Challenge of the Masters

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Audience Member Director Lau Kar-Leung trained in martial arts under the strict instruction of his father Lau Cham, who studied Hung Gar under Lam Sai-wing, who was a student of Wong Fei-hung, the man that this movie is all about. After working as an extra and choreographer, Lau Kar-Leung became one of Shaw Brothers' main choreographers and worked often with director Chang Cheh. His best known movies would be 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Return to the 36th Chamber, Aces Go Places 5, Drunken Master 2, Legendary Weapons of China, Tiger on the Beat and Heroes of the East. Teenager Wong Fei-hung (Gordon Liu) has been sent to train in the art of hung gar kung fu from his father's teacher, Luk Ah-choy, after entering -- and losing -- a tournament on his own and causing his father's school to be dishonored. The true beauty of this film is the knowledge that martial arts bring one a centered feeling and can take a brash and angry young man and create a tempered adult. Luk Ah-choy continues to remind the hero that he must give more forgiveness and less aggression. These may seem alien concepts for those that only see these films as poorly dubbed fights, but to those that love the genre and have taken their own fighting journies, it will ring with absolute sincerity. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member A teenage Wong Fei-hung (who for those unfamiliar is a Chinese folk hero who is kind of the Chinese equivalent to Robin Hood, except that he was definitively a real person) is angered when his father won't train him in the way of martial arts, so he seeks out another teacher to sharpen his skills so he can seek revenge upon those who dishonored his school. Directed by Lau Kar Leung ("Drunken Master II" and "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin") he really delivers the action once again and is greatly aided by star Gordon Liu, who is really under appreciated in the west. I first learned about Wong Fei-hung from Jet Li and Jackie Chan films of the 80s and 90s, so it was fun to see an earlier film incarnation of the character. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This early Chia-Liang Liu doesn't have much in terms of story or fights, but it does keep a fantastic moral about mercy. The main character is a son of a famous martial artist, but doesn't know kung fu. When he finally trains, he learns life lessons as well as kung fu. A few one on one fight scenes are pretty good, but a lack of a climax and villain cut this one short. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Yes, it's a training-based movie, but it's one from Chia-Liang Liu! He's proved himself so many times as a great action choreographer and director, but the real treat is in movies like this where he steps in front of the camera too. He's a decent actor, but has to be one of the best on-camera action performers in the history of cinema, especially with weapons, and in Challege of the Masters he plays a major villain. Good movie, also yet another Wong Fei-hung story, but I liked the focus on being merciful. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Challenge of the Masters

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