Writer: Ni Kuang

It is a diverting 90 minutes with a few well constructed scenes scattered throughout, but this hardly compensates for its waste of potential.

Unfortunately, ‘Beauty Escort’ is no old school classic and should probably only be viewed by complete-ists, or after you have exhausted many (many) other old school kung fu flicks or very late at night with a buddy who can make fun of it with you.

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.

However challenging – and at times frustrating – this swordplay drama is, there’s nonetheless enough reasons to stay watching and endure to the conclusion.

This is probably one of the most acrobatic Venoms films as they participate in some extremely complicated routines that are brilliantly put together.

Thankfully, you’re never too far away from a spot of fisticuffs, which is a very good thing because you’re not likely to gain much enjoyment from any other part of this film.

This splendid period kung-fu film once again gives evidence of the immense quality that rolled out of the Shaw Brothers studios during the 70’s.

The film has stood the test of time in terms of fight action, performances and direction, all of which are exceptional.

‘Enter the Fat Dragon’ is a warm homage to the man who popularised martial arts cinema around the world.

This masterful kung-fu drama shows how quickly Liang found his own way of conveying his thoughts to the audience.

With ‘Five Shaolin Masters’, there is a definite impression that the great director’s inspirational ideas of brotherhood and honour are somehow diluted.

Fine performances, good cinematography and a well-paced storyline – despite the difficulty on my part to pick out its failings – will offer most viewers a rewarding 100 minutes of entertainment.