Du bi quan wang da po xue di zi

once again another awesome movie from a genre that can do no wrong. The chpo socky samurai and ninja movie of the late 60's to the early 80's where a genre of movies that never were big on substance but they more than made up for it with an overabundence of style. Here we have a colorful cast of token good and bad guys each with some unique charecter aspect that allows them to stand out. I'm sure that in the early nineties when the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter games where coming out the makers had had some of this movie's charecters in mind. Most notably the future street fighter charecter who is Indian and can stretch his limbs way out of proportion. The movie moves along through some really wonderful fight sequences with the usual array of weird weapons and fighting techniques. Thank god Quentin Tarantino has done enough name dropping to single handedly bring this genre back to life. For most of the eighties and early nineties finding these movies was next to impossible. Now their occasionaly even on cable. Way to go.

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!

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.

This film brought a rush of half-forgotten memories...I was seven years old, living in suburban Ventura Country, California, munching on Count Chocula, and glued to the screen for Channel 7's Black Belt Theater. And that was the last time I witnessed the adventures of the One Armed Boxer and his arch-nemesis, the blind Master of the Flying Guillotine for a long, long time...

Fast forward twenty years. I stumbled across a pirated copy of this old school chop sockey classic. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had always reminisced to my friends about this flick...with its weapon that could decapitate from 40 yards, a stretchy armed Indian fakir, and perhaps the first fight between the arch-rivals Eagle Claw and Monkey Style.

I am convinced that this is the Movie that Launched a Thousand Video Games. The resemblance to Streetfighter is obvious, but this movie's whole-setup must have inspired countless button-pushin' fisticuffs that would dominate our leisure time in the following decades.

But if you go beyond the nostalgia factor and the video game inspirations, you'll find a finely-crafted, well-acted, and genuinely exciting film. Jimmy Wang Yu reprises his role as the One Armed Boxer, a thinking man's kung-fu hero. (I believe this film was third in a series of One Armed Boxer flicks). The hated Qing regime has sent the notorious (and blind) Master of the Flying Guillotine to snuff out all those pesky Ming sympathizers, and the One Armed Boxer is on top of the hitlist. (Yeah, yeah, I know I've just described the premise of five million other kung fu flicks, but stay with me). Not only that, but the Boxer had the gall to kill two other assassins who happened to be the blind man's disciples!

The Master of the Flying Guillotine is sheer evil itself. He launches into a killing spree, murdering every poor slob in the province who happens to sport only one arm. (Along with anybody foolish enough to get in his way). After being informed that he didn't kill the One Armed Boxer in his lastest decapitation, the blind assassin utters what is perhaps the coldest line in cinematic history--"I don't care who he was." Yikes.

Of course, the Boxer and the Blind Killer have the Final Throw Down Show Down...in perhaps one of the most beautifully shot fight scenes I've ever witnessed. True to form, Jimmy uses his brain as much as his fists when it comes to taking down his enemies...but I don't want to give anymore of this wonderful lost classic away.

Also of note is the music for the film...the opening titles is a veritable punk/thrash classic, and the the Flying Guillotine's theme music lets you know Evil is Afoot. I love it.

So..if you can find it, check this flick out...and then you'll see where Namco and Jet Li got it all from. It's time to go back to Old School.

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.