Kung Fu - The Legend Continues
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Chris Potter, David Carradine, Kim Chan, Nathaniel Moreau, Robert LansingAudio: English (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Movie Reviews of Kung Fu - The Legend Continues
Movie Review: Carrdine Reprises Kwai Chang Caine
Summary: 5 Stars
A fine four-season show in which the grandson of Kwai Chang Caine of the 1960's hit, Kung Fu, returns. Played by an older David Carradine, he also bears the name of Kwai Chang Caine and is a wanderer. Where the original show emphasized the contrast of the rough-and-ready violence of its Wild West setting, this series puts Caine into a familiar modern-day police action drama format, contrasted against the peaceful martial arts philosophy. Naturally, there's plenty of martial arts fighting...No one was smoother than lanky, dance-trained Carradine in exhibiting the flowing grace of kung fu. The later series also had a greater emphasis on the mystical aspects of Kung Fu and Shaolin.
Caine is reunited with his son, Peter (Silk Stalkings Chris Potter) whom he believed killed in the destruction of their Northern California temple by a renegade Shaolin. The son is a tough guy police detective in an unnamed Midwestern city who is led to recall his temple training and eventually eases back into the Shaolin way as the series progresses. Caine settles in the city's Chinatown where he works as an herbalist and kung fu instructor and extends help to those who come to Chinatown in search of him. Caine is allied with the Ancient, played by Kim (Uncle Benny in Lethal Weapon IV) Chan, Carradine's daughter Calista Carradine makes a few appearances. Robert (Star Trek's Gary Seven) Lansing was Peter Caine's adoptive father and chief of detectives during the first season until he departed from the show on a Caine-like wandering; Lansing soon after succumbed to cancer, making his final goodbyes all the more poignant.
There are some very entertaining episodes such as the time travel episode in which Caine seeks help from the original Master Po, Robert Vaughn and Patrick McNee appear in two Magnificent Seven-themed Dragon Wing episodes, another episode cleverly did a low-budget take-off on The Great Escape, and a favorite, a time travel story in which Caine goes back to fill in for his wounded grandfather in a fight involving TV Western stars James (The Virginian) Drury, Clint (Cheyenne) Walker, Jack (Maverick) Kelly, and Clu (The Virginian) Gulagher. There's a good wrap-up episode for the finale.
Carradine said he was picked over Bruce Lee because Lee's image was too at-odds with
the visualized character of Caine. Lee, of course, had every reason to feel he was robbed since he helped develop the series concept, but it's impossible to see anyone else in the role.