Starring: Jackie Chan
Yuen Siu-Tien
Jwang Lee Hwang
Directed by: Yuen Woo Ping
Written by: Ng See-yuen
Choi Gai-gwong
Tsai Chi-kuang
Produced by: Ng See-yuen
Chen Chuan
Release date (Hong Kong): March 1, 1978
Synopsis
Chien Fu, an orphan adopted by a kung fu school, is overworked as their janitor while being bullied and abused by the kung fu teachers as a walking punching-bag, with the school's cook, Ah-Wu, being his only sympathizer. Chien befriends an old beggar by offering him a meal and a place to stay. Unknown to Chien, the old beggar is actually Pai Cheng-tien, one of the last surviving masters of the Snake-style of kung fu. Pai is on the run from the Eagle Claw clan, which is viciously killing off all of the rival Snake-style masters, but is ambushed by Eagle Claw student Su Chen and an assassin masquerading as a Christian missionary (Roy Horan), and is injured. After being abused once more, Chien later finds Pai and helps him recover. Pai agrees to give him more lessons, on the condition that he does not call him "sifu" ("master"), since they are friends. The real reason, however, is to keep Chien's connection with him secret from his pursuers.
Review
Snake in The Eagle's Shadow is most likely the earliest action film I've ever watched, and it did not dissapoint.
Chien Fu is an instantly likeable character, unlike Fei-Hung in Drunken Master. The film also has Jackie's classic slapstick humor which is why we love him and his works to this day.
It also has some ridiculous fighting scenes and acting, which is what makes the film amazing.
But what I really love about the English dub of the film is ridiculous sound effects and voice actors, which was so bad it was just funny.
Jwang Lee also does an amazing job as the villian. He never gives up, and I like that, even if it's for bad purposes.
The casting choice for the film is genius and also the same as Drunken Master, which I review next week!
P.S. There are no eagle shadows in the film, and even if there were, I don't think you'd see a snake in them.
Rating: 7/10
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