Les disciples de Shaolin

Despite the title and its inclusion in Chang Cheh's Shaolin series, THE INVINCIBLE ONE (aka DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN, 1975) has little to do with Shaolin Temple, nor do the main actors, Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan-Chun, play the roles they normally played in the Shaolin films (Fong Si Yu and Hu Wei Chien, respectively). Instead, the film focuses on a poor, wandering kung fu fighter who gets a job in a textile factory and works his way up to become the boss's right hand man, although he alienates his longtime friend (and secret kung fu teacher) who got him the job in the first place.

Director Chang Cheh liked rise-and-fall stories (see also BOXER FROM SHANTUNG and CHINATOWN KID) and this one enables him to give a strong, multi-faceted part to his regular star Alexander Fu Sheng in the role of a poverty-stricken villager who, more than anything else, values a good pair of shoes.

There are not as many major fights in the film as fans would like, although there are brief skirmishes sprinkled throughout. Fu Sheng really doesn't let loose until the two big fights at the end. The villains are played by Chiang Tao and Fung Hak On, two capable and reliable players, although Fu Sheng deserved a more formidable class of opponent, like the ones he faced in SHAO LIN MARTIAL ARTS, FIVE MASTERS OF DEATH, and SHAOLIN AVENGERS. The major flaw in this film is the absence of co-star Chi Kuan-Chun from any of the fights until the very end.

This is a minor entry in the Shaolin series, although it does have an interesting story and gives the superb Fu Sheng a chance to shine as an actor. It was shot in Taiwan and offers a badly patched-together soundtrack of cues ripped off from Italian film scores. In the tape reviewed, scenes of extreme bloodshed in the final fight were printed in black-and-white. The film was remade in Hong Kong in 1993 as THE BAREFOOTED KID.

ADDENDUM (4/1/17): I re-watched this film on the R3 DVD edition from Celestial Pictures, the first time I've seen the film in years and the first time I've seen it in widescreen and in its original language (Mandarin) with English subs. In re-reading my original review, I seem to have given short shrift to the film's superbly staged fight scenes. Fu Sheng is excellent in these scenes, on par with the best of his work. While there are long stretches without any action, there are certainly enough fight scenes to satisfy fans of the actor. The fights were all choreographed by Liu Chia Liang (aka Lau Kar Leung), who would later direct Fu Sheng in three films himself, including 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER (1984), the film Fu Sheng was making when he died in 1983.

Would you believe this movie has nothing to do with Shaolin? That's no surprise to fans of the genre. Fans will also recognize the set of the silk mill that was trashed in a previous movie, 1974 "Men from the Monastery". Fans will certainly recognize Alex Fu Sheng. A better title for the movie would be his name. Alex costarred in some of Chang Cheh's Shaolin temple movies but here the movie is all about him.

His fate becomes linked with a fighting cricket. They share the same name and more.

The fights in this movie have both quantity and quality. Some might say the story runs a bit long. There is a montage after the final death. This seems to be over the top to anyone watching it today. Consider though, in the movie's theatrical release the ladies in the audience would have been brought to tears by that scene. One weird fact about these Shaw Brothers martial arts movies from the 1970s is that the audience was typically filled with middle aged married women. They were there for the beefcake. (The "Chippendales" show was far in the future!)

Real action choreography goes beyond a good fight to watch. The action should advance the story or reveal character. When the audience sees Alex fight in this movie they also see his character being revealed.

This movie is above average and mandatory viewing for all fans of martial arts movies of the golden age from 1967 to 1984.

Despite the fact that there really aren't the major set piece fights of the Shaolin movies, this is one of the better Shaw bros flicks. It actually has a point, that can be related to even to this day, of workers being exploited by an unfeeling boss. The owner of the factory the hero works in cares more for his fighting insects than the hero. As the story plays out, however unintentional, we see the Manchu villain cares more for his thugs then the heroes employer cares about his workers. Another good reason to see this particular movie is that it was the late Fu Sheng's favorite role/character. Virtually forgotten, at the time in Hong Kong, Fu Sheng was the biggest star in action movies going. Anyway, for $ 7.99, the VCD or DVD is well worth the price to get a glimpse of the HK James Dean at his best, at least in the acting department. For cool fights, though, you may want to see out "5 shaolin master", "ShaoLin Temple" or "Heroes Two".

Despite the title this has nothing to do with Shaolin other than the style used by one of the heroes. Instead it has that classic kung fu backdrop, the textile mill, for a story of greed and business rivalry. Those expecting a lot from Chi Kuan Chuan will be disappointed by his tiny role but Alexander Fu Sheng shines as the arrogant young hero in what is one of his very best roles. The action is good but not great, done better elsewhere, but it's the depth and thematic exploration of materialism that makes this film particularly interesting, the ending resembling a Shakespearian tragedy.

This film is the compilation of the worst of Chang Cheh. We find there a catastrophic direction of actor with actors who grimace or who pass their time to sneer. We find the decorations in cardboard or so of a visual poverty of the path type with grasses at the edge. We find there a ridiculous music which overplays. We also find there an uninteresting and ridiculous dramatic scheme that makes the film smile, but not on purpose.

The film is not devoid of interest if we only consider the fights. Rather, they're pretty dry and a lot of fun with the ridiculous sound that's added to every hit between the movement hisses and the cannon shots every time the characters are supposed to touch each other.

The story is silly to say the least and above all mixes a slew of characters, each one more stupid than the other, including the main hero, Fu Sheng, devoid of acting talent.

Like many of Chang Cheh's films, the men very quickly find themselves shirtless. And the female characters are stooges without much interest.