The dying patriarch of the Venoms clan sends his final student (Chiang Sheng) out into the wider world to find out what happened to five former pupils. The names of each are unknown, but they were known by the style they practised and mask they wore: Centipede, Snake, Lizard, Toad and Scorpion. The old master warns his final student that some have turned evil, some remain good, but all have to be identified so that justice can be served. And so ‘The Five Venoms’ begins…
Few parts of the martial arts genre are so steeped in adoration and mythos as the Venoms, a team of actors who appeared together in numerous unconnected action films during the Shaw Brothers heyday. Philip Kwok was always the main hero, Lo Meng nearly always the sidekick (though occasionally a villain), Lu Feng was mostly the main antagonist, Sun Chien jumped between being hero and villain while Chiang ‘Cutie Pie’ Sheng was mainly the former (of course Wai Pak is a ‘Venom’ in this film but not part of the official ‘Mob’). ‘The Five Venoms’ started the legend and what a genre masterpiece it is.
‘The Five Venoms’ defines each actor’s roles so well that it’s little surprise that further contributions didn’t deviate much away from this formula. The film that started it all has an intriguing mystery element to it that keeps the viewer engaged in the storyline and Chang Cheh even plays with elements of gothic horror in the way it’s shot. ‘The Five Venoms’ is a very different beast to the stories which followed it (though ‘Masked Avengers’ has certain similar elements) and to this day has a unique style to it.
There are many strengths that propel ‘The Five Venoms’ to the status of quintessential genre classic. The action, though less intricate than future projects, is excellent and plays heavily on the different styles and how the actors represent them. There aren’t the endless glorious set-pieces of other Venoms films like ‘Daredevils’ or ‘Shaolin Rescuers’, but that doesn’t matter – it’s exciting and delivers everything that an audience can demand. And the final word must go to the cast, the five legends (and great Venoms Mob support players like Wai Pak and Johnny Wang Lung-Wei) that embodied a quintet of distinct personalities that would go down in cinematic history. Each actor brings so much to their roles and seeing them interact is wonderful, ensuring that you desperately want to see them appear together again. ‘The Five Venoms’ is something very special.
This year marks twenty-five years of FarEastFilms (formerly DragonsDenUK) and looking back on the vast catalogue of reviews we have accrued, I noticed a few apparent gaps. These were films I thought one of us had provided but, Mandela Effect in operation, I now see were never discussed. Expect to see a few reviews over the next few months that intend to remedy that.
- The Five Venoms - November 9, 2025
- Shaolin Temple - October 26, 2025
- The Villagers - October 12, 2025
