The Thundering Mantis

Rating:
Summary: hilarious kung-fu japery!
Review: all-out ridiculous kung-fu action in the style of classics such as 'mystery of chessboxing'. rudy ray moore's presentation leaves much to be desired ('check out my new movie'), but the feature more than makes up for it. one of the better kung-fu movies to be re-released in recent years. strangely homoerotic in one place, however.

Rating:
Summary: Truly exceptional classic 70s kung fu flick
Review: As the somewhat hokey-named "The Thundering Mantis" I bought the movie on a goof, then as the opening credits began, I realized this was one of my most favorite kung fu movies of all time that I saw in THEATRES as "The Mantis Fist Fighter". HUGELY popular in the 70s Time Squares rounds, the movie stars the actor from "Cantonese Iron Kung Fu" along with the drunken mantis master --- an immediately recognizable spectacular actor who routinely plays the drunken master or the monkey master. There is intentional comic relief, but not to a distraction. The plot is fairly mundane --- the evil gang leaders are mad that they constantly getting shown up by a local fish seller who learns kung fu at the local Shaolin temple in his spare time. In spite, the gang members eventuually kill everyone associated with the fighter. Meanwhile the fighter perfects his skills by incorporating the mantis technique of a local con artist beggar and his boy protege. The evil gang member boss, an Eagle master, in the end is the fighter's only rival. The story is compellingly executed with tempered slapstick and comedy. Numerous fights populate the film, involving spell-binding mantis choreography. The final battle is extraordinarily memorable, so much so that I certainly remembered nearly every frame of the film since I saw it over 20 years ago. A MUST for classic lovers.

Rating:
Summary: The Mantis Fist Style
Review: As the somewhat hokey-named "The Thundering Mantis" I bought the movie on a goof, then as the opening credits began, I realized this was one of my most favorite kung fu movies of all time that I saw in THEATRES as "The Mantis Fist Fighter". HUGELY popular in the 70s Time Squares rounds, the movie stars the actor from "Cantonese Iron Kung Fu" along with the drunken mantis master --- an immediately recognizable spectacular actor who routinely plays the drunken master or the monkey master. There is intentional comic relief, but not to a distraction. The plot is fairly mundane --- the evil gang leaders are mad that they constantly getting shown up by a local fish seller who learns kung fu at the local Shaolin temple in his spare time. In spite, the gang members eventuually kill everyone associated with the fighter. Meanwhile the fighter perfects his skills by incorporating the mantis technique of a local con artist beggar and his boy protege. The evil gang member boss, an Eagle master, in the end is the fighter's only rival. The story is compellingly executed with tempered slapstick and comedy. Numerous fights populate the film, involving spell-binding mantis choreography. The final battle is extraordinarily memorable, so much so that I certainly remembered nearly every frame of the film since I saw it over 20 years ago. A MUST for classic lovers.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected...
Review: I commonly look at the "listmania" lists of Amazon users for suggestions on Old School Kung Fu movies that I haven't seen. "The Thundering Mantis" showed up on two separate user's lists so I thought it would be worth buying. While it is defintely "Old School" with no wire-fu, it is weak on substance. I think they also tried too hard to make it humerous. The main protagonist does not seem nearly talented enough to carry this role. The fight choreography is slow like they are only going half speed. It does not compare to classics like Invincible Pole Fighter, Shaolin vs. Lama, Shaolin and Wu Tang, or The Prodigal Son.

Rating:
Summary: A very different plot.
Review: I don't usually write reviews as I own over 240 martial arts titles (mostly old school kung fu), but when one stands out from others, you just have to write about it. The plot to this film is what makes it. In most films, heroes usually triumph and in some they die, but this film is quite different from the norm. I won't spoil the film for those who have not seen it by giving away the plot, but be prepared for some awesome fighting and a somewhat disturbingly sad ending.