The Buddhist Fist (1979)
- STARRING: Yuen Shun Yi and Tsui Siu Ming
- DIRECTOR: Yuen Woo Ping
- FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER: The Yuen Clan and Simon Yuen Siu Tin (credited as Martial Arts Super- Advisor)
- RATING: None- contains violence
- RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
- DISTRIBUTED BY: Tai Seng Video (also available on video)
PRODUCT FEATURES
- Yuen Woo Ping biography and filmography
- Region Code: None (all regions)
- Trailers: Wing Chun, Tai Chi II, Tai Seng’s Shaolin Classic Series, and Miracle Fighters.
AUDIO/VIDEO FEATURES
- Widescreen
- Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, no subtitles
- 11 Chapter stops
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What’s New on DVD Classics & Klunkers
Buddhist Fist, Black Samurai, Six String Samurai and Zatoichi meets Yojimbo!
by John Kreng
Here?s a great mix of older and newer films you won?t want to miss, now on DVD with extra features.
DVD
THE BUDDHIST FIST (1979 Peace Film Productions)
- STARRING: Yuen Shun Yi and Tsui Siu Ming
- DIRECTOR: Yuen Woo Ping
- FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER: The Yuen Clan and Simon Yuen Siu Tin (credited as Martial Arts Super- Advisor)
- RATING: None- contains violence
- RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
- DISTRIBUTED BY: Tai Seng Video (also available on video)
PRODUCT FEATURES
- Yuen Woo Ping biography and filmography
- Region Code: None (all regions)
- Trailers: Wing Chun, Tai Chi II, Tai Seng’s Shaolin Classic Series, and Miracle Fighters.
AUDIO/VIDEO FEATURES
- Widescreen
- Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, no subtitles
- 11 Chapter stops
THE STORY
Chen (Yuen Shun Yi “Dreadnaught”) and Monk Si Ming are boyhood friends who train in the martial arts together at the Buddhist temple. When they become adults Chen leaves for the city to get a job. When Chen comes home to visit, he finds his adopted father mysteriously missing. At the same time there is an attempt to steal a sacred Jade Buddha from the temple. At every attempt to find his missing father, violent opposition confronts Chen by mysterious and deceitful people who have a vested interest in the strange disappearance of his father.
THE BUDDHIST FIST is an adequate martial arts mystery in the same vein (story wise) as THE FIVE DEADLY VENOMS, where you do not know who is the thief and why until the very end.
THE ACTION
The action here is good, fast, and plentiful. The fights are a classic of the genre during this period and are very well choreographed. If you’ve never seen this film you are in for a nice treat. Even though this is an early Woo-Ping effort, he and his clan show you why they are one of the best fight choreographers in the business. Each fight is different in style, tempo, and mood.
THE PRESENTATION
The presentation is not bare bones but close to it. The transfer is not the best. There are 2 scratches on the left side of the screen that lasts through the first 2 chapters of the film. One of my major complaints on this DVD is that there are no removable English subtitles so you can watch the film in its original language presentation. If you do not understand Mandarin or Cantonese you will have to deal with the dubbed English track. There are also some scenes throughout the film where it is either too dark or too light. If the following issues do not bother you, then you’ll enjoy a very well crafted old school martial arts film that is a classic. If you are a student of martial arts film, you need to see this.
(Watch Trailer on FightCon.com)
