Gui fu shen

FIVE FIGHTERS FROM SHAOLIN is a cheap but effective martial arts film from Taiwan that flirts with the fantasy genre on occasion while never going as all-out in terms of oddness as other genre entries did. However, while the production values are certainly cheap and cheerful, this is a film which has a fun, anything-goes feel to it, and it's never slow for one.

The film's protagonist is an old monk (played by a near unrecognisable Mark Long, the Ghost Face Killer from MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING) who is forced to leave the sanctuary of his temple after a murder takes place. He decides to set up a new temple, but must contend with villainous soldiers and a betrayal from an old friend, to which end he gathers five kung fu fighters and trains them in the secrets arts of the martial arts. All hell subsequently breaks loose.

As is usual for the genre, FIVE FIGHTERS FROM SHAOLIN contains plentiful knockabout comedy and training sequences mixed with some solid fight scenes. There's a particular emphasis on acrobatics here with actors throwing themselves all over the place and as such the fight scenes are fun and full of energy. The mid section where a couple of the guys have a crazy pole climbing competition is a highlight, but other plot ingredients include melodrama, tragedy, murder, and even a brief wizard duel featuring computer noises, flying needles, and plenty of sweat. I kept wondering why the sound of Big Ben chiming was dubbed in on the soundtrack. The fight scenes utilise plenty of props and scenery and inevitably the best of these is the final battle against Jack Long, which is crazy stuff, full of stunts, violence, and explosives.