Another classic Shaw Bros. gem has found it's way into my heart. Invincible Pole Fighter host everything that is right about a Shaw classic. The beginning really speaks for it's self. The Yang family has 7 sons and 2 daughters. In a fight, they are betrayed by an ally that they have trusted for so long. Five of the 7 brothers are killed along with the father.Gordon Liu escapes and joins the Shaolin Temple as they are very hesitant in excepting him. I won't drag this to long, but the end fight had a very unique flavor. Instead of killing most of their enemies the Shaolin Monks performed an act called defanging the wolf, meaning they knocked out their teeth. The last guy really got it bad, but honestly the only bad thing about this film is that Fu Sheng did not fight with brother 6 and sister 8. I found out that Fu Sheng had died in a car accident, while filming this movie, that's why he was not in the end fight.But, as I said before, forget these other reviewers that think Bruce Lee is the only one that can make good movies, hell wire fu is what made some of these movies legendary, The Matrix is living proof. In the end don't believe the hype about this movie being good. Believe the hype about it being off the chain!!!!! 9/10

Since getting into the genre a few years ago I have seen many kung fu films of this era, and I have to say this is one of my favourites. I was lucky enough to find a wide screen, undubbed version.This is a classic Shaw Bros. style film by famed director Lau Kar-Leung and starring Gordon Liu ("6th Brother"), whom Tarantino paid homage to by giving two roles in Kill Bill I & II.The father of the Yang family and his seven sons go to battle to fight the Mongols who are threatening the Sung Dynasty. They are betrayed by a rival family and only two brothers, 6th (Liu) and 5th, survive. "6th" takes refuge at a General-turned-hunter's rural hideout (the General is a cameo by director Kar-Leung), before fleeing to a monastery where his brash personality conflicts with the monks there. At the monastery, he must improve his skills before seeking vengeance on those responsible for his family's betrayal.The first fight scene (the battle) is a little cheesy with an obvious screened backdrop, a setting that doesn't really fit with the rest of the film. If the film was more ambitious this could have been a more impressive outdoor battle. But this is the film's only real drawback. The fights start out great and only get better. Highlights include 8th Sister's really breathtaking swordplay, and 6th Brother's duel with the Abbott which is both acrobatic and beautiful. This fight ends poetically, as during the fight both men had enscribed a yin-yang symbol on the floor of the monastery, symbolic of these two men's conflicting personalities: peaceful monk and warrior General.The final scene is an all-out bloody melee which is really impressive, especially when 6th Brother takes on the horde with 8th Sister strapped to his back. Some of it is overacted (extreme reactions from bad guys as teeth are knocked out!) but used as a source of campy amusement, it only adds to the whole spectacle.The plot is strong and very Shakespearean in scope (family loyal to the ruler is betrayed, family members must communicate in secret to avoid discovery while revenge is planned). The idea of the poles which use a twisty grappling-end to counter the Yang family's poles is unique. I love the fact that (like in many other films of the genre), the women's kung fu skills are as strong as the men's. This 20 years before the whole "girl power" thing in Western movies, music & TV.If you're a fan of kung fu, see this film if you get a chance!

How should you a approach a movie like The Invincible Pole Fighters? If you wanna look for hairs in the soup, look for all-too-obvious stage setting for the Yang brothers ambush. Then you could look for some very stagy looking death scenes. Or how about the library music it shares with Dawn of the Dead? On the other hand you could look for its virtues: Strong cast, strong story, excellent choreography and fortunately the virtues of this movie far outweighs its flaws. The story is epic, the choreography is nothing short of breath taking. The equals may exist. I just haven't seen them, this is riveting stuff, utterly infectious. Show it to non-martial art movie fans if you wanna see converts, this is martial arts to the performed to the highest standard of perfection. You will want to see this movie again and again. Own it. The best available copy is Celestial's Hong Kong DVD release in original aspect ratio without dubbing. Beware of bad dubbing and choreography-ruining cropping on western VHS releases.

There is a god. His name is Gordon Liu. And his sisters 8th and 9th Yang are pretty foxy. This is a classic betrayed family eventually gets revenge story, and has some of the best pole fighting scenes I've ever seen. The fight with the abbott when Gordon goes to save his sister has got to be up there with the best of them. True the acting is over the top, and the dubbing is rubbish, but this is what we expect from good martial arts films. It all adds to the experience. The end fight is mental, with Gordon taking on half the Mongol army before his monk buddies turn up with wooden wolves(?) to save the day. The last strike when Gordon whacks the bad guy head first into a coffin gives me a rush no matter how many times I see it. Awesome.Only one thing confuses me - when he kills off the last Mongol, he walks off saying he `has no home now' leaving his sister standing there a bit bemused. Like me. Why the hell hasn't he got a home now? His family are waiting for him.