Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)

 Magnificent Bodyguards (1978) 103 minutes. Chinese Audio. With Star Wars theme intact. ***/*****

I had this one on DVD from Shout Factory in their 8 pack set they released a decade ago, but it was the dubbed version, and I loathe most live action dubs. I was going to just skip this one until I found it streaming on Prime with the original dialogue track. Although I think the audio is like a millisecond out of sync.  

A Kung Fu master assembles guards to escort an ailing person through dangerous "Stormy Hills" terrain infested with bandits, savages, and evil monks to reach a doctor before it's too late.

Click on the poster to watch the movie on Prime.

For a Lo Wei/Gu Long/Jackie Chan effort, this is actually pretty easy to watch. Aside from the shots that were clearly meant for the 3D version of the movie. This was apparently the first Hong Kong movie to utilize 3D technology.

Fast paced and easy to follow. Lo Wei must've been sick or something.  It's still an everything AND the kitchen sink type of movie, but man it's a lot of fun. Jackie Chan even seems a little more relaxed in this one which greatly affects his overall fighting style. It's one step closer to iconic Jackie. 

A couple of things caught me off guard and made me laugh with how incongruous they were, like I would swear the first group of bandits that they came across were wild west Indians (Native American), but of course they first showed up when a theme from a western movie (Elmer Bernstein composed, I think)  played, and the overall introduction was very much ripped out  of a western.

And then displayed prominently in the background during a fight with evil monks, was what my mind immediately classified as a Nazi 'hakenkreuz. It's not of course, because that would be an anachronism, it's an actual Swastika. In its purest form it's a symbol of fortune and health. And it was for a long time until it was grossly misappropriated by the Nazi's. This is a massive oversimplification, so I urge you start with the Wikipedia article, and go from there.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the soundtrack which is almost entirely made of swipes from Hollywood movies. With samples from Elmer Bernstein, John Williams, and more. The audacity was awe inspiring.

Wires are also clearly visible throughout the movie, which just adds to the fun. 

 This movie is fun all the way through, great fights, great cast, good cinematography, and for once the twists in a Lo Wei/Gu Long weren't completely nonsensical.  Still bizarre, but fun and far more coherent than the previous Wei/Long collaborations.. 

It only really falls apart in the final battle where the editing gets a little bizarre and then ends on a freeze frame right before the final blow.

It's by no means a great movie, but it's fun and there's a lot going for it. I say give it a spin, or a stream, or whatever you wish. 

Unlike the previous Wei/Long/Chan efforts, I am keeping this in my Jackie Chan rotation.

I am apparently very fond of Wuxia, which was something I didn't realize till now. So doing these reviews has been a journey of  self discovery. They kinda remind me of comic book movies, which could be why I enjoy them so much. 

Screen caps are surprisingly difficult to find, so I'll just include the trailer this time. 

 

Cast

• Jackie Chan as Lord Ting Chung
• James Tien as Tsang / Chang Wu-yi
• Leung Siu-lung as Chang
• Wang Ping as Lady Nan
• Lau Ming as Old Lady of Ma Por Inn
• Lee Man-tai as Bearded Shaolin Abbot
• Luk Chuen as King
• Fang Fang as Liu Chin-lien
• Ko Keung as Wen Liang-yu

Pre-Order this movie on Blu Ray here (USA) or here (UK).   from 88 Films. I don't get any commission or recompense from these links, I just like to hook fellow movie fans up with the goods. 

I got a little ahead of myself here, oops. this one was supposed to come after Snake in Eagles Shadow (1978) &  Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978). So now I will have to loop back around.

Jackie Chan will return in Snake in Eagles Shadow (1978)