Search - Master of the Flying Guillotine on DVD

Classic Kung-Fu Theatre

Alan Olsen | Portland, OR USA | 08/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this in the theatre just a couple of weeks ago. This movie was not only a big influence on kung-fu movies, but also on the fighting genre of video games. After watching this movie you will notice certain similarities between it and the "Street Fighter" video games. (Including the yogi with the stretching arms.)The movie is actually the second movie in the "one arm boxer" series. (There are flashbacks to the previous movie.) The blind monk (the master of the flying guillotine) gets word that his two disciples have been killed by the one arm boxer. He goes on a hunt for the one arm boxer. Being blind, he tends to kill a number of the wrong people along the way, but that does not matter to him in the slightest. (Being the nasty next to unkillable uber-villian he is.)While the blind monk is out looking for the one arm boxer, there is a kung-fu tournement being held. This is a great excuse to have a bunch of martial artists with various styles. Did I mention that this was a fight to the death or severe maiming? There are some great over the top kung-fu battles up until the tournement is interupted by the blind monk. The one arm boxer is , of course, at the tournement.Many of the styles are just plain impossible. But that is half the fun!I won't spoil the rest of the film. It is very enjoyable. The print I saw had some odd defects from the negative used to print the film. There are also some scratches and other misc problems. They do not detract from the experience in the slightest. It was also subtitled and not dubbed. Hopefully the DVD will not suffer the same fate as most Chinese films released in the US. (Cut to ribbons and dubbed with bad translations.)If you are a kung-fu fan, especially of the old Shaw Brothers films, then you will want this one.It is a big bloody. People do die in this film. It is not one where people just get beaten-up real bad and then run away. People can and do get hurt in this one. The film is probably better because of that.One of the best kung-fu movies of all time."

Classic, in a way...

Low-Ranking Reviewer | US of A | 10/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are two types of classic movies:
1. the "so well made, performed, and executed"
2. the extremely influential or 'cult status' types. Master of the Flying Guillotine falls under the latter. Influential to video games with its gimmicky fighters, it's flying guillotine, memorable characters(one-armed boxer, blind monk), and various fighting techniques. It has deservedly attained cult status because of these and more. The fight scenes, including a long tournament of numerous(although fairly brief) fights between different contenders is worth the watch alone. Most of the fight scenes are good, esp. for a movie this old. The only scenes that kinda disappoint are the ones that contain the one-armed boxer in them(Jimmy Wany Yu just isn't that impressive in his martial arts or charismatic in his performance, resulting in more than one veiwer rooting for his opponents instead i'm sure). There are some cheesy elements like the dubbing, Jimmy walking up walls(???), some less than convincing decapitations...then again, this movie has flying guillotine-induced decapitations, Jimmy walking up walls(!!!), and classic cheesy 70's dubbing! See, it's all how you look at things or perceive them. Anyhow, the dvd has a good picture quality, a lot more extras(including audio commentary, deleted scenes, original languge option, etc) than usually afforded to old-school kung fu films, and again a great extended tournament fight that is reason enough to watch if not buy this dvd. I'm glad I have this in my collection anyway. Definitely recommended, just don't expect the first definition of classic."

Great Movie... Defective Disc

viewtiful oJe | Flemington, NJ | 01/20/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This review is referring specifically to the new 2-Disc Anniversary Edition of MotFG. Needless to say, this movie is a kung fu classic and this remaster looks and sounds excellent (as good as it can get). The first disc includes the original Mandarin version, while disc 2 includes the dubbed version. However, on Disc 2 (the English dubbed disc) there is a glitch which keeps chapter 10 from playing (roughly 32 minutes into the movie). I don't know how widespread this problem may be (or not), but keep this in mind."

Action packed bad transfer from the 1970s

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 03/27/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Master of Flying Guillotine" is a Chinese guy looking to off all one-armed Kung Fu masters in this somewhat poorly dubbed and transferred 1975 action film. There isn't much good to say about either the dubbing or the transfer, as the screen fades to shades of gray and black occasionally during the film.

There is much good to say about the high octane action that transpires throughout every minute of this classic flick, including a lengthy scene during a Kung Fu tournament where the losers of individual battles often died.

This is a loud, gory, bloody action film that will satisfy anyone looking for an action fantasy anytime, anyplace. Hardly a moment goes by without some exciting form of fighting action incluidng the titled character, who owns a thingamabob that's connected to a chain. He throws it at people, it lands on them, covering their head, the saw engages and...there's the title of the movie!

Buy, rent or program this if you like action, action, action and don't mind seeing 50-100 Chinese men bite the dust in gory action circa 1975."