Kick'em In The Ghoulies

Directed By Chor Yuen

Action by Yuen Cheung-Yan

Starring : Chung Wa, Ku Feng, Yueh Hua, 

Produced BY : Runme Shaw

Spring of Shaw Season – Film 4

Killer Clans – 1976

The next film in our Spring of Shaw Season has more in common with the 50's and 60's Shaw films that where based on classic Chinese Operas.

Set around warring clans whose sole goal in life is to be the best in the Martial world .

But there is as much intrigue and plotting in this 1976 film as your find in more complicated political fare . But it's by no means easy to follow as two warring clans ,one rung by Uncle Sun-Yu ( Ku Feng ) and the other run by Roc Society head Chief ( Wang Hsieh) pit there followers against each other.

But there are some great characters within the film like Lu Hsiang-Chuan ( Yueh Hua) a member of Uncle Sun's Clan who has a reputation amongst the various martial arts world communities as a man who has 72 concealed weapons about his person ( which of course is preposterous but played to such belief that you yourself think it's feasible) and it's the depth of which the characters are played that makes the film grip you from beginning to end.

Also the complexity of the story keeps you thinking as with any societies at loggerheads with each other .there always seem to be persons within which work for the other side.

I suppose you could look on this as a classic take on films like Infernal Affairs or the classic fifties Yakuza films from Japan.

The film comes into play story wise when three men from one of the opposing clans rapes the daughter of one of the fellow Uncles of one of the clans , hoping to bring justice for the girl and her Uncle who was beaten and humiliated a man is sent to the opposing clan to gain justice by having the three men turned into him for punishment.

Of course this is all a ploy to start a war ,but this in turn opens up another can of worms which you could never think of ,thus making the film take another path.

And it's this constant story plot twisting which makes Killer Clans intriguing and at the same time quite convoluted.

There is much to enjoy in the film ,not just the action scenes which are done by Yuen Cheung-Yan ( Woo Ping's brother) but also the intricate costumes which are reminiscent of many a Peking opera to some quite varied sets and even some of studio shots filmed in woodland. .

Add to this cameo's from stars like Lo Lieh who plays Han Tang a assassin for Uncle Sun -Yu , Fung Hak-On as a Roc Society member and Ching Li as Uncle Sun-Yu's daughter Hsiao Tieh. Who becomes part of a love triangle within the film.

Killer Clans may not be as action packed as the likes of King Boxer or 36th Chamber of Shaolin but what it lacks in raw action it makes up for in a story and plot which will keep you thinking and on the edge of your seat as each new plot twist is unleashed upon you.

Score out of Ten = 7

Reviewer : Sertes Nake

Review Date : March 27th 2014