Two strangers—one seeking revenge, the other looking for redemption—join forces to defeat a common enemy, the Iron Boat Clan, a gang of bloodthirsty bandits raised from childhood by the cruel overlord Yoh Xi-hung (Feng Ku). As the two men (brilliantly played by tragic star Alexander Fu Sheng and martial arts legend Ti Lung) fight side by side, they form an unlikely friendship, but when they finally face their ultimate foe, the despicable Yoh Xi Hung, the tragedy that connects them threatens to divide them.An epic tale of love, revenge, absolution, camaraderie, and intertwined destinies, The Avenging Eagle is classic Shaw Brothers storytelling, told with the utmost skill and style by director Chung Sun, who delivers a visually stunning and throughly engaging masterpiece. Sun also proves to be no slouch when it comes to capturing awesome fight action: featuring an incredible raft of villains, each adept at a different weapon (including spears, rings, axes, swords, and metal claws), this marvellous martial arts spectacular delivers some of the most entertaining fight scenes I've seen in an old-school kung fu movie, with incredible stunts, impressive acrobatics and brutal violence galore, all leading up to a fantastic finale in Yoh Xi Hung's HQ that sees our 'heroes' duking it out with numerous henchmen on their way to the top man, including a duel with a pair of deadly one-armed bandits (the human kind, not the fruit machine variety).

Avenging Eagle is the story of a man Chi Ming-sing (Ti Lung) who after years of killing for a brutal gang decides to leave and seek revenge against them and their leader. The gang, know as the Iron Boat Clan and in particular the men he raided with the 13 Eagles. All were raised from birth by Yoh Xi-hung (Ku Feng) to be brutal killers to obey his every command. Each with his own hand made eagle medallion and weapon. Now the 12 reaming eagles are sent out to find Chi Ming-sing and either kill him or to bring him back. Chi Ming-Sing soon runs into a wanderer Cheuk Yi-fan (Fu Sheng) who does not reveal himself at first, but decides to crusade against the clan together. As they head towards the clans base they are attacked in waves by the Eagles and defeat them one by one. As the movie goes on Chi Min sing tells his story of how he saw the light after being forced to kill a pregnant woman and betrayed the clan. In the final battle of the movie with Yoh Xi-hung, it's revealed that his companion is actually his worst enemy, the husband of the woman he killed and the man he swore to die by. In one of the great battles of Kung Fu cinema they combine forces to defeat there common foe. Chi Ming sing then forces Cheuk Yi-fan to kill him allowing his wife's spirit to rest in peace.Avenging Eagle is easily one of the greatest films the Shaw Brothers ever created. The story is great, played out with a solid cast of familiar A list Kung Fu actors from the Shaw's studio at the time. As with most Shaw Brothers films the action is non stop and choreographed well. Fans of the violent fights often seen in Shaw Brothers Kung Fu films will not be disappointed in the level of action and brutal fights in this film. The costumes worn by the actors were very unique. The "Eagles" each have a unique outfit with a primary color and medallion that matches their outfit. Also each member of the gang is usually equipped with a different or unique weapon. Ti Lung uses the 3 section staff and Fu Sheng uses a pair of hidden knives for what he would become know by, "the double blade." Among other interesting weapons would be Yien Lin's (Johnny Wang Lung-wei) brass ring and of course Yoh Xi-hung' iron claw gloves.Overall this is a masterpiece from the great Shaw Brothers. Compared to non Kung Fu films I'm sure most would find it stupid. But to fans of the Shaw's and Kung Fu films this is one of the great ones and not just your average Kung Fu flick. This isn't just action and killing but great story as well. Without a doubt this gets a big ten out of ten stars. Truly a classic.

