deadly mantis 10
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- Опубліковано 19 кві 2008
- SHAOLIN MANTIS (1978, aka THE DEADLY MANTIS) ranks among the best work of premier kung fu director Lau Kar Leung (aka Liu Chia Liang), who's better known for MASTER KILLER, 8-DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER, SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA, and LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF KUNG FU. For the first three-quarters of its 102-minute length, MANTIS is more of a drama with kung fu scenes than a traditional martial arts film, as it builds up the tensions among a clan that learns of a traitor in its midst, but one they must tolerate in order to keep the clan patriarch's granddaughter happy. It's a complex story, slowly and deliberately crafted, that, for the most part, avoids casting anyone as good guy or bad guy. Every character has clearly understandable motives and the impending clash of loyalties is inevitable, but no less heartbreaking for being so.
David Chiang plays Wei Fung, a young scholar recruited by the Emperor to infiltrate the Tien Clan in order to get evidence of the clan's connection to Ming loyalists and anti-Ching activities. If Wei fails in his mission, his own well-connected family will be punished. He infiltrates the clan by serving as tutor to Chi-Chi (Huang Hsin-Hsiu), the spoiled teenaged granddaughter of Tien (Lau Kar Wing). When Tien investigates Wei's background and finds out who he really is, lovestruck Chi-Chi saves Wei's life by marrying him and promising Tien that Wei will never leave the village. Eventually, Wei must get the information he has gathered back to the Emperor or his own family will suffer. This puts Chi-Chi in a difficult position and forces her to have to choose between husband and family. Although they are slow in coming, just after the midway point there are a number of intense fight scenes--a mix of straight kung fu and sword- and spear-play-- featuring six major kung fu performers-Chiang, Lau, Lily Li, Wilson Tong, Norman Chu and John Chang.
However, at the ¾ point, the film sharply shifts gears into more traditional kung fu territory, sending David's character alone into the wild to observe a praying mantis and develop the mantis style of fighting. He then returns to continue the fight. After some typically furious Lau Kar Leung-staged fights in the last 20 minutes, there is a genuinely surprising twist ending. The problem here is that the dramatic momentum built up by the interplay of moral obligations and family dynamics is abruptly dissipated, resulting in a somewhat unsatisfying resolution.
The film is beautifully crafted and staged on lavish sets at the Shaw Bros. studio. It includes an original Chinese music score. The screenplay is by Szeto An (evidently filling in for regular Shaw Bros. scribe I Kuang and doing a great job). The fights are not quite as intricate as Lau's best fights (see 8-DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER, SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA, and LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF KUNG FU), but they still rank among the best of the genre, particularly the final fight between David Chiang and Lau Kar Wing. Chiang was never the most skilled Shaw Bros. fighting star, but he was a fine actor and, when guided by the best fight directors, could put on a good show amidst better fighters.
The real discovery in this film is actress Huang Hsin-Hsiu (aka Wong Hang Sau), who plays Chi-Chi. She's not only a competent fighter, but a powerful actress, mixing playful moments with strong dramatic scenes. For the first three-quarters, the film is really hers. Also in the cast are the great fighting femme Lily Li (as Chi-Chi's mother), Lau Kar Wing (aka Liu Chia-Yung, the director's brother), Norman Chu, and Wilson Tong (who also served as co-fight choreographer with the director). Gordon Liu makes a cameo appearance as (what else?) a monk who fights David briefly in the opening sequence. Special mention should also be given to the praying mantis that shares a few scenes with David. Either this is an expertly crafted moveable model or an incredibly well-trained mantis!
While the film's structural flaw is not fatal, it does keep it from being one of the absolute best of the kung fu genre. Still, fans of Shaw Bros. films who don't mind drama and characterization mixed in with martial arts will be amply rewarded. - Розваги
Watching this fight scene was a masterpiece of David Chiang using the mantis technique and truly dramatic end scene of his father poisoning himself along with his son.
Watched this movie last night. This movie is definitely in my top 5 SB movies now. The scene where the mantis was showing him how he fights was hilarious. Run me and RunRun must have been laughing their butt off while filming. Looked like the mantis was looking at him and trying to show him how to stand and hold the pole. Oh man this is classic stuff.
Nice movie. Thank you!
The Great Lau kar leung we will always Miss you this is a classic of the Mantis Fist style David Chiang was heroic in this role he was a manchu spy for that I cant forgive him LOL! However Lau Kar Leung was great Ku fu practitioner this and the Legendary weapons of Kung Fu was spectacular epics on the martial Arts Screen may you rest in peace! KI have been been watching Kung Fu for over 43 years when 5 fingers of death hit NYC in 1972 at the old Roosevelt theater on 145 St and 7ave in Harlem back in the day !
Finally a good guy with mantis
He was the villain
The only Kung-Fu movie where the good guys vs the good guys very unusual!
Holy sh!T! he ripped off the guy's intestines
Its beyond sad...he was leveraged by the king, so when the timeline wasn t fulfilled, his parents were imprisoned.
He married into that family then his wife is killed...he avenged her, now he's freed his parents, just to find out that his father was anti-ching himself and those "outlaws" were allies to the cause.
@tgpgrimreaper Ah. TY you for the inisight. I didn't watch much of the movie. I'm a Praying Mantis Practitioner and just thought he was a genuine good guy with mantis. Most mantis stylists in movie are portrayed as villains.
@xiang0810900 That was a little excessive. I like the fights and even the plots of these old Shaw Bros. kung fu movies, but sometimes there are bits of excessive gore and dismemberment that don't quite sit right with me. At least this one was just done in shadow.
If you watch the movie with the original Chinese soundtrack, her name is Gi Gi, not Chi Chi.
Tolong kirimkan film silat hongkong thn 1970an. Yg mana ada adegan di sungai lantas ada bangkai babi , dalam bangkai tsb ada berliannya. Trimakasih.
intestinals problems? ASK DEADLY MANTIS. 100% free
sad ending.
@masanf Yeah. Pretty much.
jet li in forbidden kingdom..... =/
Before Jet Li. =\
Very bad why did you kill the grandfather?
did he rescue his family?
Well, he got back within a year, so they were spared from execution. The father though was a anti-ching rebel. He poisoned himself and his son.
@tgpgrimreaper insight*
My fighting style of the Shaolin Wu-Tang sword.
Fist of the white lotus
Yeah very bad movie
Very bad movie. Not good values. The first chinese action movie i watched with very bad ending. The good guys died due to the leverage without realizing he is just being used. Bad movie.