Member Cold Bishop Posted January 13, 2015 Member Share Posted January 13, 2015 It's a great, great movie which I feel often gets unfairly lumped as a second-tier LKL film (same with Challenge of the Masters, which as a film pretty much epitomizes LKL's entire philosophy), And one of the interesting things is that it's so much darker than anything else LKL did, even 8 Diagram Pole Fighter. You're right, LKL was actively reacting against the genre's fixation with violence and fatalism (Chang Cheh). As a real martial-artist, he knew kung-fu was something positive and spiritually enriching, and one of his projects was definitely trying to make films that reflected that, films which got away frin the "revenge" narrative which dominated the rest of the genre and found another path. Here, however, he goes in a complete other direction: the movie really is the negative image of Heroes of the East, another story of a martial-artist forced to fight his wife's "in-laws". Here, however, the discipline and hierarchy required by the martial-family pollutes the real one, creating strict obligations which cannot be amended or broken (I don't it's any mistake that it is the family women who rebel against a strictly patriarchal order). I still don't know why people dislike the ending - do people want a "happy" one where Chiang gets away with what he did? Furthermore, the ending adds another layer to the whole proceeding: Chiang's father sacrifices his family to a political cause just the way Lau Kar-Wing's bearded patriarch did his. It both underscores and further complicates the film's critique of family order. And David Chiang is very good here: this and his Eric Tsang films show he could do shapes whenever he was willing to bust his ass for it (although I'm pretty sure he's doubled a bit in the latter films). With that said, I think Chiang knew his limitations as a performer, which is more often than not avoided shapes altogether and started retreating into comedy and back to wuxia (and he does some fantastic late work there: Judgement of an Assassin, Strife for Mastery, Blooded Treasury Fight). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShawAngela Posted January 13, 2015 Member Share Posted January 13, 2015 Glad to see that someone else appreciates David Chiang, I read so many bad comments on him, how he fought and so on... And this movie is very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted January 13, 2015 Member Share Posted January 13, 2015 Great movie, my favorite DC performance so far. Like you, I didn't like the ending on first viewing, but thought it was great the next time I watched it. I just watched this recently and made a post about it in "best shaw you've seen recently.." Check it out! www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3946&page=120 Good post Cold Bishop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Eastern Evil Posted January 13, 2015 Member Share Posted January 13, 2015 Great movie, my favorite DC performance so far. Like you, I didn't like the ending on first viewing, but thought it was great the next time I watched it. I just watched this recently and made a post about it in "best shaw you've seen recently.." Check it out! www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3946&page=120 Good post Cold Bishop. If you don't like the ending of this, you should really see 'Usurpers of Emperors Power'. That is one real downer of a movie but I really liked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted April 23, 2015 Member Share Posted April 23, 2015 GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted April 23, 2015 Moderator Share Posted April 23, 2015 I'd go with 'Shaolin Mantis'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted April 23, 2015 Member Share Posted April 23, 2015 I'd go with 'Shaolin Mantis'. I'd say that too (especially seeing the second pic), but I'm not so sure. Still nice finds, GDY-Y. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted April 23, 2015 Member Share Posted April 23, 2015 It should be Shaolin Mantis. GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member clfnole Posted April 23, 2015 Member Share Posted April 23, 2015 100% Shaolin Mantis...no brainer actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted April 23, 2015 Member Share Posted April 23, 2015 If you haven't seen this one GDYY get it immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShawAngela Posted April 23, 2015 Member Share Posted April 23, 2015 Of course it's Shaolin Mantis : Cecilia Wong, David Chiang, Gordon Liu and David's costume are the proofs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted April 24, 2015 Member Share Posted April 24, 2015 If you haven't seen this one GDYY get it immediately. I new it. And I have seen this one. Thanks all! GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 24, 2015 Administrator Share Posted April 24, 2015 These photos are great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted April 27, 2015 Member Share Posted April 27, 2015 I new it. And I have seen this one. Thanks all! GD Y-Y If you haven't seen the trailer, watch it immediately. AZFsLGkWIB0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 27, 2015 Administrator Share Posted April 27, 2015 If you haven't seen the trailer, watch it immediately. Thanks for embedding the trailer here Morgoth. I'm sure those that haven't seen it will be very happy once they view it. It's rare to have a trailer with so much footage that's not in the movie, and anything with Pops... Must-see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted April 27, 2015 Member Share Posted April 27, 2015 Billion thanks, Morgoth. Brilliant trailer you posted here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted April 28, 2015 Member Share Posted April 28, 2015 If you haven't seen the trailer, watch it immediately. AZFsLGkWIB0 I must admit I got goose bumps watching this. As Sifu said in his last words of this remarkable trailer: Thank You! GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted April 28, 2015 Member Share Posted April 28, 2015 KUNG FU QUEST 2 - NORTHERN & SOUTHERN PRAYING MANTIS EP 4 (ENG SUB) rhvZjvTZeUE The kung fu quest series is quite interesting they take on many martial arts forms with real masters and their students. GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member reason108 Posted April 29, 2015 Member Share Posted April 29, 2015 Thanks for posting these! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted April 29, 2015 Member Share Posted April 29, 2015 Your very welcome. GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cloud Hands Posted April 29, 2015 Member Share Posted April 29, 2015 KUNG FU QUEST 2 - NORTHERN & SOUTHERN PRAYING MANTIS EP 4 (ENG SUB) rhvZjvTZeUE The kung fu quest series is quite interesting they take on many martial arts forms with real masters and their students. GD Y-Y Most of the Kung Fu Quest series are decent and I think very interesting. Many of them are up on youtube, some in HD I think. Although no one is going to really learn the inner teachings of an art in a week (especially in China where they can be secretive about such things) as an introduction, travelogue and opportunity to see authentic practitioners introducing their arts it is well worth watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted April 30, 2015 Member Share Posted April 30, 2015 Might be a good opportunity to make some advertisment for my master in China oVesa4KqKZ0 This is a authentic Northern Mantis Form. I did a bit of it myself while in China Mantis boxing is very dynamic and uses all directions for attack... I like it a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted April 30, 2015 Member Share Posted April 30, 2015 Its interesting that you do not see the classic mantis fist in video. Thanks for the post laagi GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted April 30, 2015 Member Share Posted April 30, 2015 Its interesting that you do not see the classic mantis fist in video. Actually you do... It's just that he does the form so damn quick Mantis also uses a fist where you slightly extend your middle finger (sorry, I don't know the exact name). It's quite brutal if you get hit in the side or the ribs! BTW, is this real or just another fake ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member reason108 Posted May 1, 2015 Member Share Posted May 1, 2015 Actually you do... It's just that he does the form so damn quick Mantis also uses a fist where you slightly extend your middle finger (sorry, I don't know the exact name). It's quite brutal if you get hit in the side or the ribs! BTW, is this real or just another fake ??? I don't know if that picture is real or not. But, I think there are some other legit pix of Bruce messing around with the Mantis form. So, it very well could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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