Reviews & Ratings for
Executioners from Shaolin More at IMDbPro »Hong Xi Guan (original title)

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5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Who can defeat Pai Mai?, 2 April 2004

Author: InzyWimzy from Queens, NY

This movie is a great Shaw Bros. pic, except I liked the remake Fists of the White Lotus a bit better. Still they're both great, especially Master White Brows aka Pai Mai and Lau Kar Leung's intense choreography.

This movie is dark and there's little comedy which effectively sets up the revenge theme (a revenge theme in a kung fu flick?) to help motivate our hero from Shaolin. Tai Chen Kuan as Hung Hsi Kuan shows formidable Tiger Claws style and some neat training sequences with bronze statues and vital point strikes. BUT, I really loved watching Ying Chun (Li Li) and her crane style. Man, if you're going out with her, you better be able to break her leg stance! Plus, her effort and grace in movements are as good as Kara Hui's in Fists of the White Lotus. It's a strange, yet wonderfully hypnotic combination of kung fu and dance.

Now, the action. What do you expect from the real deal kung fu master Lau Kar Leung? Countless opponents, one on many battles, quick strikes, and amazing choreography are the strong points here. Pai Mai's battles are so awesome that he really seems invincible. I can't get enough of him dragging guys along with his groin! One of the strangest, yet highly entertaining kung fu villains ever. Plus, Lo Lieh mastered that menacing look that says, "You want to fight me? Are you kidding??" Strangely enough, I wasn't really rooting against him.

The only downside I can find with this one is that Gordon Liu only makes a brief cameo. However, Gordon Liu is the main star in Fists of the White Lotus AND he battles Lo Lieh as the menacing White Lotus. So, watch both films because they're the great stuff that SB movies are made of.

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Solid Shaw Brothers movie, 5 April 2004

Author: Macholic from Copenhagen, Denmark, EU

This is an almost epic tale of fighter and son trying to avenge the death of the old shaolin master, fighting the evil master, infused with humor and style it follows the flight from the evil Pai Mei and his henchmen, disguising as theatre troups performing Shaolin Kung Fu shows for a period and the tiger-style fighter Hsi-Kuan settles down with a crane-style fighting wife and have a son to prepare for epic battles with Pai Mei. Hsi-Kuan's and Yung Chung's marriage and wedding night on board a boat is a very funny highlight of the film. Telling more about what happens would be telling too much, but the battles with Pai Mai are spectacularly set. 7/10

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Brilliant Martial Arts film, all-time favorite!, 6 January 2004
Author: Scott Minkoff (SJMinkoff) from New Brunswick, NJ, USA

This was one of those films that I watched over and over, whenever I could. I've seen it on TV, usually in NYC on Channel 5 Saturday afternoons at 1pm, 3pm, or 5pm, on Drive-In Movie. I have also paid to see it repeatedly years ago in the old Times Square movie theaters. They used to specialize in Hong Kong martial arts films before Giuliani killed them all off. That's one thing I really miss about the old Times Sq...

This movie had it all: great plot and writing, great acting and action, even great dubbing. I really wish it would come out on DVD or even VHS...

4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Excellent example of vintage Shaw Brothers., 21 March 2005

Author: Luke Connelly from Pergatory

Thank God for Celestial Entertainment's re-releasing of this classic! Okay, the plot is rather straightforward, and not terribly original (a revenge theme in a Martial arts movie. Nope, never seen that before!) But it is very well acted, very well directed and damn if the fight scenes aren't excellent.

Basically, it follows the historic destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Manchus. The assault is led by Pai Mei, (yup, the same Pai Mei from Kill Bill 2, in fact, Bill even talks about this in that movie) played by Lo Lieh. Gordon Liu who played Pai Mei in Kill Bill 2, appears briefly as a Shaolin student who informs Hong Xiguan (played by Chen Kuan Ti) that Pai Mei killed their master. Gordon Liu sacrifices himself so that Hong and some of the other students may escape.

A few years later, Hong, hiding out as a Peking Opera performer, meets and marries another Martial Artist, played by Lily Li. They eventually have a child. But Hong cannot enjoy married life for too long, because he still has to train to avenge his master and his fellow students.

A good example of vintage Kung Fu films. Not to be missed by any Kung Fu film connoisseur.

5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Inspired "revisionist" addition to the Shaolin temple series begun by Chang Cheh, 23 March 2004
Author: simonize-1 from Canada

EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN is director LIU CHIA-LIANG (LAU KAR-LEUNG) very different contribution to the Shaolin Temple series, begun by CHANG CHEH. Unlike CHANG who seems to have a strong dislike for women, and actresses, LIU provides LILY LI the opportunity to portray a strong, complex female role.

From her very first scenes as a travelling street entertainer who defends her turf in a duel with the famous Shaolin fighter HONG XIOGUAN (aka HUNG SZE KUAN); marries him but keeps him at bay on their wedding night using her martial arts, FANG YUNG is a match for her vengeance obsessed husband.

HONG is one of the few Shaolin monks to survive the earlier massacre. In fact he and his men escaped an ambush only because one of his friends - Brother Tong - sacrifices himself to give them all time to escape.

And the same thing happens again, when he challenges ABBOT PAI MEI (aka "White Brows"), even though he is clearly no match for him. He rejects his wife's advice, seemingly because she is a woman. And using the same pigheaded logic, he makes the terrible decision not to learn her crane style.

Thankfully the son stands up to his father, and learns from his mother. When Hong returns to fight White Brows a second time, there is a sense of inevitability. The son fights to stop his father, who dissuades him with empty rhetoric, and then goes to his death.

