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Absolutely brilliant

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

THE BUDDHIST FIST is a fast and furious action comedy from the great Hong Kong director Yuen Woo-ping. It stars Yuen Shun-Yee who plays a novice barber's apprentice who is soon drawn into a murder plot when his childhood friend is framed for murder and he decides to investigate, subsequently becoming a target himself. THE BUDDHIST FIST is far more than your typical Jackie Chan rip-off, with a fresh look and feel that sets it apart from the rest.The opening scene of the movie features DRUNKEN MASTER's Simon Yuen in an amusing cameo and I've read that he died shortly afterwards which means that his performance is limited to this one moment. However, the rest of the Yuen clan do appear, including Yuen Cheung-Yan playing a gang leader. Lee Hoi San turns up in one of those stock bad guy roles which he was always so adept at playing. THE BUDDHIST FIST follows the usual template for these productions, with non-stop comedy hijinks in the first part giving way to some serious action in the second.The setting of the barber shop allows for some great comic set-pieces and the one involving the cross-eyed character actor so familiar from the genre is my favourite. The plot's twists are enough to keep the viewer involved up until the climax, which is where the strong fight choreography comes in and keeps you gripping. While THE BUDDHIST FIST isn't one of Woo-ping's all-time classics, it certainly ticks all of the right boxes as an effective kung fu film.

This film is both terrible and a work of genius. The overdub is atrocious and why I watched more than thirty seconds I will never know, the acting in non-existent, and the directing is both sloppy and lazy (with the exception of the fighting scenes, which are simply sublime); however, this isn't a film with just some good fighting. The story-line, individual scenes, and script writing are out of this world. I've never seen such a great screenplay poorly executed by a directed since Stuart Rosenberg's Cool Hand Luke. It really is that good a film: "left hand Buddha palm, right hand Buddha fist!" This film should be remade by a good director, cut the excesses of humour, and have Woo-ping Yuen only do the choreography for the fight scenes. He simply spoilt a work of art: check it out and see for yourself.

You can tell this is one of Woo-Pings earlier works because there is very little wire work done. The fights are all of course expertly choreographed though. The movie itself has an interesting storyline, or at least as interesting as a kung fu movie from 1980 gets. Some of the fighting shows good demonstrations of fist versus palm styles. The DVD version of the movie looks good for the most part, with only a few grains and does have a line going down the left side of the screen for the first 15 minutes of the movie. Its not enough to distract you though and the only other really bad part is a thirty second scene in the dark where there is a lot of grain on the film.

I don't think I have seen a better Choreographed Kung Fu movie. It is also probably the most action packed Kung fu film i have seen in recent years. This is definitely a lost gem and hopefully will get its rightful place in Hong Kong moviedom as a classic. I dont how this film has been overlooked for some many years.I dont know where to begin about this movie. It just attests to the genius of Director Yuen Ping and is more amazing to look at than the high tech, big budget razzle because there are no CGI enhanced fight scenes here..it's the real thing. Not only are they creative choreographed as only Yuen Ping can do, but they some of the most physically intense and acrobatic fight scenes I have ever seen on celluloid and trust me I have seen hundreds of fight scenes. Once the film builds momemntum it doesn't slow down. It has a threadbare plot,but it does have one and even a bit of a mystery thrown in.This is to Kung Fu movies what Hardboiled is to action movies, it is action packed and the fight scenes are numerous and consistetnly inventive. I was just amazed at the number of fight scenes and how the next one outdid the last,continuing its feverish pitch to a breathlessly paced helter skelter, knock down drag out, down and dirty festival of fisticuffs with the two leads strutting their stuff combining the excellent choreography of the director and the physical dexterity and pugilistic skills of the two leads. You will be exhausted after the movie is over.If you though Jackie Chan movies were good wait until you seen this one.Simply said the BEST KUNG FU MOVIE BAR NONEInterestingly enough it has been released by 2 companies at the same time the Xenon group for $9.99 and Tai Seng (priced for rental as of April 2000. The Tai Seng print will be twice the price, but of much better quality I am sure.Whatever version you buy or rent just make sure you see it. This is must see viewing for martial arts movie fans.It is a truly a lost classic.