Excellent, a Must See

A Brilliant Conflict

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Joseph Kuo was one of the best independent directors and teamed here with Yuen Woo ping he produced a classic old school kung fu film. It seems strange to have the two strongest characters Carter Wong and Lo Lieh as the villains (and nasty villains they are too) but the young students of the school (including Jack Long (Lung) and Mark Long) faced with overwhelming odds are inventive and courageous and unlike many films it is not at all obvious that they will win in the end. A special mention to the two evil minions as well, played by Corey Yuen and Yuen Woo-ping's brother Yuen Shun-yi. The fights are not only well choreographed but well shot as is generally the whole film with good scenery well filmed. Carter Wong is brilliant here, from his high pitched voice and white hair - effects of his Tai Chi virtual invulnerability - to his fighting skills and ability to form a Tai Chi diagram with his feet whilst fighting. The end fight is terrific, clever and very satisfying.

Supervillains in Kung Fu movies are invaribly the coolest parts of the genre, because they are nearly always impervious and superior, both in intelligence and fighting ability, to anyone else. Their power is generated through sheer force and will, and only the hero(es) preternatural lust for revenge usually defeats these awesome Kung Fu menaces.In BORN INVINCIBLE, you get probably the most bizarre, yet realistic, supervillain in the whole of the genre. Carter Wong's Tai Chi training (a style developed by a woman), starting from a small child, results in iron skin, snow-white hair, and a high, feminine voice. This Tai Chi master becomes an unstoppable thug-chieftain who can fight a deadly duel and, simultaneously, carve a Chinese yin-yang symbol in the earth with his feet. This powerful supervillain operates from a source of disipline that is downright scary; Wong is entirely invincible but for his one weak point. When you see how relentless Wong's killer-master is, you can't help but relate to the terror in the heroes' faces when they have to take him on. Fact is, if not for the honor of their school, which is paramount to the students trying to take revenge for Wong's murder of their teacher, nobody would mess with the Tai Chi master, since it is considered by the most learned monks to be certain death.What separates Joe Kuo film villains, characters like Wong's and the great Ghost-Faced Killer from MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING, is that Kuo puts one scene in there to show us the supervillain is also human. Wong's character is stopped from a killing rampage at one point by a white-haired nun, and there's a moment when Wong seems to reflect on what he IS, a killer, as opposed to what he trained to become, an otherworldly kind of priest attuned to nature and the inner forces like the nun. The fact that Wong won't, or can't, stem his bloodlust and sadism is his undoing. There's a lot going on in BORN INVINCIBLE aside from the superior fighting skill of the actors. One of the best Kung Fu films based merely on this unusual depth of character, and a knock-out all the way.

This was the first Kungfu movie I ever purchased, as I was drawn to the cover and storyline. When I first watched it, I was in awe. It was probably one of the few films I watched 2 times in a row in one evening. This film features some of the best fight sequences in any kungfu film. They are fast and creative. Carter Wong does a perfect job as the white haired Chi Kung master who is impervious to all attacks except for in his throat (note: this concept has been done in many other kungfu films, but never was pulled off this well). Lo Lieh is also great as Wong's sidekick with the golden tonfa (one of the coolest weapons in any kungfu movie, it has a blade that shoots out of it so it can be used as a sword and it has a clamp that rips swords). Although the story is fairly basic, we get nearly non stop action from one fight ot another. A true masterpiece in all aspects, and essential for all hong kong film fans.

This is one of the rare kungfu movies ever made in Hong Kong. Nothing is boring here : interesting script, direct and efficient scenery, good acting. But what makes this movie so good is the fight scenes that are inventively and beautifully choreographed. Not only it's very good but it's also very hard-to-find. Dammage.