I think some reviewers have misunderstood this film. Robert Tai made some of the best kung fu films ever made including BRAVE ARCHER, CHINATOWN KID, MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE etc. Although the editing and colour saturation on my Magnificent Dragons cinema collection edition leaves something to be desired (let alone the dubbed voices) this is a good film. Fighting kids is a Chinese tradition and the ones in this film are simply amazing, as are the villains who are dressed in rather amazing costumes (and in one case hair style) and fight well. Both the training scenes and the individual fights at the end are exceptional. Its good (and rather unusual) to see the Japanese and Chinese fighters co-operating and a word for the original music which I really enjoyed. It is bloody and unrealistic - but when were kung fu films strong on emotional plotting. Alexander Lo doesn't really shine in this though he does what is needed - and the fight with the cow at the beginning was different. I've never seen Hilda Liu Hao Yi before but she is pretty and had some good moves (and costume changes). But the stars of this show are the kids. I wonder if they came from an opera school ? I loved the villain with the white eye patch and green cape and another with a wrestling style dressed in gold lame and a belt straight out of WWF. Worth watching.
Review of Shao Lin tong zi gong
