Everything Everywhere All At Oncemay have reminded cinema-goers just how much fun kung fu can be whentaken to its absolute extreme, but fans of the iconic 60s-80s eraShaw Brothersmoviesknow that when it comes to the kung fu genre, maximalism is nothing new.The Shaw Brothers were responsible for some of the wildest action movies of all time, with each one christened with a radical title to boot. Fittingly, 1983’sHoly Flame of the Martial Worldmight just be the peak of their extremity, and if that title isn’t enough to convince you of that alone, it takes about a minute into the actual film to realize how over-the-top things are about to get.
Holy Flame of the Martial Worldwas directed byTony Lou Chun-Ku, whose other credits includeBastard Swordsman,Angel Terminators II, andThe Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead. Clearly, the man knew how to spin together a title, andHoly Flame,in particular,isone of the best martial arts moviesto stand up on its own. This is doubly fitting, asone of several obstacles our main character faces comes in the form of weaponized flying kanji.The filmfollows two siblings separated at birth after their parents are killed for possessing the secret to two blades known together as the Yin and Yang Holy Flames. Yin Tien-Chou (Max Mok) is taken in by a wise kung fu master, Yama Elder (Philip Kwok),while his sister (Ching-Ching Yeung) is taken in by their parent’s killers, Tsing Yin (Leanne Lu) and Monster Yu (Jason Pai). ensure that you’re keeping up, because power-wise,this stacked cast of characters could givethe X-Men a run for their money.
Holy Flame of the Martial World
A brother and sister seek vengeance for the death of their parents.
The Characters of ‘Holy Flame of Martial World’ Are Incredibly Skilled and Powered
Whether they know it or not, the MCU owes a great debt to the kung fu classics of the 70s, but it’s not justShang-Chiwith its wuxia inspiration that you can see elements of this flick in. The superpowers on display inHoly Flamestrike that perfect chord between awe-inspiring and terrifying because of their implications.Naturally, every named character inHoly Flamehas dedicated their every waking hour to the fine art of kicking butt.There’s no weapon that they haven’t wielded since the moment they were born, reflective of the amount of athleticism on display. Our main character, Yin Tien-Chou, seems to possess an unexplained telekinetic ability that sees him sliding across the floor throughNaruto-esque hand signsand controlling his sword with his mind. It’s a worthy skill, but relatively tame next to the powers of his master, whom he tries to imitate.
Naturally, you don’t cast Philip Kwok without letting him show off some serious skill, even if he’s a little more reliant on VFX at his older age. The character’s strongest ability is that of the “Ghostly Laugh,”a technique that allows him to laugh in such a way that all those who hear it have their internal organs slowly shattered.The Joker could only manage that at his absolute worst.The bad guys attempt to fight him off by blocking off their chi paths and shutting their bodies down in meditative positions. However, they only learn to counter it when mastering “Bone Incineration by Fire,” which pretty much does what it says, and their final attack: Wipe Out the Entire Family. While that may be a mistranslation, as is common with movies of this era, it still slaps regardless.
Holy Flame of the Martial Worldgives its female characters the time of day as well, with Chief Tsing Yin mercilessly training a cohort of all-female kung fu students, even if the reason she’s doing so is altruistic. However, one of the best female characters comes in the form of Chuan Erh (Yung Jing-Jing), a snake catcher whose index finger becomes soaked in a snake’s bladder, leading her to developa superhuman kung fu technique in the form of high-powered laser beams. To quoteKronk fromThe Emperor’s New Groove: “By all accounts, it doesn’t make any sense,” but let’s be honest, sense is far from the priority here.
‘Holy Flame of the Martial World’ Is One of the Most Fast-Paced Action Films Ever
Holy Flame of the Martial Worldis so imperceptibly fast that its characters blink in and out of the frame instead of walking from place to place. The kung fu masters walking down a long pathway will casually teleport across it to illustrate their speed. The film may be merely 89 minutes long, but the amount of story and characters it packs into such little time is jaw-dropping. It’s not just thenon-stop actionthat exhilarates, with even the most famous Shaw Brothers movies likeThe 36th Chamber of ShaolinandTheEight Diagram Pole Fighterlooking slow in comparison. Theworld-buildinginHoly Flame, like the universe as we know it, is constantly expanding, constantly offering new mythologies and elements of lore to explore.IfChuck Jonesever directed a martial arts film, it would look something like this, but regardless, the extent of its fantasy makes itthe strongest of the bunchto compete against the likes ofStar Wars.
‘Holy Flame of the Martial World’ Leans Into the Shaw Brothers’ Trademark Use of Comedy
Here’s the thing about watching kung fu movies nowadays,they’re undeniably funnyeven when they’re not meant to be! Only a Shaw Brothers movie could pull off a line like “I wish I had learned kung fu instead of studying,” andHoly Flame of the Martial Worldfeatures no shortage of similarly ridiculous quips.It might bea bonkers action movie, but it’s completely awareof the fact that its only intention is to throw everything at the screen.While there’s a lot of darkness on display (a lot of parents die in this movie), Chuan Erh’s sudden growth in incredible power leads to much of the film’s more hilarious antics, as do her fish-out-of-water moments. These involve attempting to imitate the “Ghostly Laughter” with not-so-organ-shattering results or constantly punching holes in objects with her super finger. It’s a tone that allows the film’s heavy moments of exposition to swing by, and given the prominence of the “Ghostly Laughter” technique, seems to be a tone that it wants its audience to practice.
Holy Flame of the Martial Worldhas a lot more going for it thanone of the wildest titles of all time.It’s the pinnacle of the kung fu cinemathat dominated the midnight movie circuit of the era, perhaps not in the quality of character development, but definitely in the quality of maximalism.Charlie’s Angels: Full ThrottleandRRRrighteously capture the same spirit, but in 1983,without the use of CGI,Holy Flameremains a spectacle of pure unadulterated imagination, gorgeous to behold.
Holy Flame of the Martial Worldis available to rent on Amazon in the U.S.
