Unbeaten 28 DVD

THE UNBEATEN 28 (1980)
Ground Zero Entertainment
86 Minutes
Written and Directed by Joseph Kuo
Produced by Joseph Kuo
Cinematography by Chong Sun
Fighting Instructions by She Fu Tsai
Cast: Jack Long, Meng Fei, Jeannie Chang, Mark Long, Ma Cheung, Simon Yuen, Nancy Yen, O Yau Man, Mau Ging Shun
Video: Full Frame (1.33.1)
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono 2.0
Subtitles: None
Packaging: Keepcase
Chapter Stops: 6

Joseph Kuo does triple duty on his esoteric 1980 film, THE UNBEATEN 28; having written, produced, and directed this obscure effort. This was one of many Kung Fu films he made for Hong Hwa Motion Pictures during the 1970s that utilized his troupe of stock actors like Jack Long (MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE, BOXER’S ADVENTURE, 7 GRANDMASTERS), Simon Yuen (DRUNKEN MASTER, DIRTY KUNG FU, OLD DIRTY STRIKES BACK)

Jeannie Chang (MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING, 36 DEADLY STYLES, WORLD OF DRUNKEN MASTER), and Mark Long (BORN INVINCIBLE, WAR OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE, SHAOLIN TRAITOR). Instead of Li Yi Min in the starring role, Kuo recruited the charismatic Meng Fei, a familiar face in the Hong Kong movie scene with prominent roles in classics like PRODIGAL BOXER (1972), FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS (1974), and GREEN JADE STATUETTE (1978). Also rounding out the cast is Ma Cheung (SHAOLIN KUNG FU MYSTAGOGUE, EAGLE’S CLAW, MASK OF DEATH), Nancy Yen (IRON MAN, CLANS OF INTRIGUE, FLYING GUILLOTINE PART 2) and the great O Yau Man (THE BLAZING TEMPLE, GREEN DRAGON INN, THE CAVALIER), who made a career out of playing elder Shaolin Abbots with eyebrows that reach the floor. Recently, Ground Zero inked a contract with the U.K. company, Eastern Heroes, to release their catalog titles on Region 1 DVDs. So Ground Zero not only has the Wu Tang Clan, Black Belt Theater, and Brooklyn Zoo collections, they now have the Eastern Heroes series as well.

The leader of the Kong Tung clan is Yen Chan Ying (Mark Long), a ruthless warlord who is master of 26 styles which gives him a tremendous advantage over normal martial artists. One day a proud man dares to step forth and speak against Yen Chan Ying’s villainy. Sadly, the man’s fighting skills are not as immense as his bravery and he goes down to Yen Chan Ying like so many others before him. The man’s family members deliver his infant son to the nearby Abbot (O Yau Man) who in turn takes the baby to the well-to-do clan of Chen Yung (Jack Long), an honorable Kung Fu instructor who owes the baby’s father a debt of gratitude. The Abbot informs Chen Yung to raise the boy as a warrior to take revenge on his father’s killer, and hands him a special book to train him in the Iron Body style. One day while Chen Yung labors over the kids training, he leaves his family unprotected. This allows Yen Chan Ying to kill the rest of his clan. The obsessed Chen Yung now plans to use the kid, now called Tiger, to take revenge for not only himself, but Tiger’s father as well. The kid quickly grows into a young man who displays considerable invulnerability and martial arts abilities.

Chen Yung keeps training Tiger intensely until his 18^th birthday, and all this hard work has left him cold. Tiger doesn’t have a normal life like most young men as he is constantly focused on Kung Fu. He winds up leaving Chen Young’s palace and exploring the life in the nearby village. Chen Yung’s daughter, Lin Erh (Jeannie Chang) follows him into the town. Meanwhile, Yen Chan Ying crosses paths with Chen Yung in the woods, and the two elders fight for supremecy. Yen Chan Ying kills his opponent and when Tiger hears about this, he promises to eliminate the killer of his adopted father. Lin Erh also pledges her life to seek justice for her father’s death. Tiger asks the Abbott for advice, and the Abbot sends him to Tai Shing Temple to seek out the legendary manual of Kung Fu. With it, his skills would even over power the great Yen Chan Ying. Inside the temple are numerous death traps and one must use their ingenuity and martial arts skills to make it through the maze-like interiors. No one has ever made it through the Tai Shing Temple alive. Tiger was trained since birth to become a super human fighting machine and he must use every skill that he has learned if he is to make it through this temple of doom and secure the mystical Kung Fu manual!

