A simplified version of the story for Five Shaolin Masters would read something like this: Five righteous dudes get their asses whipped by five heinous dudes. The five righteous dudes go train together, developing their skills and formulating plans for the upcoming rematches. At the end, all that hard work and training really pays off as the five righteous dudes kick the shit out of the five heinous dudes. That's about the sum of it, yet with a film like this, it doesn't really matter. It's the delivery that counts, and kung fu flick maestro Chang Cheh is calling the shots. No director was better suited to helm one of these pictures, and no one was better suited to produce the movie than the Shaw Brothers. This is another colorful epic that surely ranks among their best offerings. It's not quite on the same level as the studio's crown jewel, The Five Deadly Venoms (also directed by Chang Cheh), but one could certainly make a great argument for putting Five Shaolin Masters next on the list. This is one of the few Cheh Chang films that isn't highlighted by stars from the fabled Venom Mob, but the cast is legit. My main man David Chiang is on point, and his Blood Brothers co-star Lung Ti also does a tremendous job. There are several extremely effective fight scenes and there is some top-notch weapons choreography on display. The action is great, the characters are bold, and the end result is an entertaining kung fu romp that concludes with a monumental showdown.
Final Grade: A
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| These five righteous dudes bond over a series of good beatings and come together to train as they prepare to turn the tables on five heinous dudes. |
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