Directed by: Chia-Liang Liu
Starring: Kuan Tai Chen, Lily Li, and Lieh Lo
Reviewer: Brett Gallman
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Reviewer's Rating: *** (Three Stars)
Evil Priest Pai Mai (Lieh Lo) kills a Shaolin master, then proceeds to raze its temple to the ground; the slain priest’s student, Hung Hsi Kuan (Kuan Tai Chen), vows revenge. Though the film gets of to a raucous, action-packed start (the showdown between priests occurs in a minimalist setting over the opening credits, plus there’s an awesomely choreographed, gory sequence with Gordon Liu), we soon learn that Kuan’s revenge could be long time coming--decades, in fact. In the meantime, he becomes a traveling hero along with his brothers and marries a village girl. This is a forgivable sidetrack, as it comes with warmth and humor; the antics of the marriage night are especially amusing, as one of the brothers acts a sort of bawdy kung-fu court jester who is adamant about seeing the consummation. That’s not as easy as it sounds, as Kuan has to find a way to literally spread her legs--no chastity belt is necessary for this bride, who has mastered the art of leg strength (she’s no timid pushover, either--she’s a master of Crane style herself).
Eventually, the film remembers its revenge plot, which is advanced by a series of deus ex machinas (Pai Mei’s ultimate weakness is stupid--and awesome). The villain is of course the inspiration for the character of the same name in Tarantino’s Kill Bill, but he’s no silly, beard-flinging old man here. Instead, he’s a condescending, mustache-twirling villain who laughs at how pathetic his foes are. He’s apparently a master at something called “body protection,” which makes him impervious to groin kicks; like Kuan’s wife, he’s blessed with loins of steel that allow him to catch his opponent’s legs between his own and deliver a fatal blow.
Filmed of course in gorgeous Shawscope, Executioners from Shaolin provides a nice mix of laughs and action; its climactic showdown is a bit undercut when the film decides to hastily narrate the fate of its characters, but not before there’s a ridiculous martial arts display and a wicked, bloody eye-gouging first. But the moral of the story here? Revenge is a dish that must be served with strong legs.
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