Yuen Chor

The titular descendant is some kind of superman that borrows from Eastern and Western folklore/pop culture. It's as if Superman, Christianity, Batman and Star Wars got a Shaw Bros makeover. The plot is negligible, a story of ultimate good fighting evil while trying to protect a princess. Safe to say, there are better reasons to watch this film.

Don't go in expecting great production value, this is a film that embraces cheese to the fullest and won't let its limited budget get in the way of creating something zany and over the top. The pacing is stark, the action scenes are bold, and the tone is pleasantly goofy. Great, transcendent cinema this is not, but it is extremely fun and entertaining.

Like many of Chor's best films, Heroes Shed No Tears has strong fantasy elements. Not so much in the plot or characters, it's the setting that feels very fantastical. Moody lighting, beautiful sets and plenty of smoke make for an extremely atmospheric film. The fitting score also adds to the film.

The action is solid, but nothing you haven't seen before. My main critique is that the film's a bit too long. Some scenes are extremely talkative and the plot/characters aren't that interesting to warrant so much dialogue. Some tighter editing would've helped, but in the end Chor's amazing direction prevails.

The plot offers a rather basic revenge story. Teng Piao spends 15 years in jail after being framed for drugs trafficking. When he's finally out, he cares about only one thing: getting back at the guy who framed him. Piao knows he goes by the name Black Leopard, but he doesn't know what the guy looks like.

Iron Chain Fighter is a pretty typical Shaw Bros production, except that Chor adds tons of visual flair. The action scenes are cool, the sets look stylish, the plot is simple but fun. If you don't like Shaw Bros films this one won't change your mind, but fans of the studio will find a very accomplished film here.

The plot is basic, but what did you expect with a title like Duel for Gold. A safe house houses a big stash of gold, which attracts a few interested parties. They all want to get their hands on the gold, but the house is guarded by a pretty capable martial artist. They'll have to work together to get by him, but splitting up the loot afterwards may prove to be just as treacherous.

The fight choreography is pretty imaginative for its time, performances are solid, there's a lot of backstabbing and changing dynamics that keeps the plot interesting, and he sets have that typical Shaw Bros charm. Solid genre fun with some standout moments that make this a worthy Shaw Bros classic. Oh, and one of the best Shaw Bros endings ever.

After wandering around for three years, Li Xunhuan returns to his home and plans on settling down. Of course, some villains won't let him. They'll need to defeat Xunhuan if they want to be ranked as top martial artists. Xunhuan seeks out A Fei, while he is confronted by yet another threat: the Money Clan.

It's not the greatest action film produced by the Shaw Bros, but the decors and the soundtrack make this one of their more atmospheric films. I prefer the third entry in the series, but it is a small step up from the first Sentimental Swordsman and the trilogy is a pretty good start for people who haven't seen any of Chor's films yet, as they do a good job of highlighting his particular skills.

Hsiang is known in the world of martial artists as a master thief. When three prominent men are found dead, poisoned, people suspect Hsiang is the killer. He claims he is being set up, but the only way to prove his Innocence is by unmasking the real killers. He sets off on a perilous journey, guided only by a handful of clues.

After seeing oodles of Shaw Bros films, something like Clans of Intrigue does have trouble standing out. The characters, the plot, the trademark sets, it's everything you'd expect from a 70s Shaw Bros production. But Chor's set designs and eye for visual detail do stand out. Not as much as with some of his best films, but it makes that Clan of Intrigue is a worthwhile genre flick.

Every century, a battle is staged between the best Chinese and Japanese martial artists, to decide which one can claim the ultimate title. The reigning Chinese representative isn't too interested in this showy spectacle and decides to stage his own death, hoping to avoid all the hassle.

Chor's martial arts scenes are no match for those of Cheh Chang or Chia-Liang Liu, but he's easily the most capable of all the Shaw Bros directors. Impressive set designs and smart use of color and lighting give Chor's films some extra shine. The rest is pretty basic Shaw Bros material. Amusing, but quite repetitive.

Three women in contemporary Hong Kong are sharing a house together. They each have a very different idea of what love is supposed to be. Pai Mei wants to marry rich and live a comfortable life, Chu Tai just wants to get married at all cost and Yao Yao is saving herself for the right man. But love isn't that straightforward.

The soundtrack isn't great and the drama is a bit much, but the cinematography elevates the film above the usual Shaw Bros fare and the film is actually quite atmospheric. Performances are decent and even though the characters are a little too stereotypical, Sex, Love and Hate succeeds in what it sets out to do. Not bad, just don't expect a typical Chor martial arts epic.

