I love the fact that we live in a world where we have companies like 88 Films, who give us the best of the obscure movies that most never thought would ever be given the same attention as the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. 88 Films have done one better, by launching their 88 Asia Collection, bringing audiences the best of the rare martial arts films from the classic era of the Shaw Brothers. The latest batch of releases includes 1978’s Shaolin Mantis from legendary director Lau Kar-leung (Return to the 36th Chamber). As silly as the “Praying Mantis” style sounds, it’s considered one of the most effective fighting styles created, and is over three-hundred and fifty years old. Does Shaolin Mantis showcase the style in a manner worthy of the style itself?
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Wei Fung (David Chiang) is a scholar, and is hired by the Emperor to go deep inside the Tien Clan, who have plans in place to assassinate him. Under pressure from the Emperor (he threatens to have Wei Fung’s family killed if he fails), Wei Fung adopts the perfect persona to trick the Tien Clan into believing he’s one of them. What throws everything off is Tien Chi-Chi (Cecilia Wong), the granddaughter of the clan leader. Wei Fung is just supposed to tutor her, but as they become closer, it’s apparent they have strong feelings for one another, and he questions his mission and whether he has it in him to carry it out.
You don’t really get to see much of the “Praying Mantis” style until later in the film, but the rest of it is a complete blast. There’s a bit of romance and plenty of action to entertain even the most hardcore of martial arts film fans. There’s so much fun to be had, watching David Chiang copy the movements of a praying mantis, and turning them into a legitimate form of fighting. The film is pretty by the numbers, and doesn’t dish out too many surprises, but it never fails to entertain.
The special limited-edition disc is packed full of great stuff, including an HD remaster from the original 35 mm negative in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, two audio commentaries, a double-sided foldout poster, four collectable art cards, and much more. The Golden Age of martial arts cinema is finally being treated with the respect it deserves, and fans are in for a treat with these new releases. Hopefully this series continues on for a long time, because these discs are incredible.
