Shaolin contre les 8 serpents

NOTE: This review is for the English-dubbed version of this film. Like most 70s dubbed martial arts films, the film condition on DVD was questionable and a few of the voice actors were poor. The film in its original form might be a lot better and the terrible plot might actually make a lot more sense. So consider this as you read on...

I've seen quite a few older martial arts film lately and I was happy to see that the star of this picture, Tao-liang Tan, could actually do martial arts! So many times, the cheesier films of the genre feature sub-par fighting and it's obvious that the average REAL black belt in anything cold kick the hero's butt! All too often, kicks and punches don't come close to landing and the technique is poor. But, this is NOT the case here, as the hero has excellent kicking skills which he demonstrates again and again. So the action scenes are indeed excellent if you ignore the fact that his enemies line up and attack him one at a time (a typical fighting style in martial arts films--not seen in real life, though). BUT, the rest of the film is a real mixed bag--sometimes interesting and often pretty lame. In particular, the ending of the film just made no sense at all and was a major disappointment. I really feel like the film is missing something. It is worth while for lovers of the genre, but otherwise it's easy to skip.

Shaolin Deadly Kicks offers a spaghetti western plot nicely adapted to the Martial Arts genre and a lot of well-choreographed and nicely filmed high-kicking action.

A group of hardened criminals have stolen a treasure map in a widely publicized attack on a temple. To prevent their capture, they divide the map into eight pieces and agree to regroup in three years to locate the treasure. However, before they can do this, Tao-liang Tan shows up with other plans. This young man begins methodically taking out each member of the gang, until he meets his own weakness - which ironically turns out to be the Achilles heal of the gang-leader as well.

Despite some of the opinions expressed here on IMDb, Shaolin Deadly Kicks' plot is actually quite strong for the genre. Unlike many martial arts films, SDK does not wander aimlessly and none of the scenes come across as simple excuses for violence. The voice-talent is typically mediocre, but the physical acting and evocation of the pan-southeast Asian cast compensates for it.

Loke many non-American martial arts films, Shaolin Deadly Kicks has a fantastic/folkloric feel. Though it may not appeal to the standard American audience, it will certainly satisfy the martial arts film enthusiast.

Promising more boot than you could shake a kwan at, Flash Legs does almost everything it says on the tin: delivering the 'flash legs' of its title, Tan Tao Liang, in many high-kicking confrontations with the bootmaster showing off his whole repertoire of fancy leg work. The premise seems tedious enough - eight bandits are single-handedly bumped off by police chief Liang for stealing a sacred treasure map - and makes you wonder how it lasts the distance. It's probably got something to do with all those fight scenes, which fly in thick and fast in this relatively mediocre kung fu fest.

A sacred treasure map is stolen by a group of thieves. They go underground and split the map into eight pieces between them all, agreeing to reconvene in three years and only then will they collectively seek out the treasure. Unfortunately for them, a kung fu fighting policemen pursues them and takes them out one by one.

Shaolin Deadly Kicks is a fairly typical Hong Kong action flick from back in the day. I quite liked the simple plot-line that set up a neat excuse for several martial arts encounters. Like most films of this type, the action scenes are pretty well delivered but it all gets a little monotonous after a while and by the end I was actively tired of it. There are some good things to be found here admittedly but it's ultimately one mainly for martial art nuts I reckon.

From the hackneyed plot to the mediocre fight choreography, "Shaolin Deadly Kicks" (aka "The Flash Legs") is a typical low-budget Taiwanese martial arts flick. There's a treasure map that's been cut into eight pieces by a gang of murderous thieves, a tediously righteous cop who pursues them, and various other clichés glued together into some vague semblance of a storyline. In the end, it's high-kicking Tan Tao-liang (the cop) and attractive Doris Lung versus Lo Lieh, who has a nasty facial scar and another one of those gimmicky weapons meant to underscore his status as the fearsome lead villain. (This time it's a hand-shaped hunk of metal that he swings around on a chain.)

Lots of fights, but they're as dull as they are numerous; the climactic battle is especially underwhelming, and that's the one thing I can't forgive in a martial arts film. This cast (which also includes Lung Fei, Tsai Hung and Kam Kang) deserved better.