This is the Chinese movie version of their 'Captain Morgan LIKE' pirate hero Chang Pao-chai.
Set around 1805 this film only covers one eventful day in his life. It ignores his childhood abduction & adoption by Zheng Yi& Ching Shih, his later marriage to his adopted mother , and their ensuing vast fleet of 50,000 men & 600 ships and begins with him in command of a small cannon armed ship about to attack a 'British' vessel- that looks more like its piloted by the Knights of Malta,or the like.
The story is fairly simple beginning in a slightly ropey manner with a sea battle that is quite ludicrous and very reminiscent of the swashbuckling 1950s Hollywood product like Crimson Pirate starring Burt Lancaster- all smiles and jolly fights. Its one of the weakest moments in the film.
I wasn't expecting much after that, but it picks up from there, the characters are all involving, and the connivances by the various fractions intriguing . By the end I found it one of the surprisingly under-rated gems from Shaw's studios of the early 1970's, a few years before unarmed combat choreography really takes off.
There are several things that set this film apart from many others of the time. Unlike most Shaw Brothers films this is set partly on the sea, mostly around the coasts, and not studio bound or up in the hills.
Ti Lung gives another excellent performance . He & David Chang play off each other as brilliantly as usual , culminating in some excellent fights, and a great on the beach battle.
This is also an UPLIFTING martial arts film from Chang Cheh for a change (co directed by his favourite 'assistants' WuMa & Pao HsuehLi ), though he still doesn't shy away from the blood & guts of his more famous films. Inventive death was his business and expertise!
Yu Feng (as the local boss' sister) is great in this, and gets to wade in with some nice action, great lines and conspiratorial conniving.
Early on we see Fan Mei Sheng (the burly, bearded & often cackling actor famous from later Sammo Hung films, Story of Riki and many Shaws filsm of this time- the Water Margin '/All men are Brothers/ pursuit being some his best known) , but he is missing for most of the events on land.. His adventures could have made a film of their own.
The chorography and action is excellent .Tang Chia & Liu Chia Liang were really hitting their stride by this film after a couple of dozen jobs together, and its full of inventive and memorable moments. The end fights have plenty of breathtaking moments, and though the final fight may seem eventually repetitive the reason it does is obvious, conveying the situation perfectly..
Another recommended Shaws Production featuring their own Golden Triangle of Chang Cheh, David Chiang & Ti Lung.
Set around 1805 this film only covers one eventful day in his life. It ignores his childhood abduction & adoption by Zheng Yi& Ching Shih, his later marriage to his adopted mother , and their ensuing vast fleet of 50,000 men & 600 ships and begins with him in command of a small cannon armed ship about to attack a 'British' vessel- that looks more like its piloted by the Knights of Malta,or the like.
The story is fairly simple beginning in a slightly ropey manner with a sea battle that is quite ludicrous and very reminiscent of the swashbuckling 1950s Hollywood product like Crimson Pirate starring Burt Lancaster- all smiles and jolly fights. Its one of the weakest moments in the film.
I wasn't expecting much after that, but it picks up from there, the characters are all involving, and the connivances by the various fractions intriguing . By the end I found it one of the surprisingly under-rated gems from Shaw's studios of the early 1970's, a few years before unarmed combat choreography really takes off.
There are several things that set this film apart from many others of the time. Unlike most Shaw Brothers films this is set partly on the sea, mostly around the coasts, and not studio bound or up in the hills.
Ti Lung gives another excellent performance . He & David Chang play off each other as brilliantly as usual , culminating in some excellent fights, and a great on the beach battle.
This is also an UPLIFTING martial arts film from Chang Cheh for a change (co directed by his favourite 'assistants' WuMa & Pao HsuehLi ), though he still doesn't shy away from the blood & guts of his more famous films. Inventive death was his business and expertise!
Yu Feng (as the local boss' sister) is great in this, and gets to wade in with some nice action, great lines and conspiratorial conniving.
Early on we see Fan Mei Sheng (the burly, bearded & often cackling actor famous from later Sammo Hung films, Story of Riki and many Shaws filsm of this time- the Water Margin '/All men are Brothers/ pursuit being some his best known) , but he is missing for most of the events on land.. His adventures could have made a film of their own.
The chorography and action is excellent .Tang Chia & Liu Chia Liang were really hitting their stride by this film after a couple of dozen jobs together, and its full of inventive and memorable moments. The end fights have plenty of breathtaking moments, and though the final fight may seem eventually repetitive the reason it does is obvious, conveying the situation perfectly..
Another recommended Shaws Production featuring their own Golden Triangle of Chang Cheh, David Chiang & Ti Lung.