7 Grand Masters
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Movie Reviews of 7 Grand Masters
Movie Review: Beautiful widescreen transfer of a great kung fu film
Summary: 4 Stars
7 GRANDMASTERS (1978) is a legendary kung fu film that's been a fan favorite for over 25 years. Good home video copies were impossible to come by until this legit DVD which offers the film letter-boxed, with 16:9 enhancement, enabling most of us, for the first time, to see the breathtaking kung fu action in all its widescreen glory. Licensed to Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters by Hong Kong's Mei Ah, the transfer was made from a high-quality print that may be the best non-Shaw Bros. print of a kung fu film yet released in the U.S. The dual language track includes both the familiar English dub and the original Mandarin track, with English subtitles.
7 GRANDMASTERS is almost a pure kung fu film, combining as it does two plot threads which sum up the essence of the genre. First we have a venerated kung fu champion, Shangkuan Chang, who must renew his status before he retires by traveling through China, accompanied by his daughter and three students, and taking on the grand masters of the title in fair bouts to prove he can still beat them. Second, he trains an eager young novice, Hsiao Ying, who has joined the party early on in the two-year journey and who gradually surpasses his existing students. We see a succession of bouts with other masters, experts in weapons and various styles (snake, tiger, mantis, monkey, etc.), all of whom must confront the Pai Mei Fist technique of Shangkuan. And we also see the young student go through the grueling process of being grudgingly accepted by the master, putting up with abuse from the other students, and practicing hard before developing his own unique style. During the course of it all, we learn of a threat to the master from his past and a hidden agenda on the part of the student.
It's a kung fu classic featuring fight choreography by Yuen Cheung Yan (one of the famed Yuen Clan) and Corey Yuen, who went on to become a top director of HK action films in his own right (YES, MADAM!, FONG SAI YUK, SO CLOSE, etc.). Corey also appears in the film as a weapons expert who is one of the grand masters. The stars are Jack Long as the kung fu master, Lee Yi Min as the new student, and Mark Long as the senior student. All three also co-starred, to great effect, in NINJA CHECKMATE (aka MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING), also reviewed on this site. As kung fu films go, it rarely gets better than this. If I can offer one mild criticism, it's that there are so many good fights throughout the film that when we get to the final bout with the villain from the master's past, it's almost anti-climactic.
Movie Review: one of THE all-time classics
Summary: 4 Stars
This flick encompasses everything you expect when someone mutters, or even bellows "old-school kung fu". Great premise, great fights (again, old-school), great fun. Lots of acrobatics. Animal styles. Man, I love this movie.
Jack Long plays Shang Kuan Cheng, a righteous kung fu champion and hero to the people, who's about to retire when a mysterious note appears to remind him that he can't call himself champion until he has defeated all styles and masters in the province. He agrees and postpones his ceremony until he can challenge the 7 remaining masters. He gathers his daughter and all 3 of his students and sets about his task. When one of his defeated opponents turns up dead, he's suspected. Complicating things further is a persistent young man (Li Yi Min) determined to have Shang become his teacher.
This movie has it all. Stolen manuals, Pai Mei, revenge for the killing of one's father. Revenge for the killing of one's master. Great sound-effects. Pre-fight form displays. Man, just get it already. Did I mention it's beautifully remastered and in widescreen. This is the best remastering job that I've seen from an independent studio. Very few sets, mostly open cinematography. Gorgeous. The nice picture does allow you to see the tape that holds the actors' wigs on, but no biggy. It's also English-dubbed, or if you prefer, subtitled. I could do without some of the silly humor, but it's quite tame compared to its contemporaries. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 4.5
1978
Movie Review: the best fight scenes i have ever seen.
Summary: 4 Stars
this is my all time favorite Kung-Fu flick.i have seen over 200 Kung-Fu flicks...im not into the flying around with wires and cutting walls in half with 1 punch flicks.
but what i do like is the old school hardcore/hard working flicks...
(drunken master 1,shaolin vs wu-tang,prodigal son,snake and crane arts of shaolin etc etc..)
this movie,IMO if you want to see one of the best fight scenes ever created is for you.
the part where Jack Long meets the guy who was so determined to have him assasinated and Jack Long shows up bare fisted,but yet his rival has a whole weapon rack that he uses against him....Jack Long uses each weapon against him until there is no others.
this is my favorite fight scene. i dont think any movie will ever match it,the pure skill and precision ( on the original version) is just amazing...no string,no flying just pur hardcore fight seens.
the only other movie that i can honestly compare it with is the end fight seen in drunken master 1.
this is a must have for any collector.
the basic story is Jack Long has to go fight all the 7 masters of the regions to show to his secret rival that he does deserve the title as the grandmaster...each fight just shows how bad ass he is but he was never that popular as an actor,but my favorit with jackie chan being the second.
my favorite movie of all time.
Movie Review: the way old-school should be on DVD.
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, the print of this dvd is great for an old-school kung-fu flick. The picture is crisp yet still has that old school feel and it has the orignal dubbed track, not some new dubbed garbage you find on most of the remastered fung-fu DVD's. Also has orignal dialogue for fans who don't like the cheesy dubbed voices.The movie itself is a little over rated as being one of the best ever of the genre, but it is still highly entertaining. Predictable plot and bad hair-wigs galore...but most watch these flicks for the almost super-human fight scenes.
Movie Review: Good film with the good fighting and comedy moments.
Summary: 4 Stars
Classic kung fu film. Student learns from his master and turns on him. Not the deepest plot,but a good film with some pretty good fighting and some humor. I liked how he developed a brother type relationship with the other characters. I have watched this film a number of times and even let my friends borrow it enjoy it.