Master of the Flying Guillotine
Director: Jimmy Wang Yu
Starring: Jimmy Wang Yu, Kam Kang, Lau Ka Wing
This movie was INSANE. I say that even after watching a lot of kung fu movies lately. This was exactly what I wanted- fun, over the top absurdity.
The film (originally titled One-Armed Boxer vs the Flying Guillotine) is writter by, directed by, and starring Jimmy Wang Yu (the star of the One Armed Swordsman). Jimmy takes the role of the legendary One-Armed Boxer who is being tracked down by an old blind man who uses a unique weapon. The flying guillotine is basically a hat on a chain that he can land on peoples heads and then use the blades to chop them off. It is just as crazy as it sounds.
One thing I often find myself wishing for when watching kung fu movies is for more fights. This movie did not leave me unsatisfied. The film cleverly includes a martial arts tournament with fighters from all over the world. This is where we see some crazy stuff.
Wild things in this movie:
Someone strangling a fighter with his hair
Jumping through roofs and walking on ceilings
Monkey, eagle, and mantis fighting styles
Indian guy who can extend his arms (obvious inspiration for Dhalsim)
Fighter inflating like a blowfish
Fighting on poles and on a scalding hot metal floor
Someone's head spinning 360 degrees
This movie was obviously an influence on fighting video games like Street Fighter. The tournament scenes could have come right out of an arcade. The sound effects were dead on and certain characters and fighting styles look just like those in the games. The music for the film was all psychedelic electronic tunes, very different from the average composed scores.
Overall, this was an incredibly fun movie. Most people will laugh through it, others will think it is awesome. I fall somewhere in between.
Lesson learned: Being blind is worse than losing an arm.
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