Rating: 
Summary: Promising ingredients...who wrote the recipe?
Review: An impressive cast and a well-made trailer for this movie caught my eye, but I found the film a bit disappointing. While the cast list is promising, the vast majority of the film centers around Sammo Hung's character, with most of his fellow students (and the students of his teacher's rival) only putting in a few sparse fight scenes. I was looking forward to some graceful moves reflecting real skill on the screen, and while this wasn't entirely absent from the film, most of the fights center instead around glowing red palms that punch through wood and fists that make that classical wind-whooshing sound (grin). The plot is propelled by typical fare for the period: cheesy comedy and paper-thin schemes. Not a complaint on my part...most fans of this genre are familiar with (and hopefully inured to) these shortcomings. All in all, I would hesitate to recommend this film. Unless some names in the cast evoke *strong* nostalgia, there isn't too much here to make this a good addition to most fans' collections.
Rating: 
Summary: MAGNIFICENT KUNG FU
Review: Easily the best 70's collaboration between Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao minus Jackie as far as martial arts goes. ZU WARRIORS takes the cake for spectacle and story but MAGNIFICENT BUTCHER gives a non-stop flurry of kick-butt kung fu that I can only compare to YOUNG MASTER. Watch it widescreen on your projector and get ready to rumble!
Rating:
Summary: MAGNIFICENT KUNG FU
Review: Easily the best 70's collaboration between Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao minus Jackie as far as martial arts goes. ZU WARRIORS takes the cake for spectacle and story but MAGNIFICENT BUTCHER gives a non-stop flurry of kick-butt kung fu that I can only compare to YOUNG MASTER. Watch it widescreen on your projector and get ready to rumble!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent classic kung-fu film; Sammo Hung is in top form
Review: Excellent 70s style kung fu classic (actually 1979). Fresh plot with meaningful plot twists. Don't be fooled by the slightly cheesy title. And don't be fooled by Sammo Hung being in the movie. This is not one of his many comedic fluff pieces. There are excellent original inventive fight sequences throughout. Snake style, monkey style, drunken style, and even "cat" style are featured, including several weapon sequences. Sammo Hung, while light-hearted, is rather serious in this one and in top form. I would not have really thought of the film as a "comedy." The rival school master is immediately recognizable as the "exhibition" opponent/teacher to Gordon Liu at the Shaolin Temple in "Shaolin Master Killer," and many other first-rate films. The film far surpassed my expectations. I recommend it highly!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Excellent DVD sound and video quality in widescreen glory. The story is not bad but the real treat is watching Samo Hung in his prime just as capable as Jackie Chan. The famous Hung Gar master, Kwan Tak Hing, is an added treat. No "Crouching Tiger" tricks here either. The Shaolin Five Animal style is depicted very well (Snake, Dragon, Tiger, Crane, and Leopard) especially by Samo Hung. My only gripe is Simon Yuen's likeness on the cover because he is not in the film. However, there is a very good actor that portray's Simon Yuen's character similarly. Best fight: Yuen Biao and fellow student versus fan/sleeve knives expert and Monkey style fighter. Strangest fight: Samo Hung versus a Cat's Claw expert.
Rating:
Summary: Lam Sai Wing Depicted Magnifcently
Review: First off, I love this movie because it is a bit older and it competes with today's best. Secondly, Even though there is a bit of China-style slapstick, Lam Sai Wing is'nt pictured as the bumbling fool that most other Wong Fei Hung movies depict him as these days. According to history, Lam was Wong's best student. This movie doesn't try to defy that. Third, the Kung Fu is wireless and fluid. Reason number four is the appearance of Kwan Tak Hing. He is truly the best at doing Wong Fei Hung and it shows, especially in the calligraphy duel scene. Last but not least, some traditional Hung gar is displayed, and I like to see the style in a Kung Fu flick kept true. Oh, and there is a bit of humor and Sammo looks as agile as a cat.
Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: How could anyone not love butcher Wing? This movie has it all! Great action, plot, acting... nothing is lacking. Fight scenes are among the best ever filmed. Gets better each time you watch it. Very inspiring. A truly fun film. Definitely a classic. Along with the great and diverse range of fighting skills exhibited here, this movie is unusually funny. Not corny but really funny. The humor in this movie makes it unique in comparison to other flicks of its genre. Very entertaining. You will lose track of time and space while watching this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Samo's show all the way!
Review: I bought this movie because I like to watch the mind boggling acrobatic martial arts work done by Yuen Biao, and his photo is very prominent on the cover of the movie. However, Biao has a fairly minor role in this film with one excellent fight sequence towards the middle while he is defending Master Wong's school with Wei Pei. "Magnificent Butcher" is directed by Yuen Woo Ping, who helped Keanu Reeves with the martial arts scenes in "Matrix". Woo Ping also directed the popular Jackie Chan film "Drunken Master". "Magnificent Butcher" features excellent martial arts moves, and although Samo is not the slimmest guy around, he is amazingly fast and agile. The odd movie title comes from the fact that Samo's character is pork vendor "Butcher Wing". The movie is billed as a comedy and it does have many lighter moments, but theses are mixed in with an attempted rape, a woman being suffocated, and a fatal stabbing. Actor Kwan Tak-Hing is always elegant and interesting to watch as Wong Fei- Hung. Lam Ching Ying has a cameo role. The slimy, bad guy is played to perfection by Fong Hak-On, who has played a villian in several Jackie Chan Movies including "Police Story". Samo portrays a martial arts student learning under the tutelage of Master Wong, while master is away Samo is framed for the murder of the goddaughter of the opposing school's teacher. A liquor swilling hobo tutors samo in various new martial arts forms and prepares him to defend his name and honor. If you like watching martial arts, this movie has many extended fight sequences. Myriad classic martial arts weapons are used including paintbrushes, fans, swords, and staffs. I liked the "cat" style of kung fu shown, but there are several other excellent matches throughout. This movie seems to extend into a second movie filmed almost at the same time "Dreadnaught" was also directed by Yuen Woo Ping, has the same martial arts school setting, uses Kwan Tak-Hing again as Master Wong, and Fong Hak-On as the villian. Yuen Biao takes the lead role in this movie. If you like "Dreadnaught" you will enjoy "Magnificent Butcher", and if you like "Magnificent Butcher" you should definately buy "Dreadnaught".
Rating:
Summary: one of the greatest
Review: If someone where to ask me to name my top ten martial arts films this would would for sure be in there.From Yuen Woo Ping this is one of his greatest with jaw dropping fight scenes with star Sammo Hung AND OTHERS including a great video transfer .Add that all up and you get one of the few greats!
Rating: 
Summary: Old school martial arts at it's finest.
Review: If you're a Sammo Hung or Yuen Biao fan, this one doesn't disappoint with it's action. The plot may seem a little thin at times, but I watch martial art movies for the action. There's enough good fight scenes to get my thumb's up.
|
