Joe Cheung is one of the few directors of old school Kung Fu flicks who successfully made the transition to Hong Kong New Wave. Cheung directed some great old school classics like THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MASTER (1979), GHOST OF THE NINJA (1980), and MASK OF DEATH (1979). Cheung later went to direct such New Wave fare as FLAMING BROTHERS (1987), POM POM AND HOT HOT (1992), and RETURN ENGAGEMENT (1990). Probably the pinnacle of Cheung’s old-school resume is the 1976 film, MASK OF DEATH, also known as SHAOLIN DEVILS AND SHAOLIN ANGELS. The movie boasts a great ensemble cast, including the great Chen Sing, who can be seen in A GATHERING OF HEROES, THE MAGNIFICENT, and DEATH RING. MASK OF DEATH also features Wong Dao, who appeared in DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU, THE HOT THE COOL THE VICIOUS, and EAGLE’S CLAW. Bruce Lee protégé Tung Wei has a prominent role in the movie. Tung Wei’s also had key roles in THE IRON FISTED MONK (also directed by Joe Cheung and starring Chen Sing), 18 FATAL STRIKES, and GOLDEN KILLAH. After an entire year of inactivity in the martial arts video market, Crash Cinema returned with a vengeance in summer 2001, choosing MASK OF DEATH as their comeback title along with THE MAGNIFICENT (1980).

An unknown killer terrorizes the inhabitants of ancient China, and leaves a string of corpses in his wake. Wan Yi Fei (Chen Sing) is a respected healer and martial artist who dedicates himself to catching the killer. His good friend, Wong Tu Lung, is a Grandmaster of Kung Fu is also concerned about the increasing body count. Wong Tu Lung has a son named Chen (Tung Wei), who is a pacifist and refuses to learn Kung Fu from his father’s famed school. Wong Tu Lung is angry with Chen, since he is the only one in the family who is reluctant to learn Kung Fu. Wan Yi Fei and Wong Tu Lung prowl the nighttime streets looking for signs of the killer. A martial arts master named Chin Yun Chi appears and challenges the two Kung Fu masters. During the fighting, Chin Yun Chi claims that he is the killer. Chin Yun Chi is soon overpowered by numbers, and gives himself up. But Wan Yi Fei uses his spear to stab the suspected killer to death. Wong Tu Lung is upset his friend just killed an unarmed man, even if he is a suspected murder. The Chinese Government assigns their top agent, Iron Hand (Wang Dao) to investigate the killings. Despite the death of Chin Yun Chi, the murders continue. This prompts the village elders (including Wan Yi Fei and Wong Tu Lung) to convene on the matter. The gathering is interrupted by the son of Wan Yi Fei, who stumbles in bleeding to death. There is a dagger protruding from his back. A grieving Wan Yi Fei and Wong Tu Lung go outside, and find themselves attacked by a fighter in an evil looking mask and his martial arts accomplices. Several of the elders are killed in the attack, including Wong Tu Lung. Chen survives the massacre, but is shattered when he realizes his father has been killed. Iron Hand arrives on the scene and finds Chen grieving for the loss of his dad.

Chen visits an old Shaolin monk in the mountains, and begs him to teach him Kung Fu. Iron Hand spends his time tracking down the disciples of the masked killer, and during a scuffle, his opponents strike him with poison-tipped darts. Iron Hand kills them, but he himself is incapacitated. In his feverish state, he proclaims his hatred for his mother, who abandoned him at a young age. Iron Hand heads to the whorehouse and discovers a secret room, where the old woman (who is head of the place) plans his death. Iron Hand reveals that he is the government agent. She informs him that the tea he just drank is poisoned. When Iron Hand gets sick and leaves the whorehouse, the old woman secretly follows. She gives him the antidote to the poison, and admits that she is his mother. But she too is killed--bitten by a cobra. On her deathbed, his mother reveals who is ultimately behind the killings. The killer is someone they know, who has mastered the unbeatable Ghost Stroke form of Kung Fu, which the killer learned from an ancient tome. Iron Hand and Chen must unite as a team if they are to defeat the superhuman Kung Fu madman!

If MASK OF DEATH sounds rather convoluted, that’s because it is. The plot is based around a complex conspiracy mystery, which the protagonists must figure out. Ultimately, Tung Wei’s character wants revenge for the death of his family members at the hands of the masked killer and his assassins. And Wang Dao is the inquisitive agent looking for clues. But they have no idea who the killer is. Director Joe Cheung does not reveal the identity of the person responsible for the deaths in MASK OF DEATH (until the end), so the audience is unaware of the killer’s identity. As the film progresses, Joe Cheung drops some clues along the way, and the audience gets close to discovering the killer’s identity as the characters get closer to the truth. Cheung wisely manipulates the audience this way, and succeeds in creating an aura of suspense. Cheung is also known for combining comedy and Kung Fu in his films, and admittedly, he balances the two well. However, Cheung thankfully passed on the comedy for MASK OF DEATH, and the grim mood of the film adds to the depth. The tone is bleak and barren, and death is all around. Except for Tung Wei’s training sequences, everyone is fighting for their very survival. Joe Cheung gives the film a grim outlook and barbaric nature, that puts it right up there with the best of Chang Cheh.

Joe Cheung has worked with most of the cast members before, and he knows how to get the best from his actors and actresses. Chen Sing looks in top form here, and is truly a fearsome martial artist for his age. Chen Sing’s character opens the film as a wise and honorable healer. Later in the film, his character is driven to insane extremes, and Chen Sing doesn’t miss a beat portraying both sides of the coin. It’s amazing how a civilized man like Chen Sing can believably project such hatred and wrath. Wang Dao is the true star of MASK OF DEATH, and he easily adapts to the secret agent role. Dao is his usual bad-ass self, but this film presents him with acting challenges not usually associated with a revenge tale. For instance, Iron Hand’s mother left him at age six, and now fully grown he has emotional problems with the opposite sex, and distrusts all women. Dao perfectly plays up his flawed characterization. Tung Wei’s character also progresses throughout the film, allowing him plenty of acting opportunities. Tung is excellent as the pacifist son of grandmaster Wong Tu Lung. Their father/son relationship is interesting, but never flushed out since Wong Tu Lung gets killed early on. Though he disagrees with his father’s philosophies, and is often ostracized by his elder, his character finally sees the martial arts as a way to gain acceptance from his deceased father. Tung Wei rises to the occasion in portraying the dimensions of his character. Tung Wei also is responsible for the fight choreography, which is top notch. There are plenty of fights with fists, spears, staffs, and bad guy Ma Cheung even uses poisonous cobras as weapons! Don’t miss the concluding fight between Chen Sing, Wang Dao, and Tung Wei.