The Avenging Eagle

Sun Chung's AVENGING EAGLE is a martial arts film that transcends the genre; it boasts a superior script and characterization, and achieves a tragic quality of its own.

The Shaw Bros. studio churned out a lot of martial arts films in its 25 year heyday. AVENGING EAGLE is one of the most memorable that I have seen. The script takes the viewer back and forth in time, the flashbacks allow the viewer to discover more and more about its two protagonists (played by TI LUNG and Alexander FU SHENG). So interwined are their pasts that it is quickly obvious that they should actually be each other's enemy. But the logic is such that we can also readily accept that they put aside their differences, eliminate as many of the Iron Boat clan sent in pursuit of TI LUNG's character, and finally, take on the evil leader of the clan (KU FENG).

I found the dialogue especially good and satisfying, and I am sure that others who have seen the film, can think of at least four or five instances, whether the dialogue demonstrates wonderful irony, quiet sadness, and ensures the two heroes display real qualities of heroism.

SUN CHUNG and his crew show a wonderful eye for their locations, the exotic and distinctive costuming and weaponry (of the heroes, and also the thirteen Eagles, and of course, their leader).

With the opening shot, it was obvious this film was photographed away from the usual locations. That, the initial meeting of the two leads, their first skirmish with the Iron Boat gang, and much later, the remote inn that they 'rent' for a month to set up an elaborate ambush, and lastly, the lair of the gang, where SUN builds up to and sustains a lengthy climax, demonstrates a lot of imagination.

Even the music is effective, despite the mono sound of the Region 3 IVL/Celestial Pictures DVD, and is largely 'original'> This film is so good that I have not even broached the subject of its martial arts. And that alone, I believe, is reason enough that I consider AVENGING EAGLE one of the best martial arts films I have seen.

(PS: Consider a quarter century later the Japanese were making films along the same line, ie. AZUMI, which surely lacks the economy of this film, running almost an hour longer).

(PSS: I enjoyed the other contributors' comments on AVENGING EAGLE, surely more confirmation, this film deserves repeated viewing).

(PSSS: If you enjoyed this film, please take the time to track down and watch KILLER CONSTABLE).

With a plot more resembling a Japanese production than your usual kung fu film and excellent cinematography, Avenging Eagle is a very good lesser-known martial art movie. The main actors do their usual good job and the fight scenes are very well done. The whole film has the feel of a good B grade western.

The director, Sun Cheung, has a style apart from the other more well known Shaw directors and he handles the fight scenes with finesse as well as the rest of the movie. HIs movie output is hard to find and guessing from the lack of reviews on IMDb many of his films never made it into the U.S..

I recommend this film for anyone familiar with Liu Chia Liang or Chen Cheh's work. The movie is a change of pace from the baroque and brutal plot lines of Chen Cheh and the elaborate hi-jinx of Liu Chia Liang.

Another really well-done Shaw epic from director Sun Chung. This one has Ti Lung and Fu Sheng teaming up as they tackle the all-star team of bad guys headed by Ku Feng in a classic role. You get the likes of Wang Lung Wei, Dick Wei and Eddy Ko as the professional assassins and inevitably the action is superior. Lung does the brooding hero part so well by this stage while Fu Sheng starts out goofy but reveals a dark back story later on. The momentum builds to a vibrant and bloody climax in Feng's lair, and it's not to be missed.

This was really strong. It's common to get to a martial arts movie and think "the story was a bit whatever, but the action was great," but I got quite invested in the story here. I think it was well-told and less predictable than expected, with a neat structure and two main characters who mostly wanted the same things (a form of revenge), and formed an uneasy alliance that was sometimes mysterious, and occasionally at risk of being challenged.

The action was all super satisfying, too. Typically great choreography, over-the-top death scenes, and some really inventive weapons that made things interesting, particularly in the final fight.

This might even be one of the better Shaw Brothers movies. Definitely an underrated one, in any event.

Chi Ming-sing is a former disciple of a gang run by overlord Yoh Xi-hung. Yoh's disciples hunt Chi relentlessly as he travels on a soul-searching journey. He comes to the aid of a seemingly bumbling man who hardly takes even life-threatening scenes seriously. The man Chi saved starts following him on the road, explaining that he's looking for someone who committed a grievous, unforgivable wrong.

I am still getting into the Shaw Brothers. I watched this back to back with "Five Deadly Venoms", and i have to say that "Venoms" is the better film. I just liked the plot and characters better. But "Avenging Eagle" has a great use of color, and you have to love the way they make the beards look on these old men. Maybe those are real beards, but I highly doubt it... only in these films do they have that wispy, billowing quality.