The plot is very basic. We follow an orphan who was brought up in a monastery. When he is of age, the monk sends him on a quest to find his father. On his way he befriends a female beggar, who joins him on his quest. When he finally meets up with his father, he isn't the man he hoped he would be.

The cinematography is well above par for a Shaw Bros production, the action scenes are proper, and the finale doesn't disappoint. The romance never quite finds its footing though and the performances are borderline acceptable. Chor's martial arts films rarely disappoint though and they offer a nice diversion from the more standard Shaw Bros productions.

When a neighbor drops off his kids, a young childless couple spends one of the best days of their lives with them. When the kids are gone, they decide to have some of their own, but after a few tries and no success, complications arise. One of them proves to be infertile, so they try artificial insemination.

It's one of those comedies based on unlucky coincidences and misunderstandings. The comedy is very traditional, though it gets a bit more exciting in the second half of the film. There are some decent giggles and laughs throughout, but most of it is very basic and predictable. Decent comedy filler, but hardly one of Chor's better films.

Hong Kong is doing very well in the 70s. The Hang Seng Index is soaring and Hong Kong citizens are eager to play the stock market, even though they have little to no experience. A security guard and his landlord get lucky and hit it big, but their sudden wealth comes with its own set of problems.

The most notable element of this film is the soundtrack, which almost sounds like it was made for a video game, only video games didn't really exist back then. Performances are mediocre, and the comedy is limited, luckily the pacing is solid, and the runtime is pretty short. Chor feels a bit lost with this material, but it's interesting to see him take on all these different genres.

When a son returns home, after being sent away to study and learn from the world, old friendships and romances are rekindled. The son seeks out one of the servants he grew up with, but she keeps him at a distance. She claims it is because of their different societal status, but the servant also seems to be more taken by the son's friend.

There's quite a bit of drama to wade through, it's almost a bit grotesque and soap-like during the finale, but somehow that made the film a little better. Performances aren't good enough for a bona fide drama, the Shaw Bros decors are cheesy, and the romance is extremely overdone. Not Chor's best film, but I expected even worse.

Chor is pretty good with atmosphere, so on paper he should be a great fit for horror. Some of his martial arts work had promising horror elements too, but it seems straight up horror isn't really his thing. Performances are poor, effects look shabby and the ghost story isn't scary at all.

The second film comes from Tun Fei Mou, who fares even worse. The story has supernatural elements, and that's about it really. It isn't until the very last minute that we finally see some blood (read red paint), the rest is just cheep and disappointing. Not a very good Shaw Bros film, it's rare to see them do well outside the martial arts genre.

Five men with no prior history as criminals band together and plan a heist. The heist itself goes surprisingly well, but as is always the case with this type of film, the problems start afterwards. When they get the police on their tail and the members begin to distrust each other, a fated ending seems unavoidable.

Yuen Chor doesn't do much with this film. The plot isn't anything special, the cinematography is bland, the pacing is too slow as the tension is lacking and the drama is way overblown. It's understandable that the Shaw Bros wanted something to fall back on when martial arts would inevitably go out of style, but there's more to it than just jumping from one genre into the next with the same team of people. Not very good.

72 tenants are housed in a slummy housing complex. The landlady is strict and doesn't pay too much attention to the complaints of the tenants. Instead, she tries to make as much money from them as possible. The tenants are tired of her tyrant-like behavior and decide to revolt against their landlady.

This is a film with a large cast that is constantly quarreling and shouting at each other. The comedy isn't that funny and the performances are well overstated. There are some funny moments, but the wall of noise is simply too much to take, and it became grating after the 1-hour mark. Not Chor's finest moment.

Chinese opera is an acquired taste, one I haven't been able to get accustomed to. There's an early John Woo film I sat through some time ago that left quite some scars, this Chor film just adds to the trauma. Though it tells the story of the 13th century Sung Dynasty battle against the Mongols, action fans have nothing to look forward to.

It's really just a lot of singing on a decently decorated stage. That's where Chor's hand is mostly clearly visible, but it's hard to enjoy when the music and voices are that pervasive. The thing just drags for 90 minutes, the silence afterwards was a pure blessing. If you're a fan of Chinese opera, do give this film a shot, as Chor's decoration is sure to enhance the experience. If not, it's best to stay clear of this one.