Director: Chang Cheh
Starring: Ti Lung, David Chiang, Chen Kuan-tai, Alexander Fu Sheng
Year: Various (1967–1983)
Duration: Approx. 950 min (10 films across 5 discs)
Country: Hong Kong
Label: Eureka Classics
BBFC Certification: 18
Release: Furious Swords & Fantastic Warriors is out now on Blu-ray as part of the Eureka Classics range.
The latest release from Eureka Classics is a ten-film, five-disc set that focuses on the varied career of one of the linchpins of the studio’s history, Chang Cheh. The kaleidoscopic nature of the Shaw Brothers’ output means that many of their box sets can feel a little all over the place, but this one takes a different approach. By centring on one of the biggest directors of his day, it offers a journey through his career that isn’t chronological, but instead organised by style and theme.
I’m a relative newcomer to the Shaw Brothers’ oeuvre, having mostly seen the big hitters, but I’ve always found their films entertaining. Sometimes because of their uneven quality, not in spite of it. Each December, while working my day job in retail, I make the month my own personal “Shaw Brothers season,” letting their wild mix of martial arts, melodrama, and myth help me unwind. This new set has been a genuine joy and revelation from start to finish.
Film Reviews
Men from the Monastery (1974)
The set starts with a bang and arguably its best film. Men from the Monastery is part of Cheh’s Shaolin Cycle and dramatises the resistance of monk-warriors against Qing oppression. Focusing on Cheh’s fascination with camaraderie and martyrdom, he uses an episodic format to bring his heroic band of warriors together. The training sequences are intense and strikingly memorable, showcasing both discipline and tragedy. Cheh balances heroic sacrifice with explosive energy, making this a powerful and deeply satisfying opener. I can see this one returning to my December rotation for years to come.
Shaolin Martial Arts (1974)
A perfect companion piece to Men from the Monastery, though not quite as tight in its storytelling. The pacing is slower, with more focus on rigorous training sequences than on large-scale melees. Still, when the final showdown arrives, it delivers. Cheh’s dynamic camerawork and sudden stylistic flourishes, like his use of colour washes and the black-and-white pain emphasis, keep things visually arresting.
King Eagle (1971)
A lean and highly accessible wuxia that moves with real momentum. Ti Lung plays a stoic wanderer drawn into sect rivalries and tragic romance. The fight choreography is fast, fluid, and cleanly staged, giving the film a kinetic quality that makes it one of the easiest to recommend in the set.
Iron Bodyguard (1973)
A grounded, politically tinged story of loyalty and justice, anchored by Chen Kuan-tai’s forceful performance. The film builds to an outstanding climax once Chen finally draws his sword. The use of firelight and shadow in the night-time fight sequence is especially striking.
Fantastic Magic Baby (1975)
At the halfway point, the set takes a bold turn into mythic fantasy. Inspired by Journey to the West, Cheh leans into theatrical staging, musical passages, and saturated colour. Dialogue is minimal, replaced by movement and performance. The feature runs about an hour, followed by a peking opera stage production excerpt. Eccentric, hypnotic, and entirely its own thing.
The Weird Man (1983)
A late-career supernatural retelling of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, full of ghosts, spirit duels, and smoke-filled set pieces. The synth score veers between thrilling and camp, adding to the film’s off-kilter energy. Chaotic, messy, never boring. Consider this disc as your late night party one where I’m sure the experience gets better the more people you watch them with.
Trail of the Broken Blade (1967)
One of Cheh’s earliest works, telling the story of a swordsman living in exile and regret while the woman he loves remains out of reach. Elegant swordplay, earnest performances, and a melancholic tone that lingers. I was really invested in every character and enjoyed the Bond Villain’s island setting for the final showdown.
The Wandering Swordsman (1970)
David Chiang brings a playful, roguish, Robin Hood-style charm to a story that gradually reveals deeper emotional weight. It moves quickly, but the sense of loss in the closing stretch lands hard. This is again an easy film to recommend to people starting out on their Shaw Brothers experience.
Trilogy of Swordsmanship (1972)
An anthology of three wuxia tales exploring different shades of loyalty, betrayal, and justice. Unlike other anthology films, there is no framing device instead, it showcases the breadth of Shaw Brothers filmmaking. The first part, The Iron Bow, directed by Yuen Feng, is more comedic but still ends in bloodshed. The second, The Tigress, directed by Cheng Kang, is the strongest with Lily Ho Li delivering a powerful performance at the centre of a love triangle that ends with a brutal emotional punch. The final segment, Chang Cheh’s White Water Strand, delivers the expected heroic tragedy and climactic bloody confrontation.
New Shaolin Boxers (1976)
Also known as New Shaolin Martial Arts this film is in places brighter in tone, with emphasis on training, camaraderie, and spiritual growth. Alexander Fu Sheng is excellent here as Zhong Jian. The fights are visceral and the training montages equally entertaining. It’s a fitting film to finish the set as we return full circle to Cheh’s Shaolin roots.
Final Thoughts
This set has opened my eyes to the works of one of the key talents behind the success of the Shaw Brothers. While these films might not be his best known or most widely celebrated, the set is curated in a way that tells an important story about Chang Cheh’s range as a filmmaker. With a wealth of special features as well, this is a set with huge rewatchability value.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Limited edition double-walled slipcase, with 2 amaray cases, featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling [2000 copies]
- Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on all films in this set by film critic and writer James Oliver [2000 copies]
- 1080p HD presentations of all 10 films on Blu-ray
- Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release
- New audio commentaries on Men from the Monastery, The Trail of the Broken Blade and The Weird Man by film critic David West
- New audio commentaries on King Eagle, The Wandering Swordsman, Trilogy of Swordsmanship and The Fantastic Magic Baby by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
- New audio commentaries on Shaolin Martial Arts, Iron Bodyguard and New Shaolin Boxers by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist/filmmaker Michael Worth
- New audio commentary on The Fantastic Magic Baby by Frank Djeng
- New interview with Hong Kong cinema scholar Wayne Wong on the life and work of Chang Cheh
- New video essay by Jonathan Clements (author of A Brief History of China) on Iron Bodyguard
- New video essay by Jonathan Clements on Chang Cheh’s Shaolin films