Killer of Snake, Fox of Shaolin

Rating:
Summary: Kung Fu and Magic Too!
Review: Killer of Snake, Fox of Shaolin could have been better, but there were a few elements in it which made it watchable.

The story starts, when Carter Wong gets invloved in a dispute between the Fox and Snake clans.(the two clan are actually Foxes and Snakes in human form and both can use magic) Choy Tien Sing, of the Sankes, wants to marry Won Ku of the Foxes. She won't have anything to do with him however, so he tries to take her by force. Carter Wong happens by, and steps in to help the Foxes. Choy Tien Sing injuries him however, but is driven off by the Gods for using magic in a fight. Won Ku nurses Carter Wong back to health and falls for him. Later she and her father try to get Carter to marrry her, but he rufuses. Then they shceme to get the two together by having Won Ku follow Carter Wong.

Eventually they stop at an Inn where Carter stops trouble between the town thugs employed by Kin Tai Fung and the Inn keepers. As a thankyou the Inn keeper allows Carter and Won Ku to stay at the Inn. In the night, however, a female ghost, So Ju Chin, approaches Carter and asks for his help to kill the gang leader Kin Tai Fung. Apparently he had raped her 3 years earlier and she hung herself in shame. Carter is confused at first, because after making a trip to a Buddist temple the next day, he discovers evil is close to him and he must rid himself of it. Eventually, Carter discovers the evil is actully Won Ku, not the spirit, and he aides the ghost in getting revenge on Kin Tai Fung.(Iguess since Won Ku is a Fox in disguise misleading Carter, she is evil)

Meanwhile, Choy Tien Sing tracks down Carter Wong and Won Ku. He is determined to kill Carter and marry Won Ku. He and Carter Wong Battle in the end to settle matters, and Won Ku leaves Carter due to her incompatablity with him. Since she is a Fox and he is a human.

Well as you can see there was a confusing story which was most likely due to the Hong Kong tradition of let's make it up as we go approach to movie making. However, the idea was a fresh one, and I liked the use of the magic, and the idea that the two clans were actually Foxes and Snakes in human form. Also, the plot with the ghost was interseting, better than the clan rivalry and Won Ku's crush on Carter Wong. Both clans also had cute daughters, although we see Won Ku the most.

The bad news is that the plot does suffer due to lack of continuity. Also, Carter Wong is not the best choice for a hero, he plays better villans in my opinion. The disc quality should have been a little better too. There are points where the film looks out of focus, and the digital transfer gets a little hazy at times. The Kung Fu is not that great either.

So in summary I gave 2 stars because I liked the idea of magic, and the addition of the ghost plot.(that helped the movie pick up somewhat) If you are a Kung Fu fan and are looking for a film with decent fights however, this wont do it for you. Keep looking. I'd say it's worth a watch only if you like Kung Fu films with something different in them. With the magic, a ghost, and animal clans, Killer of Snake, Fox of Shaolin delivers in that regard.