With a plot more resembling a Japanese production than your usual kung fu film and excellent cinematography, Avenging Eagle is a very good lesser-known martial art movie. The main actors do their usual good job and the fight scenes are very well done. The whole film has the feel of a good B grade western.The director, Sun Cheung, has a style apart from the other more well known Shaw directors and he handles the fight scenes with finesse as well as the rest of the movie. HIs movie output is hard to find and guessing from the lack of reviews on IMDb many of his films never made it into the U.S..I recommend this film for anyone familiar with Liu Chia Liang or Chen Cheh's work. The movie is a change of pace from the baroque and brutal plot lines of Chen Cheh and the elaborate hi-jinx of Liu Chia Liang.

AVENGING EAGLE (1978) stars Fu Sheng and Ti Lung as a pair of kung fu fighters on opposite sides who form an alliance to defeat a common enemy. It's a rousing kung fu film with strong production values, a top-ranked cast, expert fighting, and an engaging storyline. Shot partly on location in Taiwan and partly on lavish studio sets, it's an extremely good-looking film that was not available in the U.S. in a decent copy until 2005. (NOTE: see addendum below)Ti Lung stars as a killer who has deserted his outlaw gang, the Iron Boat Clan, after being forced to slay a pregnant woman during a raid. He and his particular band were called the 13 Eagles and, once he leaves, the other 12 go searching for him. Fu Sheng plays a wanderer who pitches in to help Ti on the road. The other Eagles (all distinguished by large customized eagle medallions worn on their chests) come in successive waves until Ti decides to turn around and go after the clan leader (Ku Feng), who had raised him from childhood. Fu Sheng's identity is a mystery for the first two thirds of the film, and its revelation is a genuine surprise which adds an additional emotional layer to the film.There are a number of excellent scenes, including a lengthy jaw-dropping final battle at the Clan's spacious headquarters, but one deserves singling out. Ti and Fu take over an inn in a nearly-deserted town and wait for the next group of killers to arrive. When they do, Fu poses as a typically obsequious waiter and serves them but, when asked about Ti's whereabouts, he insists that the man they're looking for is working in his kitchen. They don't believe him at first, but it's all a successful ploy to split up the gang to work them over one at a time, until the two heroes each square off against an opponent---Ti fighting Eddy Ko and Fu Sheng fighting his frequent co-star/opponent, Wang Lung-Wei. Ti fights with a three-section staff, while Fu uses blades hidden in his shoe soles that are then strapped to the sides of his hands.Ti and Fu work wonderfully together and give performances that are among the finest of their distinguished careers. The slow build-up of their friendship leading to their alliance to take on the leader of the clan and the twists and turns that develop when Ti learns Fu's true identity are all handled expertly by these two excellent actors. It helps that the English dubbing is well above average.This film marks the first of only two times these two stars teamed up as a pair of heroes, the second being DEADLY BREAKING SWORD in 1979, also directed by Sun Chung. (The two stars did work together in ensemble casts on at least three other occasions, including SHAOLIN TEMPLE, 1976). This film is also that rarity among kung fu films: a Shaw Bros. masterpiece that was not directed by either Chang Cheh or Lau Kar Leung. (Fu Sheng's best work, aside from this, was always for Chang or Lau.) Sun Chung made a number of other kung fu films at Shaw Bros. and, away from the studio, made the impressive A FIST FULL OF TALONS, starring Billy Chong. There is a good deal of attention in AVENGING EAGLE to story and character and the number of main characters is kept to a minimum. The flashback structure works quite well in setting up Ti's current flight from the clan and gradually piecing together his history and the incidents which led to his falling out with the gang. The fights may not be the sprawling, epic battles of Chang Cheh films or the technique-oriented bouts in Lau Kar Leung's work, but they are satisfying and exciting nonetheless.ADDENDUM (5/26/08): Since doing the above review, which I've revised in parts, AVENGING EAGLE has come out in a remastered Region 3 DVD edition from Celestial Pictures, in Mandarin with English subtitles, and is well worth acquiring. I've also since seen other films from Shaw Bros. directed by Sun Chung, including KUNG FU INSTRUCTOR, JUDGMENT OF AN ASSASSIN, THE PROUD YOUTH, RENDEZVOUS WITH DEATH and DEADLY BREAKING SWORD.