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CRIPPLED
AVENGERS
AKA:
Return Of The 5 (Five) Deadly Venoms
|| Avengers Handicapped
|| Mortal Combat
Year:
1978 Reviewer: Scott
Napier
Of
all the venoms movies, this has to be the best for all the
stars to show off their acrobatic skills. An absolute
masterpiece from the late great Master Chang Cheh!
Every
venom is brought together with the exception of Wei Pei. Also
involved is earlier star Chen Kwan Tai and the late great
Chaing Sheng to deliver what could be one of Chang Cheh's most
memorable films, mainly due to it's unforgettable title.
In
retaliation for an attack set up by the mentally disturbed Dao
Tian Du (Chen Kwan Tai), the '3 Tiannan Tigers' (led by Dick
Wei) storm his home to kill the guards and take advantage of
his family. His wife dies in shock of having her legs chopped
off. However, the boy survives but his arms are chopped off.
Dao avenges their loss immediately as he discovers this
situation. Dao promises to get the best blacksmith to attach
iron arms for his deformed son.
Years
later. His son grown up, now has iron arms that have the
capability to extend outwards in close quarters battle whilst
his fingers can shoot out darts. In the town, it is
unofficially known that Dao's clan rule the town so no one
dares to cross them. They also make it clear that if they were
insulted in the slightest, the 'offender' would be tortured.
Sadly,
4 victims fall for this: Bystander Chen Shuen (Kuo Chui) is
blinded, Blacksmith Wei Jia Jie (Lo Meng) is deaf and mute, an
ex-worker (Sun Chien) is legless and fighter Wang Yi (Chiang
Cheng) is brain damaged. Despite their disabilities, they are
taught to enhance their other senses to optimum level. The
heroic group are determined to avenge for what they got taken
from them.
Sure,
it maybe another revenge story. The finale delivers a
breathtaking fight of father and son vs. all 4 warriors. What
follows is the classic battle of such characters representing
justice which in that era and place would not be visible.
Lo
Meng's muscular physique may slow him down from performing.
Sun Chien receives the least screen time, apart from throwing
a few kicks he's mainly inert in the action side - Probably
due to the limitations of his character. Because of this, the
work of acting a cripple and fighting simultaneously will be
complicated, viewers will expect maximum results for this
title to live up to it's reputation - This certainly does not
disappoint.
Of
all characters, Kuo Chui's is probably the most entertaining
as he receives such a complicated character with more screen
time and he mainly takes over everything in the training
scenes and the finale. With the departure of the only female
character and useless henchmen, the main reason to watch this
will be for the father & son vs. 4 warriors.
It
would be hard and unfair for me to say what the best venoms
movie was due to all their uniqueness and different values of
martial arts and plot. It's either one has superior and faster
action and a relatively easy-to-follow plot or another
following the broadcasting of each actor's skills equally.
Nobody
does it better... than the poisons, and of course Master Chang
Cheh!
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