Heroes of the East

Challenge of the Ninja is essentially a story of cultures. From the initial opening credits when Gordon Liu a young Chinese man marries a Japanese girl you can see that they and everything around them will clash as the newlyweds try to find common ground. Their varying attitudes about martial arts to the way they train pits the two lovers on a collision course that ultimately has the proud, stubborn and spoiled bride running back to her family. An ill advised note pits a rival suitor against the young man and his Japanese entourage of fighters who feel slighted by its contents that derides their skill and culture as fighters. When Gordon meets with them head on he not only wins back his wayward wife but gains the respect and admiration of those who would challenge him. This movie is a must see for those who like to see the various styles of martial arts represented by Chinese Kung Fu by one of its finest proponents.

With a title like Shaolin Challenges Ninja... how could this movie not be amazing? With excellently choreographed fight scenes, a decent storyline (horrible translation... but that just adds to its reputation as a classic), and a great assortment of fighting styles and weaponry, this movie is amazing.

And there's not that much more to say. Watch this movie if you're a fan of classic Shaw Brother's martial arts mayhem. The only disappointment would come in how easily the hero defeats each villain. But his reasons for non-violence fit the storyline and thus, can't be avoided.

A non-violent action movie? Yes it is... and it still rules. Enjoy.

I read somewhere that the producers tried hard to come up with a story that viewers outside Hong Kong would enjoy because Gordon Liu had fans in China and Japan thanks to his Shaolin monk movies. "Heroes of the East" was the result. Gordon Liu was in Montreal for the Fantasia Film Festival so local organizers and sponsors got him to come to Toronto to say hello after the show.

I noticed something watching the Chinese version that slipped by me when I watched the English dub years ago - only the Ninja Master and Ah To's wife could speak Chinese! I guess that was necessary for the sake of the story so our hero couldn't tell the other Japanese masters that everything was a big misunderstanding and there was no reason for them to fight.

I have good feelings about this movie because the story held together so well. Nobody was portrayed as a villain and everything was resolved happily with our hero accepting the friendship of the Kendo Master.

Gordon Liu... what else should be said?

This movie is great... from Liu slapping around his servant to his servant eying up Liu's wife's open top to the excellent fight scenes, this is without a doubt excellent entertainment. Quite fun, and quite funny!

Note: the ninja at the end is the same actor that appears as the master in Jet Li's Fist of Legend (the guy who cuts paper (or leaves? can't remember) with his swipes).

If you can find this one, it's a gem. Don't miss it, esp. if you're a Liu fan.

Heroes Of The East aka Shaolin Challenges Ninja is one of many collaborations between actor Gordon Liu and director Lau Kar Leung brought to us by the legendary Shaw Bros. Studios. Gordon Liu has an arranged marriage with a woman from Japan. His wife is an expert of various Japanese fighting styles and each party is of the viewpoint that their style is better than the other. Their various sparring matches cause serious tension in their marriage as well as destroy much of the house. Gordon Liu is, of course an awesome exponent of Chinese kung fu. His wife takes off to Japan and in an effort to get his wife back, slams the Japanese martial arts and challenges her to a competition. His wife's martial arts instructor/love interest grabs the letter from her and does not appreciate the letter's content. Next thing you know Yasuaki Karata and a bunch of Japanese dudes show up at Gordon Liu's pad and challenge him to a tournament. Gordon Liu accepts and fights each representative of various Japanese fighting styles. What separates Heroes Of The East from various other Chinese vs Japanese productions is that it respects both cultures and their fighting styles as well. There are lots of great fights to be had here and both Gordon Liu and Yasuaki Kurata are in top form. Heroes Of The East is indeed a solid martial arts film but it is nowhere near as essential as Lau Kar Leung/Gordon Liu's kung fu masterwork The 36 Chambers Of Shaolin aka Master Killer. Heroes Of The East still resonates and is an enjoyable, fast paced and cohesive martial arts film that is memorable and far above average.