FLIGHT MAN is an oddball little actioner from the Shaw Brothers studio, made as a second-tier production on location in Taiwan for the most part. There are some great locations utilised here amid a typical story of local resistance against the Japanese invaders back in the 1930s. The presence of local colour and ethnic groups sparks interest in the viewer, although I wasn't too sure about the song and dance routines, which are straight out of the 1960s. Wang Jung's impassive hero is a tough guy to root for and the title makes him sound like a superhero, although the revenge-and-escape style plot is far more ordinary than that. There's a wealth of action but a fair bit of it is noticeably sped up which ruins the realism a little. Ivy Ling Po, one of the studio's biggest names in the '60s, has a supporting role while the fiery climax ends things on a downbeat note.
2 Reviews
Burn. baby burn - the seven story pagoda goes down in flames (maybe)
ckormos128 December 2019
A traveler stops at a house where everyone is practicing martial arts. He reveals his skills which are more magic than martial as he "flies away" whenever he is attacked. I guess the title relates to this. Next is an abrupt cut to the police going house to house and beating up people. After that a man complains that he is forced to marry off his daughter to a corrupt official. The Japanese enter next to arrest him. His son tries to fight them off. The traveler helps but they are forced to flee.
Once the Japanese enter the picture we fans of this genre know the movie will now be all about the evil Japanese.
There are plenty of fights. Many different weapons and improvisations are used. Some sequences had the speed kicked up a noticeable amount which was not needed. I was surprised there were two song and dance numbers. I thought Shaw Brothers was done with. Overall this movie had the feel of an early 1960s production based on that and other style elements in production.
Instead of a big final fight sequence our hero and lady are trapped in a building shaped like a simple tower with grass roofs. I suspect this building was actually the remains of the seven story pagoda. Fans of these movies will remember a seven story pagoda that was used a few times in 1960s and early 1970s Shaw Brothers martial arts movies. It was a landmark on the outdoor set sometimes called Tiger Village. I hope I am right as having the seven story pagoda go down in flames is a fitting end. It's better to burn out than fade away.
Even though the action was good and plenty my rating is just average for the year and genre. Of course, all Shaw Brothers movies are recommended for fans of martial arts movies of the golden age from 1967 to 1984.
Once the Japanese enter the picture we fans of this genre know the movie will now be all about the evil Japanese.
There are plenty of fights. Many different weapons and improvisations are used. Some sequences had the speed kicked up a noticeable amount which was not needed. I was surprised there were two song and dance numbers. I thought Shaw Brothers was done with. Overall this movie had the feel of an early 1960s production based on that and other style elements in production.
Instead of a big final fight sequence our hero and lady are trapped in a building shaped like a simple tower with grass roofs. I suspect this building was actually the remains of the seven story pagoda. Fans of these movies will remember a seven story pagoda that was used a few times in 1960s and early 1970s Shaw Brothers martial arts movies. It was a landmark on the outdoor set sometimes called Tiger Village. I hope I am right as having the seven story pagoda go down in flames is a fitting end. It's better to burn out than fade away.
Even though the action was good and plenty my rating is just average for the year and genre. Of course, all Shaw Brothers movies are recommended for fans of martial arts movies of the golden age from 1967 to 1984.
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