In this film this is very significant because the filmmakers have gone to great trouble to establish a strong family unit, only to have it torn asunder because the father is too set in his ways to change. Thus the audience really does feel a sense of loss, and are saddened that the wife and son cannot put the love they have for Hong into words. The need to seek vengeance has become very personal.

The film itself has a wonderful mix of combat and training sequences; sizeable dollops of romance and humour (Cantonese style), and enough plot to hang everything together.

Best of all, it actually has something to say: the film ends, abruptly, leaving you with very mixed emotions.

I first saw this on a Southgate video. The new 2004 Celestial Pictures Region 3 DVD in 2.35 widescreen with rich saturated colours makes you want to watch the film over and over (it also has some very intriguing extras). And it does help to hear the film in its original Mandarin, rather than dubbed!

8.5/10 * a 4 star martial arts classic.

Low down Lo Lieh..., 22 August 2011

Author: poe426 from USA

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

During the opening credits of EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN, we see the dastardly traitor Bai Mei (Lo Lieh) kill the Master of his Shaolin Temple. The Temple is then burned to the ground and the students scattered or killed. Hong (Chen Kuan-tai) becomes part of a travelling troupe of opera players living aboard a junk, but continues his clandestine operations against the oppressive Manchus. At one point, Hong must forcibly- but humorously- consummate his marriage; foreplay consists of a hand-to-hand struggle on their wedding bed... The junks are burned in retaliation for the troupe's depredations, and many of the rebels are murdered. Hong and his wife escape and, ere long, they have a baby. Hong tries to take on Bai Mei (ignoring his wife's sagely advice to add her crane kung fu to his tiger kung fu), only to find out that Bai Mei is only vulnerable during certain hours of the day... Timing is everything... Hong constructs an elaborate pinball-machine type of dummy and sets out a row of upright sticks to mark the time of day in order to figure out Bai Mei's weakness. (While most men are vulnerable at "6:30"- do the math-, Bai Mei ISN'T...) In some probably unintentionally funny scenes, hands and feet become LODGED in Bai Mei's lower regions, somehow, and our hero is dragged around helplessly.

One of best Chen Kuan Tai movie !, 9 June 2009

Author: ebiros2 from United States

This to me is one of the two great kung-fu movies starring Chen Kuan Tai. Other being the Flying Guillotines. As a fan of Chen Kuan Tai's movies, this is one of my favorite kung-fu movie as well.

As you can see from the ratings, Chen Kuan Tai gets high ratings on most of his early movies. His elegant move and style is unlike typical kung-fu stars of this period or since. I'm sure there are still many Chen Kuan Tai fans out there in the world.

The story is about a battle where son succeeds where father lost, but it's not the usual vengeance or grudge match but somewhat of a quest and coming of an age story for the son.

This movie truly is one of the best classic kung-fu action movie. It starts off rather slow, but it starts to pick up after the son is born.

Watch it, and you won't be disappointed.

0 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Be patient., 7 February 2010

Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.

I had only just watched "Clan of the White Lotus" a month or two back, which could be seen (well in my eyes) as a more accomplished rehash of this particular period martial arts enterprise. Nonetheless the similarities in the story's structure (which is hard to pass by) doesn't matter because the Shaw Brothers and director Chia-Liang Liu along with actor Lieh Lo as the Kung Fu Master Pai Mei and minor cameo by Chia Hui Liu makes this one very enjoyable, downright flamboyant and utterly unique cult martial arts feature with a good sense of humour abound and dashing action. Pai Mei had just killed a Shoalin priest and surviving students led by Hung Hsi Kuan (ably acted by Kuan Tai Chen) vow vengeance for their master's death and that of fellow students. And it's no rush either. As Hung happily marries a strong-minded lady (a perfectly pitched Lily Li) who's well developed in the crane-style fighting and has a son while spending many years perfecting the skills and stamina of the tiger-style fighting before taking on master white brow. Cheng Kang-Yeh provides a cheeky performance as one the Shoalin students and Wang Yu is quite good as the grown up son. The pacing can be rather bumpy (especially in the leisured midsection concentrating more on the trivial aspects in the character dramas that hold the narrative), but when it came down to the atypical fighting it was excitingly displayed with verve-like camera-work working around the smooth, but tough choreography with numerous, long encounters. Maybe repetitive but never dull, although the ending is a little disappointing in the way it just seems to finish hastily.

0 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Lesson in styles on screen, 23 February 2003
Author: dj_ramjet99 from Wellington, New Zealand

Kung Fu movies always seem to refer to a bewildering array of styles. this film highlights the Tiger and Crane styles and you really can see the difference in the 2 approaches.

It gives a real insight into the idea of 1 style not being able to beat another because it's too rigid and inflexible and the practioner is not as good as his opponent, hence he WILL be beaten.

Apparently this movie is about the evolution of the Huang Gar fiststyle but I'm no expert so don't know much more than that!

Liu Chia Liang directs some great sequences, the earlier ones being better (the main fights between the father/son and the priest Pei Mei seem to automated to really flow smoothly)

Some really good acting as well let down by the usual rushed dubbing.

See it but would not buy it (go for Legendary weapons of kung fu/China for a classic movie)

0 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Great film, 9 July 2001

Author: scragthetroll from Florida

This is the one I have been looking for since about 1981 or so when I saw it on a Saturday afternoon martial arts movie thing a local channel here in Florida ran...I can still remember the unique fight scenes and the different styles of kung fu used by the characters (Gotta love that Toad Style)...if this is on video I would love to own it.

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