Legendary Weapons of Kung Fu

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Legendary Weapons of Kung fu

Director: Lau Kar-leung

Starring: Lau Kar-leung, Gordon Liu, Alexander Fu Sheng

Productor: Mona Fong

Release date: 1982

Country: Hong Kong

Legendary Weapons of China (aka Legendary Weapons of Kung Fu) is a 1982 martial arts fantasy film directed by Lau Kar-Leung. It takes place during the late Qing Dynasty when Empress Dowager Cixi dispatches her agents to various factions of the Boxer Rebellion in order find supernatural martial artists that are invulnerable to western bullets. When one of the leaders of these groups disbands his forces, assassins from the remaining factions are sent out to kill him for his apparent treason. As the title of the film suggests, a great variety of fights take place involving the "legendary weapons."

Although Lau Kar-Leung is known for showing "real Kung-Fu" in his films, he does take some artistic license by incorporating elements of Taoist Maoshan folk magic with hand-to-hand combat. This is similar to what he did in another of film of his, Heroes of the East (or "Challenge of the Ninja").

PLOT

After an opening-credits montage of the major players demonstrating their abilities, the story begins and shows different divisions of the anti-foreigner Yi Ho society, a branch of the Boxer movement, practicing different techniques of their "pugilism." Everyone is skilled in kung-fu, but some also use trick weapons and mind control. Ti Hau is a pupil of Master Ti, a high-ranking member. Ti Tan, is a Shaolin monk who has successfully trained his students to resist penetration from swords, but sacrifices them by experimenting with techniques to resist bullets. This appalls his niece, Fang Shao Ching. Lei Ying can control subjects with a voodoo doll and ventriloquism. The society chief, Li, explains that Lei Kung, an old pugilist master who left to form another branch in Yunan, has dissolved that branch and gone into hiding. Lei Kung no longer believes that their martial arts skills can defeat the modern weapons used by the western colonialists. Chief Yi proclaims Lei Kung a traitor to their movement. The chief orders his execution, and claims he can be identified because he enjoys showing off his kung-fu skills.

THE EIGHTEEN WEAPONS

These weapons are revealed in a series of duels between key characters. When first used, the name of the weapon appears on the screen. Weapons 1 – 5 are used by Ti Hau’s clan master, Ti Hau himself, and Lei Kung during a failed assassination attempt on the latter. Weapons 6 – 18 are used by Lei Kung and Lei Ying during their final battle. As combat progresses, the brothers constantly change weapons as each new choice seemingly defeats the techniques of that previously used. For example, 7 defeats 6, but 8 defeats 7.