Review of The Magnificent Butcher (1979) by Ryan G — 01 Jun 2008
This a great Kung Fu film based on legendary historical figure Butcher Wing, played by Sammo Hung. The choreography is brilliant and powerful - the action sequences are full of energy and ferocity. The amount of talent within this film is phenomenal. You have Sammo, Yuen Biao, Hoi San Lee, Wei Pei, and the awesome Lam Ching-Ying.
The drama in this film swiftly elevates as particular gruesome events take place within Butcher Wing's own house, thus drawing attention from a rival Kung Fu School led by Hoi San Lee's character - armed with the deadly and quite hilarious "Cosmic Palm" style.
The clash between the two schools is cataclysmic, with some of the best choreography ever recorded on film. Yuen Biao vs. Lam Ching-Ying is of particular quality. Also, the drunken beggar character adds some welcome comic relief as well as some of the funniest action sequences I have seen. This character (resembling legendary Master So Hai, and to originally be played by Simon Yuen), acts as a catalyst for the film.
This is one of the best Sammo Hung projects that is available to see. His Kung Fu seems to be at it's peak, and the choreography really is ground-breaking - at least check out the calligraphy scene!
This review of The Magnificent Butcher (1979) was written by Ryan G on 01 Jun 2008.
The Magnificent Butcher has generally received very positive reviews.
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