Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Just so...so bad

Better Late Then Never

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Lee I Min is one of those kung fu actors who never quite made it to the first rank, but combined here with the great direction of Joseph Kuo and action by Corey Yuen it produced a classy film to make kung fu addicts drool. The story has been told above but it can not be emphasised enough that the fights (of which there are many) are superb and wonderfully staged. The ending is fairly obvious but still exciting - with one of the best end fights on film. I liked the understated attraction between Lee I Min and the Masters daughter (the beautiful Nancy Yen) and the believable jealously of the other students. There are a few weaknesses but the story sweeps you along and you look forward to the next fight and twist. The Monkey Kung Fu exponent (Chin Yuet Sang) is an absolute classic. According to the liner notes by Linn Haynes (Media Blasters) this film is based on the life of a real Pai Mei kung fu expert named Cheung Lai-chun who fought and bested top mainland kung fu experts in the mid-1940s at the age of 66. Pai Mei is famous from the Kill Bill films (played by Gordon Liu) but the real story / legend is worth seeking out. One of the best and really worth watching.

7 Grandmasters deserves to be a legend of martial arts cinema. Nowhere else, either from this period of cinema or the modern era, have I seen so much variety in fighting styles and such a huge number of quality fight sequences. While the fights may adhere to a '70s fight choreography feel to some extent, they're very fast and fluid, with each fight displaying a unique tone. Monkey style, mantis style, weapon fights, fights between the same styles, an unorthodox fight that will be at home to Jackie Chan fans, and several others. Each style is carefully considered and utilized authentically, not just as a gimmick to add superficial differences to samey choreography. And fortunately the fights are filmed at steady, wide angles with long continuous shots whenever possible to allow the viewer to fully appreciate the action.The story may seem unusually briskly paced, but this ends up being refreshing after experiencing countless martial arts films with convoluted melodrama, where good martial artists try and fail to act. What story there is explains the motivation for each of the fights without ever holding back the real goal of the movie.Visually, the film is quite gorgeous, with varied locations and bright, vast environments. The sound effects on the original mandarin audio track utilize wonderful whooshing effects for the fights, as you'd expect.This is a must-see classic for any fan of martial arts film.

This movie is the best. It doesn't have your jackie chan's or bruce lee or any other mainstream superstar actor (sorry bruce) But in my eyes its a classic.It story is about the current kings champion in china (sang kwan chung) about to retire, when his title is put under question by a mysterious note pinned to his banner. Sang kwan chan then sets out to prove he is the rightful owner of the title and defeat the 7 grandmasters. Along the the way he picks up a young student who is neglected by the current 3 other students of the Pi mae Grand master, who wants to learn the style and pledges his loyalty.This movie is not just your average movie. It has Many laughs and great fighting sequences and a climax that is truly awesome.If you see this movie and are a fan of the old school Kung fu movies..then buy it.

I have become something of an expert on kung fu movies lately, and I'm here to tell you that 7 Grandmasters is utterly shock full of the very highest grade kung fu fighting. The story is simple but adequate, the actors are good and the fight sequences are incredibly beautiful and plentiful. This movie probably ought to be the prime example and standard by which the kung fu content of other martial arts movies should be measured. The techniques used here are totally authentic and completely convincing. Although, there are also a very few gratuitous scenes of supernatural moves, which is a pity, because the movie doesn't need it one bit; it is supremely impressive even without that "edge".Another slight flaw about the story is the incredible speed by which the student becomes a master. It's a few weeks at most! That's very silly, but I guess we can just imagine that it's really a longer time-span. The important thing is that the transition from student to master is reflected enormously well in the student's moves; he convincingly acts like a novice at the beginning, with a fumbling and imprecise technique, and later he becomes beautifully adept and fights with obvious power and precision.Also, the structure of the story is excellent and very rewarding, with the master going through a series of great fights, and the student watching and learning as he goes along, eventually excelling beyond anyone's expectations. The end has two masters pitting their students against each other, which also makes for some very cool scenes and a great climax. If you're looking for kung fu movies with great fighting in them, this is about as good as it gets. And there's not even a Jackie Chan or a Jet Li in sight!9 out of 10.