Invincible Shaolin Kung Fu (1979)

Posted in Reviews by - March 07, 2015
Invincible Shaolin Kung Fu (1979)

In this variation on Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, Lee Yi-min plays the dopey orphan kid who works as a dishwasher for an unscrupulous boss. He lives with a stern, blind grandfather who teaches the boy discipline and ‘butterfly’ style kung fu. A plot is revealed involving the murder of local beggars by the very same nutcase who slaughtered Lee’s family 18 years previously, so revenge is soon on the cards, masterfully exacted in a flamboyant duel in the middle of nowhere. Typically, this cheap kung fu movie comes badly unhinged during the dramatic moments and slapstick routines, with some atrocious dubbing not helping. But the lengthy fight scenes are good enough to balance things out. It’s wholesome kung fu fun, if a little more unsophisticated than most. Quite what Shaolin has to do with it is anyone’s guess.

AKA: Butterfly 18; Secret of Shaolin Kung Fu; Wu Tang Sacred Fist

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Editor and creator of Kung Fu Movie Guide and the host of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. I live behind a laptop in London, UK.

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