Eight Masters

Rating:
Summary: A Shaolin graduate vs. 8 Masters in exciting kung fu tale
Review: EIGHT MASTERS (1977) is part of the 18 BRONZEMEN series of kung fu films produced in Taiwan by Joseph Kuo. Not exactly a sequel to the previous films in the series (although it was long available only in a ... VHS edition under the title, 18 BRONZEMEN 3), it nonetheless features series regular Carter Wong as a student who undergoes years of training at Shaolin Temple, beginning as a child, and graduates by fighting the 18 Bronzemen in a series of contests. After the first half-hour, the story takes a different turn as Chu Shiao Chieh (Carter) reunites with his now-blind mother and meets Ming Chu (Lung Chun Erh), the girl who's been taking care of her and whom Mom now wants Carter to marry. Unfortunately, the Eight Masters of the title won't let things rest and persist in harassing Carter, demanding a match with him in order to allow them to avenge the death of one of their number at the hands of Carter's father (in a fight seen under the film's opening credits).

Carter tries to avoid fighting so as to live up to his Shaolin master's admonitions: "Keep the peace; have patience; forgive offense." Eventually it becomes too much for him and he takes on all eight of the masters in a series of furious kung fu fights, all masterfully staged by Wong Fei Lung, who also appears in the role of the chief villain, Tu Lung. Female star Chia Ling has a small but important role as one of the eight and has one great fight scene with Carter. Miss Chia (aka Judy Lee) was one of the greatest of '70s kung fu divas and her appearance elevates the film by a few notches.

The lead actress, Lung Chun Erh (SHAOLIN INVINCIBLES, THE STOMP), co-stars as Ming Chu and gets plenty of opportunities to emote as she's torn between her growing love for Carter and loyalty to a mysterious "uncle" who keeps appearing at night to demand that she betray Carter. She has some highly emotional scenes, helped considerably by superb English voice dubbing (well above average for the entire cast).

Ultimately, however, the chief draw of this film remains the abundant kung fu, especially in the nonstop series of final battles. This DVD was made from a high-quality print and superb transfer, suffering only from the lack of letter-boxing, which kung fu films like this so sorely need in order to show off all the fight action. In addition there's an evocative and dramatic original Chinese music score.

Rating:
Summary: the 3rd chapter in the bronzemen saga
Review: Like the other 2 the bronzemen only appear for a short while, not really being a big part of the story line. In this film Carter Wong (star of the previous 2) plays a young man who has traind for many years after being dropped off by a dying family friend. His father was a great fighter and had many enemies including the 8 masters, who wished to gain revenge on him by killing his family. After mastering all that the monks of shaolin could teach him, he had to test the bronzemen before being able to leave the temple and repay the man who saved his life. Once stepping foot back out into society he is again hunted by the 8 masters who still want to fulfill there revenge promise, and a girl who may be more bad then good. Great action as Carter Wong must defend his family name against the 8 kung fu master clan. good film, i think better then the first. more like 3 3/4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: the 3rd chapter in the bronzemen saga
Review: Like the other 2 the bronzemen only appear for a short while, not really being a big part of the story line. In this film Carter Wong (star of the previous 2) plays a young man who has traind for many years after being dropped off by a dying family friend. His father was a great fighter and had many enemies including the 8 masters, who wished to gain revenge on him by killing his family. After mastering all that the monks of shaolin could teach him, he had to test the bronzemen before being able to leave the temple and repay the man who saved his life. Once stepping foot back out into society he is again hunted by the 8 masters who still want to fulfill there revenge promise, and a girl who may be more bad then good. Great action as Carter Wong must defend his family name against the 8 kung fu master clan. good film, i think better then the first. more like 3 3/4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Slow paced 2nd sequel marginally related to previous 2 films
Review: Star Carter Wong and director Joseph Kuo team up once again for ostensibly the third of three installments of the 18 Bronzemen. While Bronzemen 1 and Bronzemen 2 are heavily laden with 18 Bronzemen confrontations and trips through the cavernous chamber of Bronzemen in spectacular satisfyling choreography and attentive to the mystique and pageantry of the Bronzemen themself, this film seems like the odd man out. The story and characters are different, but thats OK. But after a brief set-up, Carter Wong is in and out of the 18 Bronzemen chamber for good (and he's succussful on the first try) in about 10 minutes in the first 20 minutes of the film. He must "endure" a grand total of about FOUR skills. After this walk in the park, he even earns the coveted honor of carrying out the big burning urn. Whaaaaaah? His bronzemen fights are clumsily and choppily edited without even the gratuitous walking through corridors from one chamber to another. A movie fan who has seen alot of these films would clearly suspect that the whole "bronzemen" sequence came from "outtakes" from the previous 2 films. The bronzemen seqeunce is treated almost dismissively. The remainder of the film deals with the newly disciplined Shaolin student RESISTING challenge after challenge from rival kung-fu masters. Whaaaaaah? This occupies the middle two-thirds of the film. Sound entertaining? Predictably, he does take on the masters in the end in enlivened somewhat satisfying, yet non-memorable, fight seqeunces. So in the end, this is a barely passable Carter Wong flick with some nothing-new fighting of 18 Bronzemen spuriously, shamelessly, and briefly thrown into the film, adding little to the substance or content of the core film.

Rating:
Summary: Slow paced 2nd sequel marginally related to previous 2 films
Review: Star Carter Wong and director Joseph Kuo team up once again for ostensibly the third of three installments of the 18 Bronzemen. While Bronzemen 1 and Bronzemen 2 are heavily laden with 18 Bronzemen confrontations and trips through the cavernous chamber of Bronzemen in spectacular satisfyling choreography and attentive to the mystique and pageantry of the Bronzemen themself, this film seems like the odd man out. The story and characters are different, but thats OK. But after a brief set-up, Carter Wong is in and out of the 18 Bronzemen chamber for good (and he's succussful on the first try) in about 10 minutes in the first 20 minutes of the film. He must "endure" a grand total of about FOUR skills. After this walk in the park, he even earns the coveted honor of carrying out the big burning urn. Whaaaaaah? His bronzemen fights are clumsily and choppily edited without even the gratuitous walking through corridors from one chamber to another. A movie fan who has seen alot of these films would clearly suspect that the whole "bronzemen" sequence came from "outtakes" from the previous 2 films. The bronzemen seqeunce is treated almost dismissively. The remainder of the film deals with the newly disciplined Shaolin student RESISTING challenge after challenge from rival kung-fu masters. Whaaaaaah? This occupies the middle two-thirds of the film. Sound entertaining? Predictably, he does take on the masters in the end in enlivened somewhat satisfying, yet non-memorable, fight seqeunces. So in the end, this is a barely passable Carter Wong flick with some nothing-new fighting of 18 Bronzemen spuriously, shamelessly, and briefly thrown into the film, adding little to the substance or content of the core film.