wu Tang sub-menu and watch a short interview with enlightened rapper Papa Wu (FF, DD 2.0, 2:35), along with a music video (2.35.1, DD 2.0, 4:36) and a lyrical recital (FF, DD 2.0, :35). From here you can also view short interview clips with real-life Shaolin monks, as they discuss what it takes to be a monk today. Back at the Special Features menu is another sub-menu where you can read the talent bios for Chen Kuan Tai, Meng Fei, Wilson Tong, and Leung Kar Yan. At the bottom of the screen you can select from 5 bonus fight scenes for performer. These bonus fights scenes are from various movies in varying condition--some are widescreen and good condition, while others are full screen VHS quality. From these respective talent bio screens, you can play interview clips from SHAOLIN KING BOXER stars Leung Kar Yan, Meng Fei, and Wilson Tong. These recently conducted interviews are in Chinese with English subtitles and run 1:00, 1:35, and 2:44 respectively. While the quality varies for much of the bonus fight footage, the Ground Zero produced trailers are in much better condition. Most of these trailers are full frame and run 1:04, some are widescreen as indicated below.

SHAOLIN DRUNK MONKEY (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
SNAKE STRIKES BACK (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
OVER THE WALL (1.66.1, Mono, 1:04)
STRIKE OF THE MANTIS FIST (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
ONE FOOT CRANE (1.33.1, Mono, 1:03)
EAGLE FIST (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
SHAOLIN VS. NINJA (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
SHAOLIN VS. LAMA (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
10 BRONZEGIRLS OF SHAOLIN (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
BEST OF SHAOLIN KUNG FU (1.66.1, Mono, 1:04)
5 VENOMS VS WU TANG (1.66.1, Mono, 1:04)
9 VENOMS (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
FIGHT AMONG THE SUPERS (2.35.1, Mono, 1:04)
GOOSE BOXER (1.85.1, Mono, 1:04)
MYSTERIOUS FOOTWORK (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
CHESS BOXING VS. BUDDHIST FIST (1.85.1, Mono, 1:04)
SHAOLIN CHASTITY KUNG FU (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)
ENTER THE INVINCIBLE HERO (1.33.1, Mono, 1:04)

CONCLUSION
This is epic storytelling and filmmaking that rivals the best efforts of the Shaw Brothers. SHAOLIN KING BOXER solidifies Karl Maka’s status, and proves the director can handle much more than comedy films. SHAOLIN KING BOXER really fires on all cylinders, and has everything that makes a Kung Fu movie great: righteous heroes, memorable villains, inspired acting, taut plotting and pacing, and a superb score. Ground Zero raises the bar with their feature-packed Hidden Chambers collection. Whereas extras are hard to come by on most Kung Fu DVDs, Ground Zero really ups the ante with their trailers, bonus fights, interviews, etc. While Tai Seng, Xenon, and Crash Cinema have been releasing classic Kung Fu titles for years now, Ground Zero’s entry into the DVD market is barely a year old and look how far they’ve come. In less than a year, they’ve pretty much opened up the market and become leaders in the field.