An orphan who has been raised at a kung fu school, where he is treated as little more than a dogsbody and practice target for the students, has a life-changing experience after helping an ol... Read allAn orphan who has been raised at a kung fu school, where he is treated as little more than a dogsbody and practice target for the students, has a life-changing experience after helping an old peripatetic beggar.An orphan who has been raised at a kung fu school, where he is treated as little more than a dogsbody and practice target for the students, has a life-changing experience after helping an old peripatetic beggar.
- Chien Fu
- (as Lung Cheng)
- Beggar - Pai Chang Tien
- (as Hsiao-Tien Yuan)
- Lord Sheng Kuan
- (as Cheng-Li Huang)
- Teacher Li
- (as Tien Shih)
- Snake Fist School Master
- (as Hark-On Fung)
- Tao Kuei - Magistrate's Son
- (as Kam Chiang)
- Teacher Chui
- (as Ging-Man Fung)
- Old Woman insulted by Priest
- (as Szu-Ying Chien)
Featured reviews
Inevitably, the standout thing about the film is Chan himself, and he's in his element here with a role which is both physically strenuous and highly comedic in equal measure. Chan displays the winning formula that would go on to make him a huge worldwide star over the next couple of decades, and watching him larking about on screen is a real delight.
The comedy is often lowbrow and involves sight gags, slapstick and silly humour, but somehow it all works. The fight scenes are inventive and fun to watch, and the arduous training sequences are particularly well staged. There's also some solid support from Sam Seed (Yuen Woo-ping's dad, no less) as the funny old man and Hwang Jang Lee as the villain. Both actors were typecast in their respective parts, but when they fit them so well you can see why.
Directed by the legendary Yuen Woo Ping and co-starred by his father Yuen Siu Tien, playing his eternal role as the old beggar drunken master, this film is an example of how a perfect kung fu movie should be made, from the badass opening sequence with Jackie training with a red background behind him , accompanied by a catchy music until the final epic final fight against the great Hwang Jang Lee , the film is a succession of outstanding and very original martial arts sequences accompanied by great doses of humour ..Although that Lau Kar Leung already had used this formula in his directorial debut "The spiritual Boxer" made three years before, however, it was this film the one that gave a new direction to Hong Kong kung fu movies becoming in an instant classic..
MASTERPIECE
The plot follows Chien Fu (Jackie Chan), an orphan abused and mistreated by the kung-fu (evil, of course) school he works at. He can't fight until he meets Pai Cheng-Cheh (Siu Tien Yuen), a grand-master of Snake Fist, and last remaining follower of the Snake Fist style. A rivalry between the Snake Fist and Eagle Claw styles has led to the near-elimination of the Snake Fist style, and Chien Fu and Pai Cheng-Cheh find themselves being hunted by Lord Sheng Kuan (Hwang Jang Lee), the master of the Eagle Claw style.
The awesomeness of 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' lies in the fact that it really is quite similar to 'Drunken Master', which is also awesome. Again, the plot is a pretty standard kung-fu plot, but any plot which allows for the maximum amount of on-screen kung-fu time is a good plot. The training sequences are entertaining, and the following fight scenes are incredible - Jackie, Hwang Jang Lee and Yuen Woo Ping are all at their best here.
'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' is an awesome and very funny movie - 10/10, a must see for all Jackie Chan fans.
Did you know
- TriviaJackie Chan (Chien Fu) got his front tooth knocked out by the powerful kick of Jeong-lee Hwang (Lord Sheng Kuan). In the finale, the gap where Chan's tooth was is clearly seen.
- GoofsAbout 53 minutes in , while training, as a snake would to pluck eggs from the nest, Jackie misses placing one of the eggs safely into the old mans basket, but neither break character and just keep on going.
- Quotes
Lord Sheng Kuan: [after Chien Fu surprises him with his new technique] That technique! That isn't Snake Fist style! What is that?
Chien Fu: Hmmph! Cat's Claw!
[Chien Fu proceeds to attack again]
- Alternate versionsThere are two English language versions: The first is similar to the Hong Kong one, whilst the second features new (copyright-friendly) music, an introductory voiceover, replaced opening credits (including changes to cast names), and re-titled 'The Eagle's Shadow'; this was for release in the US by distributor/producer Serafim Keralexis.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Les garçons de Fengkuei (1983)
- SoundtracksMagic Fly
Performed by McLane Explosion