This is the first time this Shaw Brothers movie has been released uncut in the U.S. It also got a remastering treatment.
In the film it is a warlord's plan to pit two Shaolin schools against each other and wipe them out. The warlord goes on to frame the northerners for murders he commits. A somewhat complicated story unfolds - a story of betrayal and revenge.
This was directed by one of my favorite directors of Asian Cinema, Chang Cheh. INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN features really aggressive acrobatic kung-fu skills and awesome training sequences. It's got the best chest-rip-opening scene ever! It was one of my favorites to watch on Kung-Fu Theatre when I was about 10. It's also one of the rare times that Lu Feng (who usually plays a bad guy/antagonist) plays a good guy/protagonist. Lu Feng also served as one of the fight choreographers. The story line with the girls is a little weak. It's not as epically violent as Masked Avengers or Daredevils. Still great. (3/4 Throwing Stars)
If you like this, check out the Five Deadly Venoms - also directed by Chang Cheh who discovered the Five Venoms (Lu Feng, Sun Chien/Phillip Kwok, Chiang Sheng, Wei Pai, and Lo Mang). Three of them were from a famous Taiwanese opera troupe.
And, of course, this is available for purchase at Redscroll. Check out all of my (Rob's) picks on the top shelf of the DVDs.
