Legendary Weapons of China, a.k.a. Legendary Weapons of Kung Fu
Craig
My brother was by for a visit. This is news, because he lives in Austria (beer halls and sausages, not kangaroos). We hadn’t seen each other for about eleven years.
Even in the best cases, family relationships can be … complicated. Alan and I have been through much of the good times and bad times that are typical of siblings. Among the good times, Alan introduced me to much of the music I now listen to, a handful of the books on my shelf, and gave me my first taste of martial arts action movies when I was a wee lad.
Well, then. In honor of Alan’s trip to the States, let’s have a look at a film about brotherhood.
Release
NS Video. Dubbed.
Starring
Liu Chia Liang, Liu Chia Yung, Liu Chia Hui, Fu Sheng, Hsiao Hou
In Brief
The Yee Ho Society was formed to transform loyal Chinese fighters into invincible supermen, impervious to Western bullets. Problem: Their techniques are based on goofball parlour tricks, and anyone who tries to use them in a gunfight is in for a rude, painful surprise. A former member, Lei Kung, got sick of watching his pupils march to their deaths. Lei has disolved the chapter of the Yee Ho Society which was under his command, and gone into hiding in Canton. The remaining society members must destroy him, and all that he stands for.
To prove their loyalty to the Yee Ho society, members may be required to dance like Michael Jackson.
With the cunning of Wile E. Cyote, three Yee Ho assassins from different regions set out to find Lei Kung.
The three killers quickly begin tripping over each other. Lei Kung hires a troop of con artists to impersonate him, drawing out his enemies. Fu Sheng, who had recently recovered from a leg injury, takes the lead role in this farce.
One of Lei Kung’s stalkers is secretly a supporter, hoping to warn him of his danger. She finds Lei in rusty shape, having abandoned his training after he disolved his branch of the Yee Ho society. Lei’s brother, Lei Yung (also a member of Yee Ho), stops by to warn Lei Kung that other members of the society will be stopping by to bust him up directly, and he had best get his kung fu back in working condition on the double.
Lei Kung heeds the advice he has received, and beats several challengers until they decide to re-think their lives.
Well, then, I’ll just take my gold robe out of here, and subject you to the indignity of being defeated by someone else!
When Lei Kung has handed out several helpings of Shut Up to his enemies from the Yee Ho society, he reveals to his allies that his brother was not really on his side at all; Lei Yung actually wanted Lei Kung to beat all of the other higher-ups in Yee Ho in order to make it easier to seize power for himself. Of course, in order to see that through, Lei Yung will have to fight Lei Kung to the death.
Here begins the titular scene: two of the Lau brothers line up the eighteen traditional weapons, and go at it. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is something to behold.
Nice Shots
Some of the tea house shots settled into simple compositions with the look of a homage to Come Drink With Me.
Complete with a trouser role!
Learn Chinese the Shaw Brothers Way: That sign says ‘tea’, and it means people are about to fight.
Best Stunts
Legendary Weapons features some exaggerated high falls. Talk about going above and beyond.
Lau v. Lau
Two pugilists are afraid of being discovered by the third. They retreat to a narrow alley, and scramble up the walls until they are out of sight.
Disappointments
Overall, Legendary Weapons takes a dim view of the pugilistic societies, dismissing their alleged magic as simple trickery, but even Lei Kung uses a puppet to magically control his pawn in an early fight. What’s up with that?
Final Analysis
Produced by the Shaw Brothers, starring the Lau Brothers, about the Lei Brothers. Legendary Weapons of China tends to be a big hit with practitioners of Kung Fu, especially Hung Fist, who rave about the authentic weapon techniques. What grabbed me about Legendary Weapons, though, was the emphasis on redemption rather than killing and vengance. One by one, Lei Kung convinces his enemies to reconsider their decisions.
Good stuff. Four stars.
If You Like This
What could be more fun than watching the Lau brothers duke it out? See Drunken Monkey, Invincible Pole Fighter, and, heck, for a Lau Brothers film about redemption instead of murder, Challenge of the Masters.
The shot of a pugilist ripping his ‘nads off on command is a little deeper than it looks. Power and impotence are recurring themes in many Chinese films. There is symmetry between this scene, and the following scene of Yee Ho warriors marching out to be shot in formation. The film is saying something about superstition. Watch for the same contempt for quick fixes, magic, and superstition in other Lau films, and watch for the tradeoff between power and impotence in films like Dragon Gate Inn, and Swordsman III.
December 3rd, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Oh man, it is completely brilliant to have you back. Beautiful work, as always. I especially loved the “gold robe” caption.
December 4th, 2007 at 2:05 am
Thanks so much! It’s great to be writing again. Thanks for keeping the server warm while I dozed. You are, as has been indicated in the past, a one man army of quality entertainment mayhem.
December 5th, 2007 at 8:01 am
For a while I was worried that Chopsocky had died an honorable death, over a battle under a “tea” sign. Thank goodness that’s not the case.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Great to have you back and what a film for a come back! I just got this a couple of months ago from Netflix. It was the blades attached to the legs fight on the ceiling beams that knocked me out the most even though it was far too brief.I hope your brother liked it too.