Snake in the Eagle's Shadow

Jackie's first big hit. It's easy to see why it was so popular when it was first released. Nobody had ever seen comedy and kung fu mixed together before. And if it wasn't for Jackie, we might have never have. Good and plentiful fights easily make this a kung fu classic that still entertains over 20 years later.

One of the biggest classics of martial arts cinema, the film that started a new subgenre in kung fu cinema , the comedy kung fu cinema and the breakthrough fim for its star, the legendary Jackie Chan...

Directed by the legendary Yuen Woo Ping and co-starred by his father Yuen Siu Tien, playing his eternal role as the old beggar drunken master, this film is an example of how a perfect kung fu movie should be made, from the badass opening sequence with Jackie training with a red background behind him , accompanied by a catchy music until the final epic final fight against the great Hwang Jang Lee , the film is a succession of outstanding and very original martial arts sequences accompanied by great doses of humour ..Although that Lau Kar Leung already had used this formula in his directorial debut "The spiritual Boxer" made three years before, however, it was this film the one that gave a new direction to Hong Kong kung fu movies becoming in an instant classic..

MASTERPIECE

'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' - Jackie Chan's other breakthrough hit, along with 'Drunken Master'. Both released in 1978, these two movies made the careers of Jackie Chan and director Yuen Woo Ping, and both featured Siu Tien Yuen and Hwang Jang Lee in similar roles.

The plot follows Chien Fu (Jackie Chan), an orphan abused and mistreated by the kung-fu (evil, of course) school he works at. He can't fight until he meets Pai Cheng-Cheh (Siu Tien Yuen), a grand-master of Snake Fist, and last remaining follower of the Snake Fist style. A rivalry between the Snake Fist and Eagle Claw styles has led to the near-elimination of the Snake Fist style, and Chien Fu and Pai Cheng-Cheh find themselves being hunted by Lord Sheng Kuan (Hwang Jang Lee), the master of the Eagle Claw style.

The awesomeness of 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' lies in the fact that it really is quite similar to 'Drunken Master', which is also awesome. Again, the plot is a pretty standard kung-fu plot, but any plot which allows for the maximum amount of on-screen kung-fu time is a good plot. The training sequences are entertaining, and the following fight scenes are incredible - Jackie, Hwang Jang Lee and Yuen Woo Ping are all at their best here.

'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' is an awesome and very funny movie - 10/10, a must see for all Jackie Chan fans.

Lots of fighting, done in a comical way. Just about every character in this movie are not too bright, which is perfect for a comedy of errors.

I have always preferred this comical way of handling martial arts better than the too serious Bruce Lee style.

I believe this was Jackie Chan's first widely successful movie freed from the constraints of Lo Wei and working with a different director allowed Jackie to move into a different direction and stop trying to be the new Bruce Lee (as if anyone ever could be!).

Surprisingly the humour translates pretty well and both Jackies cruel martial arts school employer and the kindly martial artist he meets and befriends are well drawn comedic characters. The sometimes bizarre fighting styles all named after animals are a joy to behold and Jackie and all the other martial artists involved show just how skillful they are with some truly memorable twists on the old school kung-fu style fighting. Many of those in this film came together again a year later to make the equally excellent Drunken Master.

I would recommend this film to any martial arts fan as a must see, it's also an excellent entry point if your interested in looking into martial arts action films in general. 8/10