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Cast:
Yuen
Shun Yi
Tsui
Siu Ming
Peter
Chan Lung
Fan
Mei Sheng
Chan
Siu Pang
Yuen
Chun Wei
Lee
Hoi San
Action:
Yuen
Clan
Producer:
Yuen
Woo Ping
Director:
Yuen
Woo Ping
Tsui
Siu Ming
Score:
 
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THE
BUDDHIST FIST
AKA:
The Secret Of The Buddhist Fist
Year:
1979 Reviewer: Tony
Ryan
The
most consistently good action director in Hong Kong’s
history - whatever the genre - has arguably been Yuen Woo
Ping, and this old-school classic is just another typical
example of why he is perceived as such.
Woo
Ping's younger brother Yuen Shun Yi gets a rare leading role
as an orphan, brought up and trained by a Buddhist monk
alongside his friend Chui Siu Ming. As he gets older, he
decides to move to the city and ends up working with Chan Lung
in a barber's shop before they are both fired for fighting a
customer. As a result, Shun Yi goes back home to look for his
godfather, who unbeknownst to him, has been kidnapped after
uncovering a conspiracy. The plot follows a formulaic seek
and revenge storyline with a few plot-twists thrown in to
keep it relatively fresh. However, what we all want to see
from a film like this is intricate kung-fu choreography, and
for the most part, it delivers.
From
start to finish there is barely a scene without action, with
most of it being the typical hand-to-hand variety, but now and
then a few weapons and wires are thrown in to spice things up.
Yuen Shun Yi lacks the fluidity in his execution when compared
to genre favourites like Yuen Biao and Jackie Chan, so is not
convincing as a character with almost perfect skills. On the
other hand, Chui Siu Ming gives a flawless display but has
appeared in very few films since, choosing to use his skills
as a choreographer often working with the Yuen Clan and
occasionally with my personal favourite, Sammo Hung.
Unfortunately,
for veterans of old-school flicks, the choreography on display
here is nothing new, and a lot of it takes place in the dark,
which makes it less than easy to follow. A couple of old
favourites like Lee Hoi San turn up to add extra quality to
the execution, and the finale itself is a very good example of
Woo Ping's early work. But all in all it's a merely solid
flick without being anything special.
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