Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

The Shaolin Invincibles Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 6, 2023

Revenge is a dish best served with gorillas that know kung fu in 1977’s “The Shaolin Invincibles.” It’s a martial arts epic from director Cheng Hou, who aims to blend hard-hitting, body-flipping, weapon-spinning acts of personal danger with a tale of vengeance involving the focus of two women looking to take down an evil emperor in an ancient land. The Taiwan production has a nice handle on physical altercations, and there’s madness at times, including the aforementioned gorillas, who bring threat and pure goofiness to an entertaining sit.

Prince Yung Cheng (Hung-Lieh Chen) has taken control of the land, making sure to eliminate those who dare to challenge his authority. Sending men to clear out enemies, the job isn’t completed correctly, with sisters Yu (Chun-Erh Lung) and Lu Szu Liang (Ling Chia) managing to escape, soon raised by monks who teach the girls the ways of martial arts, including work with “Flash Frost Swords.” Returning to their homeland, the siblings are ready to kill Yung Cheng, who’s made himself emperor, unleashing waves of assassins and setting traps to stop them.

“The Shaolin Invincibles” is simple storytelling, with the sisters out to destroy the man who slaughtered their family, working with intense training to take on multiple enemies. The fun of the movie is watching such action unfold, with Lu Szu and Lu Yu maintaining a steady diet of brutality as they clear away armed combatants, with set pieces involving a noodle shop brawl and a series of specific assassins, including the gorillas, who serve the emperor with their animal strength and fast fists. More oddity is present in “The Shaolin Invincibles,” including killers armed with long tongues, giving the endeavor some surges of fantasy to go with intense choreography, generating excitement as strangeness blends with human passion for street justice.

The Shaolin Invincibles Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "Preserved from the only known 35mm print in existence, featuring Mandarin language with burned-in English subtitles." Indeed, an older print is utilized here, and one that's roughed up quite a bit, exposing jumpy, distorted, and missing frames, extensive scratches and points of damage, and a little discoloration. It's not pretty, but such condition might add to the viewing experience for some, replicating the full grindhouse event. Detail reaches as far as possible, fighting focus issues, but a general sense of facial particulars and full-body action is present. Locations are passably dimensional, and interiors preserve a mild level of decorative additions. Colors are faded but not missing, with more active reds in palace rooms and costuming. Greenery is acceptable. Delineation is satisfactory.

The Shaolin Invincibles Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix has defined age, but intelligibility isn't lost, with dialogue exchanges on the shrill side, but acceptable. Scoring cues are limited, but musical support is appreciable without true crispness. Blunt sound effects remain accessible.

The Shaolin Invincibles Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Trailer Reel (33:21, HD) is offered, showcasing various marital art epics and B-movies from the 1970s and '80s. "The Shaolin Invincibles" is not included.

The Shaolin Invincibles Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Shaolin Invincibles" captures attention through action beats, and performances are committed to the mood of the picture, with Carter Wong joining the tale as an ally for Lu Szu and Liu Yu. The feature is played seriously despite outrageous acts of camp in the mix, setting out on the road to the capitol, where schemes of infiltration are hatched and secret rooms are explored. While the effort isn't thunderous when it comes to dramatic potential, it does carry some interesting severity along the way, including a climax that takes physical exposure to a plan of revenge seriously, giving viewers a closing jolt of emotion. Somehow, kung fu gorillas and sisterly love manage to coexist without throwing the whole endeavor out of whack, and "The Shaolin Invincibles" remains a compelling sit. There's big action, hard feelings, and a sense of weirdness that delivers an unusual viewing experience. It's not a radical take on martial arts cinema, but it works in ways the competition often fails to deliver. And gorillas. We need more gorillas in this type of entertainment.