Koroshiya.co.uk - 5 Shaolin Masters

5 Shaolin Masters (AKA:-5 Masters of Death)

Original Title:- Siu lam ng jo

Country - Hong Kong

Year of Production - 1974

Run Time - 105 minutes

Genre - Action/Martial Arts

Rating - 18

Director - Cheh Chang

Written by - ??

Starring:-

David Chiang - Hu Te-Ti
Lung Ti - Chi
Sheng Fu - Ma Chao-Hsing
Kuan-Chun Chi - Li Si Kai
Fei Meng - Fang Ta-Tung

Synopsis

Five students of Shaolin Temple escape its destruction at the hands of the Manchu and struggle to organize a rebel movement while preparing to fight seven powerful enemies.

Review

The five shaolin Masters are the only survivors of a massacre at their temple, the survivors are, Fang, Lu, Li, Hu and Mai (Choaxing) they are later accompanied by Mai Fuyi who also managed to escape the massacre. They know that the Quing army who carried out the massacre must have had inside information as the attack came out of the blue and so where defeated so easily.

They split up too find comrades that they have up north to help them in their quest against the Quing Army. They fight with each other to identify who their comrades are as they each have there own fight styles, they also fight the Quing army and you see what special fighters they have, you have the invisible flying axe, a geezer that fights with his hair and a couple of others. Whilst they are uniting with there comrades, brothers Mai Choaxing is captured by Mai Fuyib (who is the traitor) he tries to get the secret codes that they use to distinguish between friends and enemies, but whilst this is going Mai Choaxing escapes with the help of the others.

When they get back to their temple their leader is dead and decide the best thing is to leave, go to the wilderness where they train for over a year to see who is the best person to take over as leader. After this they return to fight the main characters from the Quing Army, which they win with only one fatality.

They endure so many fights in fact that the movie itself is just really one fight scene one after the next. Its quite well done but I have seen better with the likes of Raiders of the Wu Tang and similar. The plot itself is quite simple but this allows for so many fights scenes making it difficult to review but say its just about fighting!!. It’s a good Shaw Brother re-mastered DVD with great picture quality and sound. An entertaining viewing but not anywhere near the cream of the crop.

3 out of 5

Review by Haggles (UK)

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