Handlung

As the names of Chang Cheh and Liu Chia-liang became legendary, all-too-often the name of their equally valued collaborator, Tang Chia, is omitted. That may be,because, unlike the previous pair, the veteran kung-fu choreographer only went on to direct three movies of his own. Of course, that makes this trio all the more special, and this first effort perhaps the most special of all. It may be an eye-filling, mind-bending martial arts tale of two royal princes battling for the rightful recovery of the throne, but it's also a party, where Tang invites two cinematographers, three editors, and no less than five other choreographer friends to almost literally shoot the works. The results are kung-fu configurations not only never seen before, but never even imagined!—Adam Egre <degre@waun.tdsnet.com>

This is the first of only 3 films veteran kung-fu choreographer Tang Chia ever directed. It is an eye-filling and mind-bending wonder, which involved no less than five other of his choreographer friends in creating kung-fu configurations never seen before!

When the Emperor (Ai Fei) is killed and the throne usurped by Lord 9 (Pai Piao), his two baby princes are entrusted respectively to the care of three Shaolin monks and the premier (Ku Feng). The eldest prince (Ti Lung) is brought up and taught sophisticated martial arts by the three Shaolin masters, and Prince Two by the premier (Ku Feng). While on the way to the Shaolin Temple to seek an instruction manual for Sinews, Prince Two has a chance meeting with his elder brother without knowing his true identity and rescues him from the attack of a spirit. When Prince Two tries to borrow the manual from the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, he is required to smash a Lohan array. He fails, and is captured and confined in a stone house. The elder prince comes to his rescue in time, and with the help of his three masters, the two eventually fight their way out of the array. Prince Two seeks his friend's help in eliminating Lord 9 and recovering the throne, but they arrive at the premier's quarters only to find the premier and others killed. Before his death, the premier identifies the elder prince from a royal seal carried by him. Outside the Shaolin Temple, Lord 9 orders the abbot to hand over the two princes when the two arrive. They accuse him of usurpation and kill him after a fierce fight. The throne is recovered, but the elder prince declines to return to Shaolin as a monk.