Cast Member: Fang Mian

Unfortunately, ‘Beauty Escort’ is no old school classic and should probably only be viewed by complete-ists, or after you have exhausted many (many) other old school kung fu flicks or very late at night with a buddy who can make fun of it with you.

In the end, ‘Kung Fu From Beyond The Grave’ is decent entertainment – mainly due to the fights – but lacks the campy charm needed to make it a strong recommendation.

Although dated, ‘The Chinese Boxer’ is historically fascinating and provides an interesting point of reference to the many films that would follow.

‘The Idiot Swordsman’ is a disappointing use of cast and concept, choosing to tread very tired ground rather than explore the full potential of the story.

‘The Lady Hermit’ still manages to stand up well decades on as an extremely entertaining, if not extremely gory, example of the Shaw Brothers armed combat films in their prime.

‘The Thundering Mantis’ is a three star film that earns a fourth for its remarkable ending and Leung Kar Yan’s virtuoso performance as the hero driven straight over the edge.

While it hasn’t aged well in comparison to ‘Come Drink With Me’ and even some of Chang Cheh’s early work, it still proves to be a mildly diverting Shaw Brothers’ swordplay film.

Perhaps the greatest flaw found within this well-made, yet uninspiring swordplay film is its reliance on theatrical melodrama rather than tension or real emotion.