Pssst, want to check out Tang lang in our new look?
Information
- A.k.a.
- Shaolin Mantis
- Year
- 1978
- Runtime
- 96 min.
- Director
- Chia-Liang Liu
- Genres
- Action, Drama
- Rating *
- 6.8
- Votes *
- 329
- Checks
- 57
- Favs
- 2
- Dislikes
- 0
- Favs/checks
- 3.5% (1:29)
- Favs/dislikes
- 2:0
Top comments
-
Siskoid
Shaolin Mantis, a Quing vs. Ming drama that turns into a revenge tragedy. I was surprised to see Gordon Liu listed as director for this movie, first because I didn't know he HAD directed, but also because it looks, sounds and feels like a Lau Kar-Leung movie. The two were adopted brothers and worked together extensively, so it's not too surprising. The action standard is very high, but I did expect a little more "mantis" moves. It didn't disappoint when it arrived though, with perhaps the best role ever for an insect in a film (outside animation, at least), the mantis who teaches the hero the new fighting style. There are shades of Taming of the Shrew to the love story, but in the end, it's not a comedy, with the movie crashing to an abrupt and miserable end that may leave you mystified (unless you know a little something about the use of Ming and Quing in these films) and unsatisfied. 8 years 7 months ago