Five Shaolin Masters

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AKA: 5 Shaolin Masters, Five Masters of Death, Five Ancestors from Shaolin

Year of release: 1974

Genre: martial arts

Director: Chang Cheh

Action directors: Lau Kar-Leung, Lau Kar-Wing

Producer: Run Run Shaw

Writers: Ni Kuang

Cinematography: Kung Mu-To

Editing: Kwok Ting-Hung

Music: Frankie Chan

Stars: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Alexander Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan-Chun, Mang Fei, Leung Kar-Yan, Fung Hak-On, Tsai Hung, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei, Gordon Liu

Not rated; contains IIB-level violence

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Five Shaolin Masters  Five Shaolin Masters

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Even the greatest auteurs will have a few misfires in their cinematic canons, and Chang Cheh -- considered by many the pinnacle of directors that have worked in the kung fu genre -- is no exception. His 1974 film Five Shaolin Masters is not a truly bad film by any stretch of the imagination, but it feels like it is just going through the motions, which is especially disappointing considering the cast and crew involved.

The film takes place after the famous story of the burning of the Shaolin temple, as five survivors band together to form a revolutionary group to fight against the Qing, and also to find the man who sold them out. The plot is really nothing all that inventive, but certainly Chang Cheh has been able to produce fine works using even less of a foundation than this. Perhaps he was (to say the least) a bit overworked, as this was one of seven movies he directed in 1974. Whatever the case may be, this is a decent enough Shaw Brothers film, but not much of a Chang Cheh one. There's very little of his trademark panache. In fact, the movie looks a bit sloppy at times, pointing to a rushed production.

Fight-wise, even with Lau Kar-Leung and Lau Kar-Wing handling the action coordination, nothing here is all that exciting. Sure, like most of Lau Kar-Leung's work, there's some cool and unique weapons on display, but none of the stars are acting like they are giving their all, and, again, there is a lack of polish that one tends to expect from the upper-tier classic kung fu productions. If you're a fan of the actors starring here, you'll probably find enough to dig on that this is a worthy viewing experience. But more casual viewers may want to stick with some of the better-known entries in the genre.

RATING: 6