Les 14 amazones

Enjoyable and typically well produced Shaw Brothers swordplay martial arts film about two warring clans. I prefer my marital arts film to have more hand-to-hand fighting and less swordplay, so I was disappointed on that front, but I did enjoy seeing a young Eric Tsang and a young Bolo Yeung with ridiculous eyebrows.

It's menopause against testosterone in this PERIOD epic. 14 Amazons is about some Yang general who gets killed and all these broads simultaneously have PMS and decide to avenge him. Yup! Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. This movie is hilariously brutal. Lots of people getting pissed off and stabbing and chopping each other to death. It's the best. The story is simple and straight forward which is typically revenge based and blah blah blah. And in case any of you care, this is not a kung fu per say. It's more of a war movie where most of the fights are simple and brutal as opposed to being choreographed like a typical kung Fu movie like, say, Heroes Two or whatever. 14 Amazons is violent as Hell, the characters are all on crack and it's a load of fun.

"As the saying goes, 'A tiger may be old, but it never gives up it's ambition.'"

The 14 women of a family seek revenge for their treacherously murdered husband/father/brother/son/nephew/grandson in this old-school martial arts flick. 

Their forces are outnumbered and their enemy is vicious, but the women of The 14 Amazons (great title, by the way) are totally bent on vengeance and protecting their country from the bloodthirsty ruler of West Hsia and his 5 sons. Watch it for the impressive large scale battles and several really cool scenes (human pyramid/bridge FTW!) Who doesn't like to see a bunch of women being crafty, heroic bad***es? The camera work during the battles is great, and the movie as a whole is surprisingly gory, violent, and occasionally hilarious, too. Even the frequently used miniature sets and models are very well done (though they are understandably noticeable to today's viewer). A great job is done making several members of the large cast memorable (my personal favorite is Yang Pa Mei). Plus, the enemy soldiers all wear uniforms that make them look like Santa Claus, which is just pure bonus win. 

Any Shaw Brothers fans will have a grand ole time with this one. It's one of my favorites that I've seen.

This historical epic opens like the closing-battle of most other kung-fu movies, with the massacre of the famed General Yang and his army, slaughtered by the invading Mongolians - led by Tien Feng (Young Master, The Assassin). From there, the 14 women of his family (including wife and daughters) set out on a blood-soaked revenge mission, which doesn't disappoint. Cheng Kang's action-packed classic explodes with many great characters, all of who give great performances, with hundreds of extras and a host of great kung-fu and weapons battles!

As with most Shaw Brothers productions, the sets and costumes are outstanding with such great attention-to-detail, complimenting the amazing cast on offer. The ladies of the 14 Amazons all do a great job as the vengeful daughters, both in the acting and action department. The action choreography of course, is looked after by the fantastic Tony Ching Siu Tung and Shaw Brother's regular, Leung Siu Chung. Leung worked as action director on classics such as Billy Chong's Sun Dragon, TheThunderbolt Fist, The Two Cavaliers with Wang Yu, and many more. Most of these fights include using the family weapon which is a spear, so any fans of the incredible 8 Diagram Pole Fighter will enjoy it - and even more so with its many similarities.

The legendary stories of the Yang Family have been passed down for generations, and told countless times in Hong Kong cinema. The Yang's took part in many wars for many years, although was not without its losses. Anyone who's not a fan of the old-school kung-fu movies can check out Frankie Chan's 2011 update, Legendary Amazons, which is great fun and just as action-packed...

Director Cheng Kang, the same man behind classics such as The Sword Of Swords with Jimmy Wang Yu, The Flying Guillotine 2, and Gambling Soul which would be his last as director. But most importantly, he gave us his son - Tony Ching Siu Tung - who would go on to bring Hong Kong film fans some of the greatest martial arts action films ever made!

The fights come often enough, from large-scale war battles to one-on-one action, such as the fight between a young Bolo Yeung and Shaw Brothers superstar, Yuen Hua, and are wonderfully choreographed, inventive and exciting to watch - not to mention violent at times. One hilarious thing I must point out though, is the fact that most of the bad guys are dressed like little Santa's which just adds some unintentional humour to it all, but its hardly distracting...

Overall: Epic in its running time, action and cast, 14 Amazons is wonderfully scripted, beautifully shot and directed, and highly entertaining!

THE 14 AMAZONS sees the Shaw Brothers doing a historical epic, with great success. The tale is another version of the popular 'General Yang' story which has been propping up Chinese cinema for decades and begins when the heroic character dies in battle against an overwhelming Mongol force. Given that the male bloodline of his family has almost entirely died out, the wives, sisters, and daughters of the family decide to band together and lead their forces out for revenge.

The result is an action-packed story that's all about the battles and as such comes across as a fast and frenetic tale. The build-up is just as engaging as the later action sequences, and kudos to the director for managing to create individual characters amid the large-scale nature of the action. The high budget available to Shaw at this time is apparent in the huge amount of extras and costumes while the outdoor filming gives this film a truly epic look.

Cast-wise, the film features just about every notable female star from the studio during the era, with the exception of Cheng Pei-Pei. The women are very effective and convincing and of course hold their own in the action stakes. The male performers are effective too, with Lo Lieh relishing his villainous role and Yueh Hua as chivalrous as ever. You can even spot Eric Tsang and Yuen Biao in tiny roles if you look carefully. The battle sequences are bloody and brilliant, and there are many inventive moments (like the classic 'broken bridge' set-piece) to keep you watching. THE 14 AMAZONS is another Shaw hit and a genuinely great movie.