7 Man Army (1976) User Reviews

A war movie without the messy reality of war

[ckormos1 · 6/10 · 12 February 2020]

The movie starts with the helpful narrator explaining the situation with China and Japan at war. The typical big production values of Shaw Brothers is on display with scenes of hundreds of costumed extras, military equipment, and explosions.

If you like your war movies without all the messy reality of war this is for you. The glorious band of Chinese brothers goes against the evil Japanese. Bullets are sparsely used with the preferred weapon the fixed bayonet. The long run time of almost two hours uses flashbacks to get to know the brothers more personally. I was surprised the whole cliché ridden movie did not bore me as I watched it straight through. Almost every Shaw Brothers top male martial arts star appeared in this movie so, as a hard core fan, I suspect that made it watchable.

There were no magic movie moments or spectacular fight sequences to mention. You can play "Where's Waldo?" by trying to spot the great Gordon Liu in a small part as a Mongol mercenary.

Cheh Chang's lost masterpiece

[Macholic · 9/10 · 9 February 2004]

I saw this movie as the second half of a midnight double bill more than 20 years ago and it made a lasting impression. A group of brave Chinese martial arts fighters take a stand against the Japanese invaders during WWII in an impressive display of martial arts. So why didn't the Japanese just gun them down? I guess there is no honor in defeating an enemy without firearms that way and that would have shortened the movie quite a bit. See it if you can, but as far as I know it is completely unavailable. There is not even a Hong Kong VCD release of it. This one is overdue for DVD release. 9/10

A Heart Wrencher

[dafrosts · 9/10 · 4 February 2018]

The Shaw Brothers brings together my favorite actors in this heart wrenching tale of 7 men and an orphan who try to hold out against the invading Japanese Army in 1931. I like that each of the 7 has a backstory rather than simply being 7 men shooting and kicking the crap out of Mongol bandits and Japanese soldiers. There is a reason beyond orders each of these men has come to be at this fort. Private Pai Chang-hsing (David Chaing), is seeking atonement for past behavior. Major Wu Chao-cheng (Ti Lung) continues his effort to prove he can be the best solider he can be. Chiang Ming-kun (Chen Kuan-Tai aka The Dark One), is a rebel leader seeking to remove the Japanese invaders from his country. Ho Hung-fa (Fu Sheng) is a scared kid seeking revenge against the Mongols who annihilated his family. Chu Tien-Cheng (Chi Kuan-Chun) who despises the Japanese in general, wants revenge for the death of his girlfriend and friend at the hands of Japanese soldiers. Chia Fu-sheng (Ying Bai) wants to avenge the General who was his army instructor. Pan Ping Lin (Li Yi-Min) was in the Opera until he confronted Japanese soldiers assaulted fellow castmates. Hsiao Hsuen-tsu (Hua Chung-Ting) becomes the 8th man, as an orphan whose entire village was destroyed. Watching these men desperately try to maintain their fort against the invaders is inspiring. You know the ultimate outcome but still watch to see how many Japanese and Mongols they manage to combat in the meantime. The rings Pai has to give his wife are the key to this story getting out to other Chinese. They are a symbol of hope and change. The fight scenes are bloody and intense. The courage these men showed in insurmountable odds deserves respect. I will definitely be rewatching this in the future. I agree with other reviewers, this movie deserves to be available on DVD for others to enjoy.

A change of setting for Chang Cheh

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 2 October 2020]

7 MAN ARMY is another of Chang Cheh's ensemble all-star productions, with the difference that the setting is 1933 and the heroes are Chinese soldiers battling against an overwhelming Japanese invasion force. The change of backdrop doesn't make much difference in the end as this kind of tale could easily be transplanted to the Shaolin Temple era (and frequently was, too, by the director). The tactics of 20th century warfare are entirely missing and heavy artillery and tanks feature but barely play a part in the proceedings; the almost entire lack of strategy can be frustrating at times too. But in the end, this is a film about heroism, brotherly bonds, patriotism and hand to hand combat, and by that token it's very good indeed. Cheh's usual heroes play their typical character types and all of them are both charismatic and physically gifted, and the ending is as grim and gruesome as you'd expect.

7 Heroic Brave Chinese Soldiers

[robbarquero · 10/10 · 1 May 2021]

I've seen this movie in 1977 when I was 13 yrs old and seeing how these 7 heroic brave Chinese soldiers resisted the Japs make me shed tears.

Unusual!

[kowalski37 · 8/10 · 5 September 2008]

This has to be one of the most unusual Kung Fu films I've ever seen. I bought it because Gordon Liu is in it, but unfortunately he plays a Japanese bad guy and is only in a few scenes. In 1933 20000 Jap soldiers and 50 tanks invaded the Pa Tou Lou Tzu, a strategic key point of the great wall. 7 heros took on the invaders for 5 days before succumbing. There is plenty of Kung Fu in this film, but also the 7 heros use their rifles and grenades on the Japanese. I obtained my DVD from store.edaymovie.com and sadly it ends abruptly just before the 2 hour mark, so although I can guess how it ends, I'm not totally sure. However, I think it's still a film worth watching.