Master of the Flying Guillotine

A justly famous martial arts epic from the post-Bruce Lee, pre-Jackie Chan period, "Master of the Flying Guillotine" knows how to satisfy its audience. Writer / director / star Jimmy Wang Yu delivers tons of violent action at a breakneck pace; once his film has reached its fever pitch, he simply does not allow you to catch your breath.

The story takes place against a historical backdrop. Set in 1730, it tells us that Han revolutionaries are rebelling against the tyranny of their Manchurian oppressors. One such revolutionary is "The Teacher", or "The One-Armed Boxer", played by our star / director. Presiding over a martial arts school, he incurs the wrath of a demented, aged "monk" (Kang Chin) who seeks revenge for The Teachers' killing of his disciples.

However, not all that much time is devoted to story. Instead, Jimmy concentrates on his set pieces, and they truly are invigorating. One major sequence of the film focuses on a tournament that is observed by The Teacher, who declines to participate himself. Meanwhile the blind monk goes around killing *anybody* he runs into that has only one arm, creating some priceless black comedy. He is truly psychotic, and an extremely formidable opponent. His killing device of the title is quite an inventive touch, and it's a hoot to watch this thing decapitate its victims. One of the handful of villains giving our hero trouble is an Indian with extendable arms (I kid you not). This is a VERY amusing sight gag.

"Master of the Flying Guillotine" begins on a very atmospheric note, features a highly enjoyable music score, parcels out its gore carefully, and also has a disarming sense of humour to let you know that it's never taking itself too, too seriously. The performances are right on the money and effective, with Chin stealing the show as the main villain. This is a true tour de force for Jimmy as a filmmaker and fighter.

Eight out of 10.