DanTheMan 2
Groundbreaking for its time and a clear influence on the works of Tarantino, Five Fingers of Death does tend to drag its feet throughout its not-so-subtle influences and somewhat tedious clichés. However, for what it may lack in originality, it more than makes up for in sheer determination and exceptionally bloody violence, so respect where respect is due. Steeped in melodrama, the film hardly skimps on plot lines, creating this large entangled web of characters all intertwining into a singular and often extremely convoluted thread. At the same time, its hardcore action is well-shot and staged with a brutal tendency for gratuitous barbarity and eye-gouging mayhem. Capped off by a score that features the likes of John Barry's music to Diamonds Are Forever and the theme to frigging Ironside, Five Fingers of Death remains just as thrilling today as it did upon initial release; not only for how its creators synthesized their influences but for how the film paved the way for so much of what followed it... In other words, Lo Lieh ran so Bruce Lee could soar.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/30/24
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Robson C
Um jovem lutador sai de sua cidade para entrar em uma escola de artes marciais e participar do torneio. Lá, ele cai nas graças do mestre que o ensina a técnica mortal dos punhos de aço. Porém, o mestre de uma escola concorrente, decidido a que o seu filho se torne o campeão do torneio, manda mercenários atacarem as outras escolas para eliminar a concorrência. Este filme é um grande clássico dos Shaw Brothers. Tem a estrutura de uma história clássica de bem contra o mal, inveja, vingança e arrependimento, tudo muito bem dosado com excelentes sequências de artes marciais. Apesar de um pouco de exagero, nada estraga o prazer de assistir a este filme, que não poupa sangue na tela.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
12/28/23
Full Review
Taylor L
Questionable pacing. Questionable effects and set design. Questionable subtitles. But also ... Sweet showdowns. Sweet fight choreography. Sweet sound mixing for the punches and kicks. It's perfect. It's a Shaw Brothers kung fu film.
You don't hear about Five Fingers of Death much these days, as early martial arts film is the realm of Bruce Lee alone if seen through the lens of pop culture. But this film was what really kicked off the kung fu movie craze (so-called 'chopsocky') in America, with a US release that just predated Lee in The Big Boss a month or so later. This may not have been the pinnacle of 'serious' martial arts film seen in retrospect, but upon release it was a revelation and its camp style coupled with narrative creativity makes it a classic still. 50% of this movie is surprise ambushes, but outside of that there's so much going on - a humble beginning with a kindly teacher, a hometown love interest, a rigid training regimen (with time passing in exposition), villains that look evil, brutal mercenaries from abroad, a secret deadly technique, betrayals, a fighting tournament, and then more ambushes because this movie really likes ambushes.
You can't look at the story too hard because it begins to fray at the edges, plus the characters tend to be pretty inconsistent, but this movie is still a banger and worthwhile for any fan of the genre, or action in general. Lee brought screen presense and physical insanity, Chan brought antics and acrobatics, but early Shaw Brothers has this great aesthetic that neither of them can match. Plus, that siren sound effect from Kill Bill was lifted from this movie. Tarantino considers it a favorite, apparently. (4/5)
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/17/23
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Audience Member
The Eye and Music Vengeance theme that started the Kill Bill. The film's narrative was too long. It could've been shortened.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
http://letterboxd.com/zbender/film/five-fingers-of-death/
I already had a feeling that I was going to like this when I read about some elements being borrowed for Kill Bill. I wasn't disappointed. Five Fingers of Death is a badass film. After seeing four eyeballs being plucked out of people, what else could you call it? The fight choreography is more than likely the thing I'd revisit again for. At times its age shows that the fighting doesn't exactly match up to some of today's fighting, but it has its own charm.
The story doesn't make itself apparent to me until a little while on which perhaps hurts this film. When those revenge elements hit though, boy this film can really grab you. You get past the dubbing, and the aged quality and think: well fuck these fuckin assholes. The payoff then does not disappoint. The Shaw Brothers films are now within my movie radar.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/27/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Kinda hard to follow. Maybe something's lost in translation. Fight choreography isn't that great, either.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/14/23
Full Review
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