Legendary Weapons of China [Blu-ray]

Overview

Considered one of the finest kung fu films made by the Shaw brothers, this film was directed by master choreographer Lau Kar-Leung. Three years after the Yim Ho clan sends ace fighter Lei Kung (played by the director Lau) to Yunnan to set up a branch there, headquarters learns that their man has spurned clan loyalty and closed down the group's southern outpost. Boss Li Lien-ying sends a trio of assassins independent of each other out after their renegade brother: Lei Ying (Lau Kar-wing) is skilled in the magical arts; Tieh Hon (Hsiao Hou) is a skilled killer; and Ti Tan (Lau Ka Fai) is the master at kung fu. Lei Ying hires a bumptious petty thug, Wu (Alexander Fu-Sheng), to pose as assassin, hoping to smoke Lei Kung out of hiding. Meanwhile, Tieh Hon becomes convinced that a wizened lumber salesman is the missing clan member.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/08/2022
UPC:	0760137810186
Original Release:	1982
Source:	88 Films
Language:	English
Time:	1:49:00
Sales rank:	23,464

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sheng Fu	Con Artist
Lee Shao Hwa	Actor
Wang Fu Quen	Actor
Chia-Liang Liu	Uncle Yu,Ti Tan
Hou Hsiao	Actor
Fu Sheng	Actor

Technical Credits

Chia-Liang Liu	Director
Mona Fong	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Legendary Weapons of China is not the most accessible kung fu film to emerge from the Shaw Brothers studios, but it is one of the most impressive. The film takes a little getting used to because it plunges the viewer right into the middle of a complex premise involving espionage, secret identities, and countless arcane martial arts techniques. The fact that several lead characters with complicated backstories are all introduced in the jam-packed first act doesn't help things. However, once the story gets rolling and there is time to adjust to the storyline, Legendary Weapons of China becomes a very impressive blast of martial arts fun. The script throws out one impressive kung-fu sequence after another, several of which use unique "magical" kung fu styles and all of which feature impressive, highly detailed choreography by director/star Liu Chia-Liang. More importantly, it works an unusually thoughtful theme into its storyline for such a film: namely, the idea that a human life is of greater value than some nebulous ideal. Legendary Weapons of China is also full of impressive performances: Liang is quite witty as a canny old master trying to protect his identity, Gordon Liu contributes a memorable cameo as a fighter with a unique skill, and Alexander Fu-Sheng is hilarious as an actor who impersonates kung-fu practitioners for profit. Best of all, the film culminates in an impressive finale that incorporates several weapons and kung-fu styles in one fell swoop. To sum up, Legendary Weapons of China is a demanding but worthwhile old-school kung fu outing that is virtually guaranteed to delight genre fans.

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