La vengeance de l'aigle de Shaolin

Two strangers—one seeking revenge, the other looking for redemption—join forces to defeat a common enemy, the Iron Boat Clan, a gang of bloodthirsty bandits raised from childhood by the cruel overlord Yoh Xi-hung (Feng Ku). As the two men (brilliantly played by tragic star Alexander Fu Sheng and martial arts legend Ti Lung) fight side by side, they form an unlikely friendship, but when they finally face their ultimate foe, the despicable Yoh Xi Hung, the tragedy that connects them threatens to divide them.

An epic tale of love, revenge, absolution, camaraderie, and intertwined destinies, The Avenging Eagle is classic Shaw Brothers storytelling, told with the utmost skill and style by director Chung Sun, who delivers a visually stunning and throughly engaging masterpiece. Sun also proves to be no slouch when it comes to capturing awesome fight action: featuring an incredible raft of villains, each adept at a different weapon (including spears, rings, axes, swords, and metal claws), this marvellous martial arts spectacular delivers some of the most entertaining fight scenes I've seen in an old-school kung fu movie, with incredible stunts, impressive acrobatics and brutal violence galore, all leading up to a fantastic finale in Yoh Xi Hung's HQ that sees our 'heroes' duking it out with numerous henchmen on their way to the top man, including a duel with a pair of deadly one-armed bandits (the human kind, not the fruit machine variety).

Sun Chung's AVENGING EAGLE is a martial arts film that transcends the genre; it boasts a superior script and characterization, and achieves a tragic quality of its own.

The Shaw Bros. studio churned out a lot of martial arts films in its 25 year heyday. AVENGING EAGLE is one of the most memorable that I have seen. The script takes the viewer back and forth in time, the flashbacks allow the viewer to discover more and more about its two protagonists (played by TI LUNG and Alexander FU SHENG). So interwined are their pasts that it is quickly obvious that they should actually be each other's enemy. But the logic is such that we can also readily accept that they put aside their differences, eliminate as many of the Iron Boat clan sent in pursuit of TI LUNG's character, and finally, take on the evil leader of the clan (KU FENG).

I found the dialogue especially good and satisfying, and I am sure that others who have seen the film, can think of at least four or five instances, whether the dialogue demonstrates wonderful irony, quiet sadness, and ensures the two heroes display real qualities of heroism.

SUN CHUNG and his crew show a wonderful eye for their locations, the exotic and distinctive costuming and weaponry (of the heroes, and also the thirteen Eagles, and of course, their leader).

With the opening shot, it was obvious this film was photographed away from the usual locations. That, the initial meeting of the two leads, their first skirmish with the Iron Boat gang, and much later, the remote inn that they 'rent' for a month to set up an elaborate ambush, and lastly, the lair of the gang, where SUN builds up to and sustains a lengthy climax, demonstrates a lot of imagination.

Even the music is effective, despite the mono sound of the Region 3 IVL/Celestial Pictures DVD, and is largely 'original'> This film is so good that I have not even broached the subject of its martial arts. And that alone, I believe, is reason enough that I consider AVENGING EAGLE one of the best martial arts films I have seen.

(PS: Consider a quarter century later the Japanese were making films along the same line, ie. AZUMI, which surely lacks the economy of this film, running almost an hour longer).

(PSS: I enjoyed the other contributors' comments on AVENGING EAGLE, surely more confirmation, this film deserves repeated viewing).

(PSSS: If you enjoyed this film, please take the time to track down and watch KILLER CONSTABLE).

Another really well-done Shaw epic from director Sun Chung. This one has Ti Lung and Fu Sheng teaming up as they tackle the all-star team of bad guys headed by Ku Feng in a classic role. You get the likes of Wang Lung Wei, Dick Wei and Eddy Ko as the professional assassins and inevitably the action is superior. Lung does the brooding hero part so well by this stage while Fu Sheng starts out goofy but reveals a dark back story later on. The momentum builds to a vibrant and bloody climax in Feng's lair, and it's not to be missed.

Chi Ming-sing is a former disciple of a gang run by overlord Yoh Xi-hung. Yoh's disciples hunt Chi relentlessly as he travels on a soul-searching journey. He comes to the aid of a seemingly bumbling man who hardly takes even life-threatening scenes seriously. The man Chi saved starts following him on the road, explaining that he's looking for someone who committed a grievous, unforgivable wrong.

I am still getting into the Shaw Brothers. I watched this back to back with "Five Deadly Venoms", and i have to say that "Venoms" is the better film. I just liked the plot and characters better. But "Avenging Eagle" has a great use of color, and you have to love the way they make the beards look on these old men. Maybe those are real beards, but I highly doubt it... only in these films do they have that wispy, billowing quality.

This is the one that boosted Sun Chung's directorial fame that was later followed by The Kung Fu Instructor, The Deadly Breaking Sword, and Human Lanterns, to name a few.

A mysterious wandering swordsman (Fu Sheng) on his journey to accomplish a personal mission meets a renegade assassin of the infamous Eagle Clan (Ti Lung) who is being hunted and marked for death by his clan brothers for insubordination. They befriend each other and before long discover that they are heading for the same fate: to confront the leader of the Eagle Clan, King Eagle (Ku Feng). Things do not come easy for them. Before confronting the King, they must fight their ways against 12 Eagle Clan assassins, each with their unique fighting weapons, who will stop at nothing to capture their fugitive.

It's always desirable to watch the charismatic Ti Lung in action and surprisingly also likable to watch the comical Fu Sheng act soberly in this particular entry. Watching them fight against the 12 assassins is the main attraction besides the incredible final fight with King Eagle, who seems invincible.

The other 12 eagles are only given the usual bad-guy stereotypes which give very little to improve the plot. Playing opposite the heroes are some familiar faces of the time: the ultimate Shaw Bros villain - Johnny Wang Lung Wei (as eagle no.1 the Vulture), Kao Shiung (as eagle no.2 the Owl), Hui Thien Che (as eagle no.6 the Blue Eagle) and Dick Wei (as eagle no.7 the Red Eagle). These assassins wield unique weapons of choice, ranging from something cool like double wrist blades and a chained dagger to something weird like a smoking pipe!

Tang Chia's fight choreography is tight, particularly in the final duel. But the slow-motion technique with jerky freeze frames employed in certain moments in it doesn't quite look good.

AVENGING EAGLE is one of Shaw Brothers wuxia flicks that definitely warrants repeat viewings. Highly recommended for old school kungfu film lovers.