King Boxer | DVD Review

This 1973 Shaw Bothers classic has the distinction of having been the first martial arts film released in the U.S. following Bruce Lee’s death and inspired a wave of Chinese chop sockey films. Renamed Five Fingers of Death for U.S. auds, the film has been reverted back to it’s original title, King Boxer, for this ‘special collector’s edition’ from Dragon Dynasty.

Concerned about the totalitarian influence a rival school will hold over the area if they should win at an upcoming martial arts competition, an aging kung fu teacher sends his best pupil, Chao Chi-hao (Lo Lieh) to a respected school to complete his training and enter the tournament. Just as Chi-hao learns a powerful martial arts technique called Iron Fist during his training, he is ambushed by a menagerie of insidious characters who destroy his hands in an effort to prevent his participation in the tournament and ensure the rival school’s victory/dominanace of the region. Emotionally distraught, physically ruined, Chi-hao must find a way to overcome his broken spirit, regain the power of the Iron Fist and defeat the rival school for the good of his fellow countrymen.

King Boxer has all of the elements that define a Shaw Brothers release, a world where seemingly everyone views Kung Fu as the ultimate expression of male virility. The film features a healthy amount of violent sequences so well constructed that even by today’s standards deliver a satisfying emotional payoff. After all, eyes being pulled from someone’s head will never lose it’s timeless appeal and sequences like that (and many others) must have been thrilling at the time. King Boxer also broke new ground with a multitude of effects to exaggerate fight sequences, and lighting techniques to highlight focal areas (notably the way Chih-hao’s hands glow fire-red every time he summons the power of the Iron Palm accompanied by their iconic wail of sound). Oh, and the opening title sequence is pretty kickass too.

Included in the extras is a standout feature commentary with Quentin Tarantino and film scholars David Chute and Elvis Mitchell. Whatever else you may think about Tarantino, his knowledge and enthusiasm for the genre is unquestionable and the back and forth between these three is intoxicating. Among many other things, Tarantino explains how he came to settle upon King Boxer, One Armed Swordsman, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and My Young Auntie as the first for Dragon Dynasty’s Shaw Brothers Collection. You’ll also find an interview with director Chang-Hwa Jeong who discusses why King Boxer has withstood the test of time and remained vital. Action director Lau Kar Wing offers up opinions on the evolution of martial arts choreography and interviews with film scholars David Chute and Andy Klein deliver tidbits of historical information related to the film.

The transfer looks great and serves the film’s fantastic production values well. The extras are fun and well informed. This is a stylized, great looking film that’s finally gotten the DVD treatment it deserves. During a moment of painful introspection, Chih-hao laments, “All my life I have known only Kung Fu” – I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Movie rating – 3.5

Disc Rating – 3