Release Year: 1976

Jimmy Wang Yu, Angelo Mao, a very young Bolo Yeung, and one-time Bond, George Lazenby teamed up for this Golden Harvest-produced attempt at cracking the international market.

Despite the fact that ‘Challenge Of The Masters’ hasn’t aged as well as some of Liu Chia-Liang’s other notable works, there’s undoubtedly much on offer for genre fans and the casual cinema-goer.

Fans of Shirley Yu and Chen Ping or lurid seventies Chinese sex-comedies will find some rewarding nuggets of enjoyment within ‘Crazy Sex’.

Chan’s choreography is the only minor highlight, but otherwise this is really only suitable for hardcore Angela Mao fans.

Although not a masterpiece, ‘Hand Of Death’ is a good example of how quality quickly shines through and stands out in a crowded genre.

‘Kidnap In Rome’ is far too preoccupied with the activities of the bumbling Italian trio who ‘aid’ Bruce Leung.

It’s hard not to be drawn into director Wang Yu’s eccentric world with its almost Python-esque techniques and fights.

A few moments of Wang Yu madness creep into the film to enliven things, but this is mostly a hard slog to get through.

‘Shaolin Temple’ is still a major achievement by a film-maker who was one of the true creators of the genre. There is, therefore, plenty to put this near the top of your viewing list.

It’s certainly not perfect and not among Jackie Chan’s best films, but there is ample entertainment value.

Kuo lets the odd moment of peculiar editing affect an otherwise slick kung-fu drama; the final twenty minutes in particular seems far too rushed in comparison to the majority of the film.

‘The Blazing Temple’ is not Joseph Kuo’s best nor is it near his very pinnacle. It does, though, offer some solid enjoyment for patient viewers.