Hong quan xiao zi (1975)

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Siskoid
Disciples of Shaolin (which has almost nothing to do with its title) is a Chang Cheh classic starring Fu Sheng at his most "Bugs Bunny", a cocky but poor kung fu master who gets embroiled in a merchant war between two textile mills. The first half was rather low on action, even has pacing issues, and while insolence is a fun character trait, Fu Sheng's character could be termed unlikable, but it sets up what comes later. By the second half, I was much more invested and the finale doesn't actually go where you think it will. Still, there's a lot going on - betrayals and counter-betrayals - and I don't think they all pay off. The blaring 70s cop show soundtrack is also a little ridiculous. As for Chang Cheh's trademark experimentalism, I still can't quite explain why some key fights are presented in sepia tone. It looks great, but are those fights meant to be connected in some way, or is it just that the color prints were lost and this is what remains? 8 years 2 months ago