Shao Lin Kung-Fu Mystagogue

SHAOLIN KUNG FU MYSTAGOGUE (1976) has a good cast and an interesting-enough Ming-vs.-Ching storyline set in 17th century China, but its many fight scenes depend less on traditional old-school kung fu than on flying, leaping, somersaulting and exotic weaponry. Characters never enter a courtyard through an archway when they can leap over a wall. No one leaves a room by the door when there's an open window to fling themselves through. The plot involves a mission by Ming loyalists to spirit King Tang, the surviving brother of the late Ming emperor (who'd died in a Ching prison), through Ching territory to safer haven in Southern China. When the local Ching prince and his cadre of kung fu fighters capture and imprison the incognito King Tang without knowing his real identity, the Ming fighters enlist the help of the Abbot of Shaolin Temple in freeing him. The plot thickens when we learn of a Ching spy stationed at Shaolin. The Ching prince and his men eventually invade the temple and the action quickly shifts to a series of underground chambers outfitted with traps.

Carter Wong (18 BRONZEMEN) and femme fighting star Hsu Feng (TOUCH OF ZEN) play the main heroes fighting on behalf of King Tang. Chang Yi (EAGLE'S CLAW) is the assassin sent after them and he cuts quite a formidable figure in a red and black outfit with white streaks in his hair as he unleashes his deadly weapons, the "bloody birds"--hand-held devices with three wing-shaped blades which can spin at great speed and slice through tree trunks and human targets with astonishing ease. Neither Carter nor Chang Yi get much of an opportunity to do the hand-to-hand, feet-to-feet combat at which they normally excelled. Instead, the acrobatic stunt doubles seem to be having all the fun. Hsu Feng has a good sizable part for a change and is in most of the fight scenes, but she doesn't get to do much actual fighting either, given the emphasis in these scenes on her stunt double's superhuman leaps and somersaults off of horses and onto tree limbs and such. Plenty of other kung fu notables are on hand including Phillip Ko, Lung Fei, Kam Kong, Chan Siu Pang (also the film's fight director), Ma Cheung and Li Chao, in addition to Liu Ping who plays the evil prince whose skin is invulnerable, except for one secret weak point, to all blade thrusts.

Old school purists will object to the gimmicky, high-leaping fight action and the quick cutting in such scenes, which can get very distracting at times. While not in the top ranks of kung fu films, SHAOLIN KUNG FU MYSTAGOGUE remains, however, colorful and diverting and boasts a most dependable cast. The word "mystagogue" is never used in the film and its significance remains a mystery. Webster's Dictionary defines "mystagogue" as "an interpreter of religious mysteries or one who initiates others into them." The only possible character this could refer to is the Abbot of Shaolin who guards a secret kung fu scroll coveted by one of the characters. But it's still quite a stretch.

SHAOLIN KUNG FU MYSTAGOGUE, despite the outlandish title, is a straightforward historical kung fu romp about evil Ching overlords and their harassment and murder of the loyalist Ming rebels. It's simplistic stuff about a Ming prince getting captured and imprisoned by the Mings, who fail to realise his true identity. The Shaolin Temple is called into the play to help save the prince and two heroes team up to infiltrate the enemy.

It's a standard vehicle for popular kung fu star Carter Wong, whose impassive face was a perfect match for these films. Here he punches, whips, and kicks his way through various enemies in his hunt for the kidnapped prince and he's also joined by a peace-loving monk and a female fighter at various points. The best character in the film is Chang Yi's assassin villain, who looks like he's stepped in from a Japanese LONE WOLF & CUB movie. Sporting outlandish badger hair, donning a wide-brimmed straw hat and a nifty cape, Yi is a forced to be reckoned with. Even better, he employs some boomerang-style throwing stars as weapons in the film's wonderful climax.

Until that point we get a fairly ordinary movie enlivened by plenty of acrobatic action. The Joseph Kuo influence is clear with the characters entering a temple full of traps at one point: there are closing walls, spiked ceilings, and even flame traps. Special attention seems to have been made to the costumes which look fine on the low budget. Phillip Ko has a minor role. The film isn't overly violent although there are a few scenes of mild gore. The over the top climax overloads the slow-motion jumping action and is hilariously great.

This is the usual Ching versus Ming story with Shaolin Temple thrown in as a place of refuge for the rebels/traitors (depending on which side you are on). The story has good characters, interesting weapons, and plot twists and betrayals but the movie falls apart with the filming and editing of the fights. There are a lot of gimmicks, tricks and traps, and wire work for props that is just cheaply constructed, poorly filmed and poorly edited for the final cut. Plus the pan and scan seemed to go the wrong direction at times and I'm sure quite a few feet of film were missing from the copy they used. They did do a good job of setting the stunt man on fire and I love when they set the stunt man on fire. Because of those failures I can't rate it any higher than just average for the year and genre.