Os Sete Grandes Mestres

Lee I Min is one of those kung fu actors who never quite made it to the first rank, but combined here with the great direction of Joseph Kuo and action by Corey Yuen it produced a classy film to make kung fu addicts drool. The story has been told above but it can not be emphasised enough that the fights (of which there are many) are superb and wonderfully staged. The ending is fairly obvious but still exciting - with one of the best end fights on film. I liked the understated attraction between Lee I Min and the Masters daughter (the beautiful Nancy Yen) and the believable jealously of the other students. There are a few weaknesses but the story sweeps you along and you look forward to the next fight and twist. The Monkey Kung Fu exponent (Chin Yuet Sang) is an absolute classic. According to the liner notes by Linn Haynes (Media Blasters) this film is based on the life of a real Pai Mei kung fu expert named Cheung Lai-chun who fought and bested top mainland kung fu experts in the mid-1940s at the age of 66. Pai Mei is famous from the Kill Bill films (played by Gordon Liu) but the real story / legend is worth seeking out. One of the best and really worth watching.

This really defines a blueprint for this kind of movie: 1) Guy with ridiculous facial hair and/or silly hat wonders through the wilderness,happens upon another guy practicing Kung Fu 2) Brief conversation involving a) a particular technique of one of the silly-haired-guys, b) the number of provinces in which the other silly-haired guy is undefeated 3) Fight, preferably involving some kind of animal-style Kung Fu. 4) Repeat as many times as you can squeeze into a couple of hours.

Throw in a grueling training sequence (though this maybe isn't quite grueling enough in this movie), a bit of betrayal (ideally involving someone killing someone else's master), some slapstick comedy, some bad dubbing (this genre is really the only one where dubbing should be allowed) and there you have it - the perfect Kung Fu movie. I defy anyone not to enjoy it.

Producer Joseph Kuo scores big with this film. Most true Kung Fu historians feel it is one of the best Martial Arts movies ever made. Great blend of comedy and action. The movie centers around the teacher (San Kwan Chun) and his quest to defeat the 7 Grandmasters. He and his students travel around China fighting one master at a time. Amongst this; pupil Lee Yee Min tries to convince the teacher to take him as a student. His efforts fail several times before the teacher gives in. He then practices his skills against his elder classmates who he eventually surpasses. Lee Ye Min wants to learn Kung Fu badly because of his fathers murder in a friendly duel. Once an expert he then can seek out a duel with the killer of his father. He initially is told that the killer was of all people his own teacher. He swore and took an oath that he would avenge his father's death, so he and the teacher fight using practically the same same style (Pia Ma 7 strikes) After using stolen secret strikes learned from another teacher he badly wounds his teacher but he won't kill him. His secret teacher reappears and tells Lee that he's the actual killer of his father. Now with teacher at his side he can seek revenge. The final battle is epic with Lee's teacher (San Kwan Chun) remembering the last thing his dying teacher told him: that "All Pia Ma Strikes Are Corelated". The teacher then gives his pupil proper advice and he defeats his fathers actual killer. An excellent martial arts film that stays away from too many corny lines that other Kung Fu flicks have. It does have silly humor but it flows well with the flick so it is tolerable. Good plot and story line, with many different fighting styles used (Monkey,Mantis,Tiger, Etc) You can't go wrong here, this film is certainly one of the best.

This movie is so excellent. It has the best kung fu action, and the fights are good and long. The story is actually okay, and the dialogue, while dubbed, is still good. The actors do not speak the typical stupid kung fu movies lines. Watch this.

7 Grandmasters deserves to be a legend of martial arts cinema. Nowhere else, either from this period of cinema or the modern era, have I seen so much variety in fighting styles and such a huge number of quality fight sequences. While the fights may adhere to a '70s fight choreography feel to some extent, they're very fast and fluid, with each fight displaying a unique tone. Monkey style, mantis style, weapon fights, fights between the same styles, an unorthodox fight that will be at home to Jackie Chan fans, and several others. Each style is carefully considered and utilized authentically, not just as a gimmick to add superficial differences to samey choreography. And fortunately the fights are filmed at steady, wide angles with long continuous shots whenever possible to allow the viewer to fully appreciate the action.

The story may seem unusually briskly paced, but this ends up being refreshing after experiencing countless martial arts films with convoluted melodrama, where good martial artists try and fail to act. What story there is explains the motivation for each of the fights without ever holding back the real goal of the movie.

Visually, the film is quite gorgeous, with varied locations and bright, vast environments. The sound effects on the original mandarin audio track utilize wonderful whooshing effects for the fights, as you'd expect.

This is a must-see classic for any fan of martial arts film.