Now available from 88 Films
The Chou clan decides they want peace with the Meng clan but the Meng clan isn’t interested.
Set at the end of the Ching Dynasty, this homage to Yojimbo has a few elements in common but makes the most of its story written by Kuang Ni and directed by Chung Sun. The film here sees a group of fighters, of course, taking on a task and entertaining as best they can while getting to their goal. This one is a bit derivative but it’s still an entertaining watch and one that has plenty to offer viewers. The story has some new twists and turns and it makes great use of classical elements as well as elements that could be considered overused if not used in the right way. While the story is not entirely original and has a lot of predictability, it’s a fun one so it’s easy to overlook the issues it may have. The writing works here and the direction works well with it.
The cast for The Kung Fun Instructor once again has a bunch of familiar faces for those who watch a lot of Shaw Brothers movies and it’s always fun to see these folks in new parts and working well together as friends or enemies. There is something in the cast of Shaw Brothers productions that makes them instantly recognizable and quickly enjoyable. The leads Lung Ti and Yue Wong are fun to watch as usual and they make the most of their parts and their skills. While not perfect, they give it their all. The two of them are fun and entertaining, making the film rewatchable. Also fun to spend time with are Angie Chiu, Feng Ku, Lung-Wei Wang, and a whole bunch more.
This first Shaw Brothers film partially shot on a steadicam has cinematography by Ngai Choi Lam mixed classic Shaw Brothers style with (then) new technology really well and makes the most of the story and action sequences here, something these productions usually have. The style here fits the production company more than anything else here, working out well once watching this film along with others from the Shaw Brothers. The editing by Hsing-Lung Chiang and Shao-Feng Yu works well with the images and the story at hand, giving the action sequences and fights room to breathe and the viewer the capacity to watch these without too many cuts, something many will be thankful for. The action sequences here are part of the genre and the films from this crowd and for their fans, so it’s quite important to have them be easily watched.
The Kung Fu Instructor has some repetitive elements and some clearly taken out of other films and stories, but it brings them all together in a (mostly) cohesive manner with some truly entertaining fights. The cast here is as solid as can be expected for the film and makes the most of each of their parts and, in most cases, their fight sequences. This new re-release from 88 Films looks fantastic on Blu-ray with the sound as good as it’s going to get given the source material. The subtitles are on point and easy to read, making it a good upgrade for those who may have had an old import they were still using.