Joseph Kuo does it again and delivers another minor classic. Though not quite in the same league as his best films, THE EIGHTEEN BRONZEMEN, THE BLAZING TEMPLE, and BORN INVINCIBLE, the movie really pushes the envelope of the traditional martial arts pulp thriller. Though THE UNBEATEN 28 is plagued with some problems (which we’ll discuss later), the strengths surely outweigh the few weaknesses. Having absolute control over the production allowed Kuo free reign to bring his creative vision to the screen. Yes, THE UNBEATEN 28 is completely driven by the familiar revenge scenario (on numerous levels), but it’s the manner in which Kuo deftly handles the unfolding of the plot that impresses. Whereas in most films of this genre, the bulk of the movie is taken up by establishing the revenge motive, depicting acts of atrocity on the part of the villain, and the never-ending training sequences, Kuo addresses these nuances in the first five minutes. Then it’s into Kuo’s Tai Shing Shrine for some truly suspenseful events. In fact, most of THE UNBEATEN 28 takes place in this claustrophobic labyrinth where we witness Meng Fei coming to grips with his destiny by battling human foes and otherworldly creations. The film is basically a martial arts version of INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, with some HOUSE OF TRAPS thrown in for good measure (only THE UNBEATEN 28 came before both those movies). Kuo veers off into fantasy territory more than once, but unlike many of his contemporaries, he can make the fantastical elements work, as anyone whose seen THE EIGHTEEN BRONZEMEN can attest.

Much of the success of the film falls into the shoulders of the cast who certainly deliver involving performances that match the drama in Joseph Kuo’s script. Meng Fei is better here than in similar roles of this time period like KUNG FU OF 8 DRUNKARDS, and his performance is much more reminiscent of his early Shaw Brothers days. Jack Long doesn’t fight much in THE UNBEATEN 28, but he sure gets to stretch his acting talents farther than ever before. Jeannie Chang gets dramatic in the last act and wants to interject herself into the Meng Fei vs. Mark Long rivalry. Speaking of Mark Long, the young actor/martial artist makes for a truly heinous miscreant that matches his own Ghost Faced Killer character for sheer villainy. Alas, as innovative as THE UNBEATEN 28 is, there are several elements worth mentioning that shoot it down. Most of Kuo’s early successes had a dead serious tone, and after the success of Jackie Chan’s DRUNKEN MASTER in 1978, Kuo quickly jumped on the Kung Fu comedy bandwagon. Thankfully, except for a few playful moments, the humor in THE UNBEATEN 28 is held in check. But there is a sequence in the movie where Meng Fei encounters an elderly master inside the temple who is depicted as an effeminate man, complete with rouge make-up on his cheeks. This comedic bit comes out of nowhere and fails to do anything other than hurt the momentum of this film. The Jack Long/Mark Long fight is way too short and is barely a minute long. Kuo really blew it by not having these two guys really go at it—especially after all the build up. Other weaknesses include some truly shoddy editing of the combat sequences, and some fight choreography that should not have been enhanced by over-cranking the film speed.

THE UNBEATEN 28 was filmed in 1980 on low grade film stock. So there is plenty of discoloration, blemishes, grain, etc. Having stated that, this is a decent full frame transfer from Ground Zero, considerably cleaner and more colorful than their MASKED AVENGERS and CHINESE SUPER NINJAS DVDs. The full frame transfer sacrifices the movie’s low production values, yet fully retains the integrity of the fight choreography (which often suffers from jittery editing). The depth of the image provides unusual clarity, and the detail level is not compromised. In one of the films best moments, Meng Fei battles what looks like living statues. The color schemes and visual cues are suitably nightmarish. The interiors of the Tai Shing Shrine are appropriately brownish, with lots of colorful studio backlighting that displays vibrant reds, blues, greens, etc. The perfectly calibrated black levels help anchor the colorful canvas. THE UNBEATEN 28 contains some weapons work with swords, staffs, and triple irons. Meng Fei uses a ring weapon and Mark Long employs a hat which buzzes around like a flying guillotine. The transfer job on this disc is overall pleasing and reminiscent of the solid transfer of that other Meng Fei Ground Zero flick, KUNG FU OF 8 DRUNKARDS.

I don’t know what Ground Zero has done to their DVD authoring, but the sound on this disc is quite an improvement. The DVD loads up the main menu where some sinister themes emanate from the soundfield with true stereo fidelity. The soundtrack for the movie is not as vibrant as the menu audio, but it’s still one of the best mono tracks we’ve heard in a while. Even though the audio is only Dolby Digital Mono 2.0, the soundtrack exhibits amazing depth, clarity, and resonance. Inside the Tai Shing Temple (which is where more than half the movie takes place), there is a marvelous echo effect that enhances the vocals and sound effects. The clanging weapons sound especially good in the shrine. The score is your typical Joseph Kuo affair—no original composing at all, just a collage of stock Kung Fu themes that we are all familiar with.

Of all Joseph Kuo’s later low-budget films, this is the one that comes close to capturing the Shaw Brothers vibe. The sets and solemn drama capture some of that SB magic. Some awkward moments of humor and poorly photographed fight sequences keep this one from shooting to the top of the Kuo heap. Still, if you are a fan of Joseph Kuo then you’ll want to discover THE UNBEATEN 28 for yourself. Ground Zero kicks off their Eastern Heroes series with a bang, five decent flicks with transfers that easily match up favorably with the best efforts from Tai Seng. If you are already a fan of THE UNBEATEN 28, you’ll probably should be aware that there is a superior Region 2 DVD with a widescreen transfer. Of course, you’ll have to pay more to import that one.

Movie:	3.5
Video:	3.0
Audio:	3.5
Extras:	0.0
Overall:	3.5