Genre: Martial Arts

Packed full of superbly choreographed fight sequences and sporting solid leading performances, it is definitely one of the finest kung fu movies to emerge from Hong Kong during the 90s.

Fantastical ingenuity, crazy comedy, outlandish practical effects, and hard-hitting martial arts are thrown together in perhaps one of the best zany action flicks to come from the Golden Era 80s.

Even a few moments of magic from Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Gary Daniels do little to improve the overall picture, and it has to be said that this is a sorry excuse for a ‘Tekken’ movie.

This sort of sequel/prequel has its moments also but is nowhere near as fun, is often confusing and unfortunately feels like a half arsed attempt to cash in on the first flick.

Even though it does get some of the backstory correct, it just seems far too muddled and mundane to please the game’s fanbase.

At the end of the day, ‘Temple Of The Red Lotus’ works as more of a historical artefact than a genuinely exciting swordplay feature.

The final word is that this is highly recommended for the teaming of fifteen or so of the top stars of the Shaw Brothers era. As a stand-alone production though, ‘Ten Tigers Of Kwantung’ is not Chang Cheh’s best.

For those seeking a fast-paced fantasy film with no pretensions, ‘The 13 Cold-Blooded Eagles’ fits the bill very well and, while not comparable to genre classics like ‘Swordsman II’, is worth a look.

‘The 14 Amazons’ is one of those brash, bold and defiant Hong Kong hits of yesteryear that continues to find new admirers.

Kuo lets the odd moment of peculiar editing affect an otherwise slick kung-fu drama; the final twenty minutes in particular seems far too rushed in comparison to the majority of the film.

Liu Chia Liang’s ‘The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin’ is an important cinematic moment and remains influential not just in Hong Kong film-making, but also globally.

It’s a pity that ‘The Seven Grandmasters’ is nearly a classic, but not quite. The reason it falls short and the reason why many of Kuo’s features stumble in the same way is the ending.