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It might be circumstance that Five Deadly Venoms, a martial arts classic from Shaw Brothers Studio, gets released the same week that Kung Fu Panda 2 is released. Chances are, it isn’t though. Considering the huge amount of influence this film from 1978 continues to have over people and artists and musicians alike, one wouldn’t be surprised if The Furious Five’s origins could be found inside Chang Che’s martial arts masterpiece. After all, where do you think Tarantino’s Deadly Viper Assignation Squad in Kill Bill came from?
Yan Tieh (Chiang Sheng) is the final student of the Venom House’s Poison Clan. Considered Hybrid Master, Yan knows each of the styles of the house, but is not as strong as the previous students of Venom House. Each one of the previous students (Hint: there are five of them) has learned a certain style of fighting: Centipede (Lu Feng), Scorpion (Sun Chien), Toad (Lo Mang), Gecko (Kuo Chui), and Snake (Wei Pei). Yet, their hearts are not entirely pure. Concerned that his former students are plotting to rob him of his treasure, Yan’s dying master (Dick Wei) requests that Yan finds a friend and colleague to help guard against his treasure. What evolves is a journey of that sees sides being switched and hearts being tested as each of the Five Deadly Venoms tries their hardest to gain Yan’s trust (in some manner) and find the hidden treasure.
With its tongue-in-cheek mythology set firmly in place, Five Deadly Venoms never takes itself or its martial arts mayhem too seriously. Yes, the finale is a deadly mix of intoxicating Kung Fu and choreography, but it still has the humor that makes Five Deadly Venoms work as a Shaw Brothers era film and a marvelous and relevant piece of pop culture splatterhouse art. Frenzied and nutty, the film straddles the bi-polar gate that swings between logic and lunacy and, at times, lets that fence open for all to enjoy its mad inventive fusion of style and slop.
Consistently ranked at the top of any Cult film listing, Five Deadly Venoms certainly delivers the right ingredients to remain a staple of over-the-top popcorn-friendly entertainment. Pulpy and, at times, silly enough to always be enjoyable, Che’s film is never flat. The film turns from its Kung Fu action roots and walks straight into an entangled whodunit type of mystery fairly quickly and then back into madcap action for a rousing finale. This constant change of pace makes up for any of the film’s moments of lunacy and loopy characterization. Yet, never have any of its flaws diminished the love and luster of its now 33-year-old history.
For lovers of cult films, owning this one is a no-brainer.
MPAA Rating: R.
