The Five Deadly Venoms
Director: Chang Cheh
Starring: Chiang Sheng, Kuo Chui, Lu Feng
This movie was just plain cool. This was my first (of many to come) Chang Cheh movie, who is a god of Hong Kong cinema. This is a classic kung fu movie and it did not disappoint.
The tagline for this movie was "Pick Your Poison". The plot centered around a mysterious clan called the Poison Clan. A dying teacher asks his last pupil to kill the rest of the clan because they have gone on to do terrible things. Each member of the clan has a different style of fighting based on a different animal (Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Lizard, and Toad). Their identeties are secret, so this pupil must go on a quest to find them.
The kung fu in this movie was not quite as impressive as what you'll see in 36th Chamber or Drunken Master II, but it is decent. Watching the different animal styles fight against each other was great, especially in the final battle royal. My personal favorite was the Toad. That guy was just awesome.
While the flick's fights could have been better, it makes up or it in awesomeness. The characters, music, and plot were kooky, but totally engaging. This may have been the most fun story I've seen in a kung fu movie. Usually a loose plot is just an excuse to watch cool fights. In this movie, everything had a purpose and the mystery of the Poison Clan unfolded with suspense.
An excellent movie. I'm having more fun watching these old martial arts films than I have had with movies in a long time.
Lesson learned: Watch out for scorpions, they're tricksy.
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