Disciples of Shaolin

Disciples of Shaolin
Film poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	洪拳小子
Simplified Chinese	洪拳小子
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hóng quán xiǎo zǐ Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Hong2 quan2 xiao3 zi3
Directed by	Chang Cheh
Screenplay by	Cheh Chang Kuang Ni
Cinematography	Kung Mu-to Hsu Te-li
Edited by	Kwok Ting-hung
Music by	Frankie Chan Fan-kei
Production company	Chang's Film Co.
Distributed by	Shaw Brothers
Release date	28 June 1975 (1975-06-28)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Mandarin

Disciples of Shaolin (洪拳小子), also known as The Hung Boxing Kid and released internationally as The Invincible One, is a 1975 Mandarin-language Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh. It was remade in 1993 as the Cantonese-language film The Bare-Footed Kid, which was directed by Johnnie To.

Plot

Martial artist Guan Feng Yi visits his friend Wang Hon, a fellow disciple from Shaolin Temple, at the Xing Fao Long textile mill and begins working there as well. The bosses of the Guilin Tong, a Manchurian Clan, tempt away workers from Xing Fao Long wo work at their competing textile mill. Xing Fao Long Foreman Li Kai refuses, but Foreman Chen Cheng agrees and attempts to recruit others from within Xing Fao Long while he works there teaching kung fu.

Cast

Production

The action choreographer was Lau Kar-leung.

Reception

The film has obtained generally highly positive reviews.

Reviewer Corey Danna of horrorgeeklife.com praised the film, calling it "a great addition to any martial arts collection" and remarking that "of note is the abundance of exciting fight scenes. Each one is distinct, showcasing various styles, but there's something that jumped out at me right away."

Reviewer JJ Hatfield of cityonfire.com gave the film a rating of 9 out of 10, writing, "Lau does a fantastic job with the fights that take place in various locations with different numbers of opponents." The review concludes, "This film was truly ground-breaking territory, not only for Fu Sheng, but for martial arts movies into the future."

Reviewer Andrew Saroch of Far East Films gave the film a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, writing that it is better than its remake The Bare-Footed Kid. He writes, "In the truest sense of the often misapplied term 'auteur', Chang Cheh blends recurring themes into everyone of his films. His masterpieces, of which this is one, feature cutting edge choreography and the ideas of brotherhood and morality which signify his work. [...] 'Disciples of Shaolin' is a beautifully crafted masterpiece that requires a global audience."

Reviewer Will of siveremulsion.com gave the film a rating of 3 and a half out of 4 stars, writing, "Disciples of Shaolin is a fantastic piece of work from Chang Cheh, boasting a wonderfully rich script and one of Fu Sheng's best and most affecting performances. An excellent and subtly brilliant addition to the Shaolin Cycle, Disciples of Shaolin is a must-see Shaw Brothers film."

Reviewer Gabe Powers of genregrinder.com wrote that the film has a "narratively bulky first act", but that "once the action picks up, it rarely lags again. Additionally, while the ideals of heroic bloodshed and brotherhood take center stage (especially after the stage is set for the violent rivalry between mills), Disciples of Shaolin's moral outlook is also built around anti-Capitalist sentiment, which isn't unusual [...], but still interesting [...]."

Reviewer Ed Travis of cinapse.co wrote, "Disciples of Shaolin has all the bells and whistles that have long captivated fans of kung fu cinema in general, and Shaw Brothers pictures specifically. So the uninitiated would find much to love here. [...] Disciples of Shaolin is a great example of what the Shaw Brothers studio could do."

Reviewer A.W. Kautzer of The Movie Isle wrote, "There's a cold and calculating heart at the center of this film that cares nothing about your feelings about these characters and what happens to them. [...] That detail and intelligence that's brought to the story are equally brought to the fight scenes. The choreography by Chia-Liang Liu is stylized but there's a sense of wickedness to everyone's movements and attacks. Much of the fun comes from the fighters, both good and bad, fighting as dirty as possible to ensure winning. Not as bloody as many others of the genre but the impact and grace of the choreography is elevated making Disciples of Shaolin something truly special."

Reviewer David J. Moore of The Action Elite wrote, "Thanks to a fun, energetic and lighthearted performance by Fu Sheng (who was a precursor to the style that Jackie Chan would make even more popular), Disciples of Shaolin is a solid martial arts film, though a dour, downbeat ending might sour your opinion of it."

Reviewer Mat Brewster of Cinema Sentries wrote, "Disciples of Shaolin is not the best of the films that I've seen, but it is an interesting film that tries to develop a finer social commentary than most of these sorts of films usually do, while still providing some nicely done fights."

Reviewer Frank Showalter wrote, "Provided viewers can get past the bloated credits and early attempts at semi-slapstick comedy, Disciples of Shaolin should prove rewarding to kung fu fans."

In a positive review of the film, reviewer Joe Corey of insidepulse.com called the film "a top-level Shaw Brothers production."

Reviewer Matt Paprocki of DoBlu gave a more critical review, writing, "Notable in its storytelling, the construction fails. [...] Nothing feels resolved. [...] That, in addition to the strangled pacing, turn Disciples of Shaolin against itself."

Remake

Disciples of Shaolin was remade as the 1993 Mandarin-language film The Bare-Footed Kid, which was directed by Johnnie To.