Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The Buddhist Fist (1980)

Original title: Fo Zhang Luo Han Quan

Director: Woo-Ping Yuen

Writers: Chi-Ming Lam, Siu Ming Tsui, Ching Wong

Composer: Fang Chi Chen

Starring: Shun-Yee Yuen, Siu Ming Tsui, Lung Chan, Hsi Chang, Shao-Peng Chen, Mei Sheng Fan

More info: IMDb

Plot: Aspiring barber and experienced kung-fu fighter Shang learns that his childhood friend, Siu Ming, has been framed for murder by an unknown villain. When Shang begins looking into the crime, he soon finds himself the target of an assassination attempt. Who is behind all these crimes, and can Shang stop them?



My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

I don't know why there's such an abundance of over the top, silly characters in 70s Kung Fu flicks but I can't stand them.  It's the kind of thing that appeals to very small children.  The Italians did it, too.  But you don't watch these things for the slapstick comedy.  You watch them for the Kung Fu action and this one's got some great fighting.  There's a scene early on when the bad buy gets bamboo poles through each pant leg and one through his shirt sleeves.  It's very well done AND it's funny without the goofy buck-toothed characters.  The chess match between the two masters is a work of art, too.  There's a big surprise at the end that I rather liked.  There are a few little things in here that inspired Tarantino to include them in KILL BILL (2003) or they were common in a lot of these pictures back in the day.  It's better than average for its time and it's definitely worth watching for fans of the genre.

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