Kung Fu Movies

Also known as Chinese Super Ninjas, the great Cheh Chang writes and directs this amazing entry into his sublime cannon of Kung Fu Movies. This cult classic was produced by Shaw Brothers Studios and stars Tien-chi Cheng and Meng Lo along with Shaw Brother’s regulars Wai-Man Chan and Pei Hsi Chen. Five Element Ninja is perhaps one of the goriest and action packed Kung Fu Movies of the period and did much to inspire the all the Ninja films of the eighties that followed, though none can claim to be it’s equal.

Two Kung Fu schools are about to square off in a tournament to decide which is supreme. On one side, the ‘good guys’ wear odd and slightly homo-erotic white costumes. After 9 rounds the “white” Kung Fu school seems to be dominating. The 10th match-up is reserved for the respective masters to square off. The leader of the ‘bad guys’ has a Japanese samurai take his place. The Samurai is defeated but before he commits seppuku he warns that his good friend, a master ninja, will come and take revenge for his unjust death. The Samurai flicks a ring at the victorious Kung Fu master, the poisonous ring bruises his palm, and it is later revealed that the poison will prevent the master from using any Kung Fu for six months.

Sometime later the victorious Kung Fu school gets a challenge from the “Five Element Ninjas”. It seems the ninja have come seeking revenge on behalf of the fallen Samurai. The Kung Fu master decides that the challenge must be met and dispatches 9 of his best Kung Fu fighters to meet the ninjas. While the Kung Fu champs fight valiantly they are all killed, with the exception of the one who fights the Earth element. He fights like a lion; he is severely wounded but continues to fight, only stopped after he trips and falls over his own free-hanging entrails. Soon after the corpses of the fallen fighters are returned to the temple, the surviving members of the Kung Fu school are shocked. They work to fortify their headquarters for the impending ninja attack.

When the Ninjas attack, the school is unready, and most of the students are slaughtered quickly. Only the retained champions are able to put up a decent fight. They desperately defend their poisoned master. One of the champions’ falls and the ninjas firebomb the master’s room. Oddly enough the Kung Fu master responds to the fire in his bedroom by throwing all the flammable things he can find on the fire. After he throws his last blanket on the fire he is overcome by the heat and smoke and dies.

The last Kung Fu champion, Tien-hao escapes while fleeing through the woods. He is captured by a rope trap set by an elderly ninja. He takes refuge with the elderly Ninja and his three sons. There he learns the ninja ways and strategies to defeat the “Five Elements”.

Tien-hao and his three new brothers are equipped with an odd ax like weapon that is really 12 weapons in one. Armed with these weapons and skills Tien-hao pays a visit to the Ninja master whose men had annihilated his home and killed his brothers and master. A duel is set. This time the Kung Fu fighters are well trained and anticipate the Ninja’s every move. Gory mayhem ensues…enjoy! Thomas DiSanto