Les 8 guerriers de Shaolin

1986. Directed by Cheng Wing-Keu who only seems to have made this film, and then understandably disappeared (if this name is not a pseudonym). My Tai Seng copy lists the stars as Kong Keung, Kwok Fung and Liu Gia-Yung which is not the same (unless under another name) as the only actor listed here. I can't trace the Tai Seng names and whoever the young lead actor is, he is very annoying and hard to relate to. The story is the usual stuff with the son revenging the murder of his father, a constable who arrested some villain who joins up with the brother of his fellow villain who was killed. Hidden treasure comes into it somewhere as do some very odd supernatural scenes, including a master monk fighting a ghost. Despite the Tai Seng blurb there are few fights and only the Chinese sword fight at the very end is worth watching. Avoid.

It opens with monks practicing mostly weapons over the opening credits. Next the prison guards make rounds at night. A prisoner escapes. Ku Feng kills another prisoner then gets away. He meets his benefactor and they discuss past crimes and pending revenge. Cut to two other guys who are the other side of the story. Next at the Shaolin Temple, Lau Ga-Yung as Little Mouse likes to sleep in late. He soon leaves the temple. Then it gets weird with a girl and ghosts.

There is a rule in storytelling "Show, don't tell" but in this movie we get to hear the character's thoughts as exposition too. Despite that and the characters constantly repeating their plans to each other it is still not easy to follow. Worse, at 30 minutes in other than Ku Feng's escape there has been zero martial arts in this movie. I rode the fast forward to the 38 minute mark to watch a beating. Then Little Mouse stepped in and it was a fight for about one minute.

Lau Ga-Yung is Little Mouse, the lead character. He is nephew of the great Lau Kar-Leung, aka Beardie. Kwan Hoi-San began in Cantonese opera and did about 175 roles, settling into the typical police captain or mayor or favorite uncle role. Ku Feng, if you don't know Ku Feng, you know nothing.

My copy is the Ocean Shores release in VHS format dubbed in English and converted to a digital file.

Overall this movie tries to be everything and succeeds at nothing, failing even at the gratuitous nude scenes. This is a warning not a review. I came to see a martial arts movie and left scratching my butt with no idea what I just watched.