Cheh Chang

One of Chang's lighter martial arts films. Quite a lot of acrobatics and demonstrations in this film, with much of the actual fighting being saved for the lengthy finale. A true Shaw Bros production and a typical film for Chang, which makes it a perfect entry-level film for people not yet familiar with his work. Good fun.

Happy to see another bona fide, vintage Cheh Chang martial arts flick from the seemingly endless Shaw Bros library. This is what Chang does best. Rebellion, revenge, historic settings and people kicking and punching each other. There's nothing original or surprising here, but Shaw Bros/martial arts fans are sure to have a blast with this one.

A pretty kick-ass revenge flick. Chang's more contemporary films are usually among his weaker ones, but this one is clearly an exception to the rule. Just a smidgen too slow in places, but the action more than makes up for it. Some very lengthy and solid action scenes show why Chang became one of the Shaw Bros' leading men. Good fun.

Fine Cheh Chang film that looks surprisingly well for its age. It's a true Shaw Bros production, except for the many scenes that were shot on location. The martial arts is decent, the plot is nice enough and Chang sneaks in some pretty shots. Pretty much what you can expect from a decent SB film, only a tad more stylish.

A pretty basic Cheh Chang film. Not nearly enough action to be a stand-out entry in his oeuvre, but fans of the Shaw Bros films will find that the studio's usual charm is fully present. It's short and the pacing is decent, but for an 80s film I expected a bit more. Not the worst thing he's ever done, but rather forgettable.

Run-of-the-mill martial arts flick from Chang. The action is solid, but the film is at least 15 minutes too long, not in the least because it's mostly just added dialogue. The drama is very limited and breaks up the film once too often, apart from that it's a decent but ultimately forgettable Shaw Bros production.

Cheh Chang meets the new wave. Classis Shaw Bros martial arts with additional comedy bits, that feel like they were taken from a Jackie Chan/Woo-ping Yuen film. The result is pretty decent, but not as good as its peers. It's a decent Shaw Bros film, but it can't really distinguish itself from the many (many) others.

A decent Cheh Chang film. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but Shaw Bros addicts are sure to get their fix from this film. A couple of solid martial arts fights, some light comedy and a limited runtime so there's little time to get bored. It's remarkable how many of these films Chang directed, but they provide solid entertainment so who am I to complain.

Pretty fierce film. The drama doesn't work at all and the direction is so over-the-top that it almost feels like a parody of itself. But the action scenes do stand out and there's so much energy and drive that the film did win me over in the end. Not one of Chang's best, but one of his better films in a contemporary setting.

Classic Cheh Chang martial arts romp, featuring one of the studios more famed martial arts heroes. The introduction is a bit long and uneventful, but in true Shaw Bros fashion the finale makes up for that. Not really a stand-out feature in Chang's oeuvre, but martial arts fans won't be disappointed by this one.

Very run-of-the-mill Shaw Bros production. Good versus evil, a basic plot that revolves around revenge and some martial arts action to resolve everything. Shaw Bros fans should know what to expect from Cheh Chang's films, others do well to seek out more prestigious Shaw Brow directors first.

A film in two parts. The first part is a little slow and dull, a sluggish spy story set in a modern day martial arts setting. The 30-minute finale on the other hand is one big fight sequence that shows what Chang is best at: martial arts action. I still feel it works better in a more historic setting, but the killer here is the slow first hour.

Cheh Chang doing something different. In contrast with the typical Shaw Bros production, Chinatown Kid moves its actors to a more contemporary (read 70s) setting. It's clear that Chang didn't feel entirely comfortable directing this film though, as the plot is poor and the action scenes aren't good enough to compensate. One of his lesser efforts.

Hammer meet Shaw Bros. Two legendary production companies working on a single films sounds appealing, but the result is lackluster and troubled. Mediocre martial arts scenes, terrible practical effects and a dull mix of Western and Eastern mythology make this is project a failure. I'm not surprised their cooperation was short-lived.

A poor crime/thriller by Cheh Chang. The action scenes are decent but not all that noteworthy, and they are few and far between. The thriller and crime elements are poor though and tend to drag. The film is too long, has pacing issues and a cast that can't make an impression. Definitely not Chang's best work.

I sometimes complain that many of the Shaw Bros films are too much alike, the problem is that when they try to do something else, it often ends up worse than their core offerings. This contemporary brawler is pretty dull and lifeless. Without all the typical martial arts drama and the historic settings, Chang's films just aren't that good.

Cheh Chang trying out a different kind of action cinema. And somewhat predictably, it doesn't end well. The focus on plot kills the first part of the film, the overreliance on gunfights weakens the second part. Chang is a very solid martial arts director, but he should stick to what he knows best. This was a pretty disappointing film.

The one where Cheh Chang tries out kickboxing. Not really his strong point I'm afraid. It seems that he was desperately trying to branch out during the early 70s, luckily he changed his mind soon after. The plot is pretty dull, the acting quite poor and the action doesn't help to cover up any of that.

Chang trying to make it in the crime/thriller genre. There are almost no fights here, instead we get a singer who becomes a murder suspect and has to prove his innocence. Chang isn't really cut out for this material though and the film feels a little sluggish and expected. It's best to stick with his martial arts films.