SHANGHAI 13

Rating:

Stars: Ti Lung, David Chiang, Sonny Yue, Wang Yu, Chen Kwan Tai, Danny Lee, Wang Chung, Lu Feng, Leung Kar Yan, Andy Lau, Chan Sing, Chi Kwan Chun, Ching Tien Chee

Director: Chang Cheh

1985, Hong Kong, Tai Tai Film Co.

 

The Chinese government chooses to co-operate with the Japanese army to make China a colony. To expose the traitors, Mr. Gao the Junior Minister and the nationalists last hope has in his power some evidential documents that where fixed by the gentleman Mr. Black Hat (Wang Yu). First he goes to another patriot named Mr. Shen (Chen Kuan Tai) and asks him for help. Mr. Shen who’ll sacrifice his own flesh and blood for the sake of his country contacts the Shanghai 13 that’ll guide Mr. Gao and give their lives for him. Now they must get Mr. Gao to Hong Kong via Shanghai were he will be received by some fellow patriots. But they have a problem; The Sniper (Danny Lee) is on their roof and all of a sudden they have the Nanking official Mr. Hung and his gang looking for Mr. Gao.

 

The plot may sound a little complicated with all the Mr.’s and names, but if you listen to all the information they give at the beginning you won’t have any problems with that cause the second half of the film is just fight after fight.

This above average, low budget flick isn’t bad at all, and builds up gradually, until the fighting gets really bloody and brutal.

As you can see it has lots of great actors and most of them are at the peak of their condition. They are all Chang Cheh's favorite cast from the sixties to the eighties. You will surely find one of your faves among them.

 

Sonny Yue puts on an impressive show with his kicks. Best part, in my opinion.

Venom Chiang Sheng is truly excellent, with a stick in his mouth he does some moves you won’t forget easily.

Lu Feng (another Venom) and the muscular Chi Kuan Chun are pretty good as well with their hand techniques. Ching Tien Chee is very acrobatic and kills a lot of people throwing daggers, that's why he's called "Daggers Fong". It’s a shame that the cool Chen Kuan Tai has not much to do but his short fight at the beginning prepares us for what follows.

Ti Lung appears at the end kicking ass (so all you Ti Lung fans have something to look for).

The guy that played Chi Kuan Chun’s brother in "Dragon Force" plays one of Mr. Hung’s men here and fights much better than in the latter.

Chan Sing appears at the end as a wall smashing Karateka.

It’s non-stop kung fu so it won’t disappoint those who are looking for that, but it has something strange; everybody seems to die here. It’s like an audition, one guy appears and after about five minutes when he has shown his stuff he’s gone and another guy appears.

 

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