Martial arts movies don’t come more iconic than this kung fu masterpiece from director Lau Kar-leung. With an acute focus on the disciplines of combat, it’s the ultimate training film, as Gordon Liu’s lithe apprentice eschews the path of vengeance for one of grace and spiritual self-determination.
What good are codes of honor in an unchivalrous world? It’s the key question for director Chang Cheh in this period crime epic. With action staging by choreographer supreme Lau Kar-leung, The Boxer from Shantung builds to a pyrrhic last stand that ranks among the bloodiest battles in the Shaw canon.
You can always rely on Lau Kar-leung to make good on a film title loaded with so much promise. The Shaw Brothers maestro writes, directs, and stars in this gloriously entertaining blend of wuxia and kung fu. Rolled out for the grand finale, those weapons prove as plentiful as they are legendary.