Shi ba ban wu yi (1977)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Hung Min Chen

Writer:

Yueh-ling Wu (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 October 1977 (Finland)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

You've seen the Snake Fist... and the Needles of Death. In the Hands of the Dragon 18 are Death!

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Fighting | Number In Title

Cast

Fei-fei Cheng
Tien-chi Cheng
Ke Chu
Tou Hu
Hsiao Po Ko
Pao Ko
Hai-ching Li
Shao-hua Li
Ching Suen Mao
Chang Ming Pan
Ting Ken Shih
Hsueh-kun Wang
Yung Sheng Wang
Hsiao Fu Weng
Chi Sang Wong
Te-shan Wu

Also Known As:

18 Secrets of Kung Fu (Hong Kong: English title) (USA) (DVD title)
18 Weapons of Kung Fu (International: English title)
Eighteen Fighting Skills (Hong Kong: English title)

Runtime:

Sweden:89 min (2004)

Country:

Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Tung Hai Film Company

"Is all very exciting master!" -little girl at beginning of movie

This is the ultimate Kung Fu movie! This is the only Kung Fu movie! This is the only Kung Fu movie I have ever seen! I am giving this movie way too much credit! My best guess for the reason for making this movie is that someone wanted to show off someone else's martial arts abilities, but realized that you can't just film a guy fighting another guy and have people watch it, so he put a story behind the fighting... and people still didn't watch it.

This movie's story line was onion skin thin. That acting was goofy and stereotypical of any Kung Fu movie. The dubbing was literally the worst I have ever heard. It seemed if you played a small role in this movie, like the fat guy or the two guys trying to catch the main character with a net, it didn't matter who over did your voice. It could have been a dyslexic with a slurred stutter and nobody would have said anything. But beside all of this, the movie makes up for itself with the somewhat awesome fight scenes.

The fight scenes were definitely what this movie was all about. But the instigations of the fights were totally absurd! On most all instances, a guy either pops out of the tall grass, or glances at the main character from a distance, and then attacks him. But once the fighting started, things sort of balanced out. There were only two things that really hampered the fighting, though. Those constant "wooshing" sound effects that were added to every swing of a fist or foot or sword, and the poor editing that made 25 percent of the fighting VERY jumpy and choppy. Someone would be in the middle of a back flip and then suddenly be on the ground being kicked, and then instantly be back on their feet blocking a punch. But while the cut and paste editing was more of a nuisance than anything else, it didn't really affect the overall movie.

In the end, this was not a great movie, but I wasn't expecting a great movie. A great movie is not something you should expect when you see a box cover like this movie's. All I saw this movie as was a way to pass an hour and a half of boredom. I rarely say that, but this was just one of those movies you have no practical use for, so you watch it whenever you have some free time. Enjoy the movie if you decide to watch it! Good day gentlemen.

-Scott-