This 1980 martial arts film was originally released as FO ZHANG LUO HAN QUAN. What separates this film from the countless others released from this era? It is directed by Yuen Wo Ping, better known as the action genius responsible for the martial arts stunt work from THE MATRIX. And Tai Seng doesn’t hesitate to name-drop and capitalize on the success of THE MATRIX (just check out the packaging on this DVD!). This hype is justified however, because Yuen Wo Ping pretty much pioneered the whole cable-fu genre (much to the chagrin of many) single-handedly. THE BUDDHIST FIST was previously released on DVD by Xenon Entertainment; their print of the film was also taken from a respectable widescreen print (which was taken from a PAL master licensed from the U.K. video company, Made in Hong Kong). However, Xenon's DVD does not have the original Cantonese and Mandarin language tracks or the extras that Tai Seng's version has.

On the DVD scene, Tai Seng has been making a name for themselves by importing some great DVDs over from Hong Kong, and releasing a budget DVD line consisting of recent and classic HK titles. This budget line has been something of a disappointment, mainly because the DVDs have all been full frame, with English dubbing only. With the release of THE BUDDHIST FIST, Tai Seng makes a giant step forward. This DVD is the first title in their budget line that is letterboxed, and includes alternate bilingual languages to go along with the English dub track. Hopefully, this is the start of something big for Tai Seng, which they can develop into a successful line of classic widescreen martial arts DVDs (which would be a boon to fans everywhere).

The movie stars Yuen (DREADNAUGHT) Shunyi as the confused Ha-Sien, a young man looking for his missing grandfather. Shunyi was a capable martial artist who never hit it big. Gordon (SHAOLIN MASTER KILLER) Liu is the real star of this film, even though he is not the hero. He plays Ah Sheng’s life-long friend Si Ming, a Shaolin monk. Like every classic martial arts film, there is a wise old kung fu master in the film played here by Yuen (DANCE OF THE DRUNKEN MANTIS) Chun-Wei. San Kuai plays the deformed hunchback assassin, named Liu Chow Mu. This movie was filmed by the talented Yuen Clan who were responsible for classic martial arts films such as the original DRUNKEN MASTER, SEVEN GRANDMASTERS, and BORN INVINCIBLE.

When Ha-Sien was a young boy, he was often beaten by bullies. One day, a bald kid named Si Ming pulls the bullies off of Ha-Sien, and introduces the boy to the martial arts. Over a decade later, Ah Sheng is all grown up, and is now a talented martial artist, thanks to an old Shaolin master. Si Min (Gordon Liu) is also a star pupil and is an accomplished Shaolin monk (also serving under the old master). The old one has taught Ha-Shien and Si Ming one half of the deadly Buddhist Fist technique. Ha-Sien returns to the Shaolin temple after being away for many years, and he is disturbed to find that that his old grandfather has been missing for over three months.

One night, a thief in a black mask sneaks into the Shaolin temple, and tries to steal the sacred Jade Buddha. The masked thief sneaks away without the artifact, but returns to wreak havoc on temple residents. Meanwhile, a shadowy character hires some assassins to take out Ha-Sien, including hotel owner Boss Chen (Simon Yuen), and a hilarious hunchback, Liu Chow Mu! Ha-Sien must overcome many obstacles (including assassins and the masked thief), to find out whether his grandfather is alive or dead—and to find out who is responsible for the old one’s disappearance.

There is a lot of stuntwork and a high body count. Here is a brief description of some of the mayhem:

THE BUDDIST FIST features some great traditional martial arts and breath-taking stunt work. Yuen Wo Ping’s fight choreography is exciting without resorting to any wire works. The final fight scene is an awesome display of Buddhist Palm and Buddhist Fist, and is not to be missed by fans of the genre. The combat scenes are fast and furious, and leave the viewer wanting more. Also of note, both the melodramatic acting and the comedic performances of the cast are admirably performed, unlike most other films of this ilk.

The script is well-written and superbly paced for an older martial arts film. The narrative follows Ha-Sien as he tries to make some sense of his grandfather’s disappearance. This perspective generates a modicum of suspense because we know someone is to blame, but we don’t know who. Furthermore, the identity of the black-masked thief is kept secret until the climax (although he is not too hard to figure out). By the end of the film we feel sympathy for Ha-Sien, because he suspects everyone, and even accuses his own Shaolin master of abducting his grandfather!

There is also quite a bit of humor in the film. The humor occurs between the fight scenes, keeping things from getting dull (which sometimes happens in the melodramatic portions of martial arts films). The funniest thing is the portrayal of the assassin hunchback, Liu Chow Mu (San Kuai) who plays the role like Peter Lorre, or an ADDAMS FAMILY member. The cheesy dubbing actually makes this performance seem even more over-the-top! Other comedic bits include two Shaolin masters trying to outplay each other in a game of chess boxing. Ha-Sien gives haircuts in a local barber shop and accidentally shaves off a villain’s mustache. He paints a new mustache on the man’s face, but the poor guy discovers that Ha-Sien shaved it off, and chases after Ha-Sien! The town officials bully the local residents, until a clan of Shaolin monks make them look like fools.

- Tony Mustafa

THE BUDDHIST FIST is available from HKFlix.com

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