By 1980, it was time for Shaw Brothers to start experimenting with their subject matter. The straight-up action movies seemed to be slightly out-of-step with what audiences wanted (or at least director Chang Cheh was running out of gas as one of the most overworked directors for the studio), so the studio turned to some literary adaptations for inspiration with Legend of the Fox being one of the first to come out during this 3 year period.
The results were hit and miss. It seems to be based on your need for character completion as the swordplay is significantly reduced to two or three big scenes. Now, there are quite a lot of people who enjoy this turn for the studio as audiences got to see members of the Venom Mob act and create characters who were always complicated and double-crossed various people along the way towards a fitting finale. I am one of those.
It turns out that Jin Yong's novel "The Young Flying Fox" is good source material for the rich and deceitful characters that the studio was craving for their swordplay movies. The story features a young boy, who believes himself to be an orphan, discovering the truth about his lineage after he and his sick Uncle seek shelter for the night. Finding out the truth in the killing of his father seems straight-forward but it definitely is not.
And, yes, the fight choreography - largely reduced in favor of a solid story - remains absolutely stunning and, fitting in with the adaptation, almost hallucinogenic as this film definitely pulls off some operatic twirls and spins.
With “Baby” Venom member Chin Siu-ho in the leading role as the orphaned Flying Fox, Legend of the Fox also stars three other members of the Venom Mob - Philip Kwok, Lu Feng and Chiang Sheng - and sees all sorts of chaotic situations and well-timed (perhaps too coincidental?) run-ins during .. . . wait for it . . . a dark and stormy night. There is a conspiracy which is going to be revealed concerning the death of Hu Fei’s father as key characters assemble at this private residence and discover that they have more in common with that tragic passing than they are willing to admit.
With plenty of stellar flashbacks - which are entirely needed - and a couple of stand-out sequences involving an important character named Chen Lingsu (played wonderfully by Wong Man-ye) who lives at the King of Poisons’ villa, which is wonderfully imagined by the set designers, Legend of the Fox is a tragic tale of the best kind. It might even break your heart (again referring to what Chen Lingsu has to do) but the film is certainly NOT the disaster others believe it to be.
It’s just very, very complicated because Flying Fox’s father (Lu Feng) was a great swordsman who died trying to dispel rumors of wrongdoing between Kuo Choi and Chiang Sheng (also master swordsmen) and return a lost sword to its rightful owner but, some trickery occurs and results in the death and suicide of The Fox’s parents, and a servant gets the boy gone and raises him, hence the “Uncle” title.
Now with the truth told, Chin Siu Ho seeks out Kuo Choi's aid and seeks vengeance for the wrongful death of his father. See? Complicated. But what a story it tells!
Now on blu-ray thanks to Shout Factory’s impressive Shaw Brothers’ Classics Vol. 4, featuring 12 classic martial arts films highlight the famous Shaw Brothers' library and stars some of their greatest stars including The Five Deadly Venom’s stars Phillip Kwok, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, and Lo Meng and A Better Tomorrow's Derek Yee and Ti Lung. Many of these visually spectacular films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray. Heroes meet villains in edge-of-your-seat duels in this exciting array of some of Shaw Brothers' best!
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - December 19, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Video: MPEG-4 AVC
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 12-discset
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Revered director Chang Cheh co-wrote this showcase for a new discovery. Bloody thrills and superlative fight scenes buoy his exciting tale of revenge, which was choreographed by and features cameos from the director's three most popular "Venoms": Kuo Chue, Chiang Sheng, and Lu Feng. Already famous for starring in more than a dozen films, here they lend their extensive expertise to Chien Hsiao-hou, who went on to star in such classics as Mr. Vampire and Fist Of Legend.
Video
Legend of the Fox arrives on Blu-ray from Shout Factory sporting an HD remaster sourced from the original 35mm camera negatives and looks wonderful. Interiors are strong. Colors pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal on this one. It’s full of great atmosphere thanks to the quick-footed script and looks visually eye-popping due to the 1080- upgrade. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p. Blacks are solid and shadows maintain their lines. Even the costumes are noted stitch by stitch.
Audio
Audio choices include the original Mandarin mono 2.0 with newly-translated English subtitles or an English mono 2.0 dub.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
Only Trailers for this release.
-
Celestial Trailer
-
Original Trailer
| Movie |  |
|
| Video |  |
|
| Audio | |
|
| Extras | |
|
|
Composite Blu-ray Grade
|
||
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Runtime: 129 mins
Director: Cheh Chang
Writer: Louis Cha; Cheh Chang; Kuang Ni
Cast: Siu-Ho Chin; Sheng Chiang; Linda Chu
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date: November 15, 1980 (Hong Kong)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 19, 2023
Synopsis: Chin Siu Ho plays a young man who believes himself to be an orphan. Until one rainy night when he and three different men find themselves taking shelter from the storm in the same place.
