Le bras armé de Wang Yu contre la guillotine volante

Master of the Flying Guillotine aka One Armed Boxer 2 is one of the greatest old school kung fu movies ever made, it is an absolute classic of the genre. Jimmy Wang Yu's sequel to "The One Armed Boxer" aka "The Chineese Professionals" is perhaps better than the original and is a strong enough film to stand on its own.

A blind assassin, a one armed martial arts master and a Yoga instructor with stretching limbs are just a few of the elements that make this film one of the most creative and memorable martial arts films ever! One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is all of the many different martial arts styles that are displayed. There is a great tournament sequence were martial arts experts from all over the world compete in a fight to the death. You see various styles of Kung Fu, Muy Thi kick boxing, Karate and more. There are also many different weapons used in the film, from the three section staff to the outrageous flying guillotine.

The fights in the film are a bit slower and "looser" than some big studio movies (Shaw Bros, Golden Harvest) but they are still well choreographed and executed. The special effects and fight sequences still hold up well after 30+ years. This movie has been called Quentin Tarantino's favorite kung fu film, and when you see it you'll know why. You are no movie buff until you have seen this true cult masterpiece!

One Armed Boxer 2 aka "Master of the Flying Gullitine" is one of the most unique stories ever told on film. The characters and visuals are truly unbelievable. Jimmy Wang Yu's "One Armed Boxer 2" is perhaps his finest work and one of the greatest independently produced films in the martial arts genre. With great action and characters, Master of the Flying Gullitine is definitely a top 10 film of the kung fu genre and is a definite must see (or buy) for any martial arts junkie.

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 10/10 (classic)

Overall Movie Rating: 7/10

This is a sequel to director Yu Wang's 1971 film One-Armed Boxer (Dop bey kuan wan). Fung Sheng Wu Chi (Kang Kam), as the master of the flying guillotine, is a blind Ching Dynasty assassin, with a directive to quell potential rebels. After his two disciples were killed by Tien Lung (Yu Wang), the one-armed boxer (in the prequel), Fung has sworn revenge.

Although many rightfully consider this film a masterpiece, if you're not much of a fan of martial arts fight sequences in films, you probably shouldn't bother with Master of the Flying Guillotine. That's because there isn't much screen time taken up by anything else. Beside the fights, there is very little action or dialogue. Every fight in Master of the Flying Guillotine is engaging, but the last two are probably the best. These are two of the best fight scenes I've seen in any film.

We know right out of the gate that Master of the Flying Guillotine is going to be something special. The opening cinematography is beautiful, the introduction to Fung captivating, and we're quickly introduced to an ingeniously odd and sinister "growling/grinding" musical leitmotif for Fung, which is achieved by slowing down a musical recording (it's actually a song by the German band Neu!) As a leitmotif, the music reappears whenever Fung reappears, with all the impact and then some of Darth Vader's leitmotif music in the Star Wars films.

There are two factors that make this film so remarkable overall. The first is the fantastic and brutal nature of the martial arts. In a lesser film, the fantasy aspects could easily be unintentionally funny. Here, they're just enthralling. Every fighter has some unique style and/or skill, and the extended "kung fu gladiator" tournament focuses on these, to our benefit. The second, less obvious factor, is the depth of characterization and implied, complex plot and backstory achieved by Yu Wang solely through the fight sequences. Even though 90-something percent of the film is just fight sequences, nothing is lacking.

A 10 out of 10 from me.

This one has to be seen to be believed! Jimmy Wang Yu, star of the Aussie cult classic 'The Man From Hong Kong', writes, directs and stars in this movie, which is one of the most entertaining martial arts movies ever made! The movie opens with wily old blind man Fung Shen Wu Chi (Kang Kam) receiving a message via carrier pigeon from his favourite nephews Tiger and Dragon telling him that they have been killed by the one armed boxer (Wang Yu). Now how they could write this message AFTER they had been killed is still a mystery to me, but this is the kinda movie where you just don't ask questions! So the old man goes off to avenge their deaths, armed with his secret weapon, a flying guillotine. This is a kinda hat box on a rope which he swings. It lands on people's heads and he decapitates them! He also likes to throw explosives at his enemies just to keep them on their toes. Anyway, he travels to a fighting tournament hoping that they one armed boxer will show. Of course he does and we eventually get an exciting climactic battle between the Master Of The Flying Guillotine and the One Armed Boxer. But before that we see a lot of the competitors having individual fights, the most memorable being the "swami master" from India. He's played by a Hong Kong actor in black face, and every time he comes on screen there's sitar music playing just so we know who he is I suppose. The swami has a special talent - he can make his arms extend. This makes for some supremely silly moments which are just hilarious. In fact the whole movie is hilarious. I loved every minute of it! If you like Kung Fu you MUST see this! Highly recommended fun!

A justly famous martial arts epic from the post-Bruce Lee, pre-Jackie Chan period, "Master of the Flying Guillotine" knows how to satisfy its audience. Writer / director / star Jimmy Wang Yu delivers tons of violent action at a breakneck pace; once his film has reached its fever pitch, he simply does not allow you to catch your breath.

The story takes place against a historical backdrop. Set in 1730, it tells us that Han revolutionaries are rebelling against the tyranny of their Manchurian oppressors. One such revolutionary is "The Teacher", or "The One-Armed Boxer", played by our star / director. Presiding over a martial arts school, he incurs the wrath of a demented, aged "monk" (Kang Chin) who seeks revenge for The Teachers' killing of his disciples.

However, not all that much time is devoted to story. Instead, Jimmy concentrates on his set pieces, and they truly are invigorating. One major sequence of the film focuses on a tournament that is observed by The Teacher, who declines to participate himself. Meanwhile the blind monk goes around killing *anybody* he runs into that has only one arm, creating some priceless black comedy. He is truly psychotic, and an extremely formidable opponent. His killing device of the title is quite an inventive touch, and it's a hoot to watch this thing decapitate its victims. One of the handful of villains giving our hero trouble is an Indian with extendable arms (I kid you not). This is a VERY amusing sight gag.

"Master of the Flying Guillotine" begins on a very atmospheric note, features a highly enjoyable music score, parcels out its gore carefully, and also has a disarming sense of humour to let you know that it's never taking itself too, too seriously. The performances are right on the money and effective, with Chin stealing the show as the main villain. This is a true tour de force for Jimmy as a filmmaker and fighter.

Eight out of 10.

First seen in a Shaw Bros. pic, the re-modeled flying guillotine returns in this superb fighting fantasy that is also titled MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE VERSUS THE ONE-ARMED BOXER.

A non-Shaw, independently-produced production, this delivers everything a martial arts fan could want.

Director Jimmy Wang Wu, who also stars as the One-Armed Boxer, gives the fight sequences enormous energy and invention and layers in a little sadism when necessary.

The electronic, 70's-style score brings a surreal quality to the film.

Kang Kam as the bushy-browed "Master" is superb, making us believe that he is an old man with a lethal handicap.

Numerous other Shaw and Wang Yu regulars pop up, too.

The flying guillotine itself is more functional and exciting to watch than before. The head-ripping it performs is adroitly staged.

Although BEACH OF THE WAR GODS is my favorite pic of Jimmy's, this is, nevertheless, perfect.