The Invincible Eight (1971) Movie Review

Fortune Star serves up another helping of classic martial action in the form of “The Invincible Eight”, a long unavailable fan favourite that was originally released back in 1971. The film was directed by Lo Wai, a prolific ex-Shaw Brothers helmer, who later became one of the biggest names in the business after working with Bruce Lee on his classic hits “The Big Boss” and “Fists of Fury”. It’s a film which few genre fans would be able to resist after seeing the fabulous cast, which is packed with some of the top talents of the golden age of kung fu cinema, including Nora Miao, James Tien, Pai Ying, Lydia Shum, Chang Chung, Tang Ching, and Patrick Tse – not to mention a young Sammo Hung and Lady Whirlwind herself, Angela Mao.

With a line up boasting names such as these, the plot is naturally of secondary importance, though for the record it follows a group of fighters who come together to fight against an evil general called Xiao. As well as oppressing the populace with his nefarious ways, they discover that the villainous devil also killed their patriotic parents, turning their mission into one of revenge. Making things considerably harder for them are Xiao’s legions of thugs and a couple of particularly nasty henchmen, most notably the ambitious and vicious Wan whose gang of whip wielding men prove more than a match for the righteous heroes.

To be fair, the story actually works quite well, and manages to work in a decent amount of intrigue thanks to a number of twists and surprise revelations. Lo Wai allows the film to drift between the eight heroes rather than focusing upon only one of them, and this makes the proceedings more of an ensemble piece rather than a simple lone figure’s quest for vengeance. It certainly helps that the heroes are a likeable bunch, even if their various characters are not particularly discernable, and the film enjoys a winning sense of camaraderie that gives it an upbeat feel and an adventurous bounce in its step. This is furthered by a judicious use of comic relief in the form of a bumbling cook called Zhu, who throws in a few slapstick laughs and prevents things from every getting too po-faced, though without ever undermining the rousing quest for revenge.

For many, the mere presence of Angela Mao will probably mark the film as an instant must-see, although they should be warned that she only plays a supporting role, and as such doesn’t get too much screen time. Despite this, her part is substantial enough, and she does have a few chances to show off her considerable skills. Of course, this is more than compensated for by the high quality of the rest of the cast, all of who are on top form and who work very well together.

The film features a good amount of martial arts action, especially during the final act, which culminates with an impressive fifteen minute long mass brawl. The fight choreography was handled by Han Ying Chieh and Sammo Hung (who shows up briefly as a punching bag for Angela Mao as he often did during this period) and is fast moving and thrilling, enlivened by some dynamic camera work. The film is actually quite brutal in places, with the usual mouthfuls of blood being coughed up and a number of torture scenes, and has a slightly sadistic edge during the scenes involving Wan’s gang of whip wielders. The whips make for memorable weapons, cracking away in unison in menacing fashion, though of course in the end they count for little more than a problem for the heroes to counter with a specially designed implement of their own. Although Lo Wai’s direction is unfailingly traditional and as such doesn’t help the film to stand out, it does benefit from higher production values than usual. The sets and the costumes all look great, and whilst the film is a firmly old school piece of action, very much in the early 1970s style, it does have a more professional sheen.

To be honest, although this is a nice bonus, the only thing that really matters with “The Invincible Eight” is its incredible cast, who even without Angela Mao would still be enough to make the film unmissable. Thankfully, their talents are well used through the exciting and frequent action scenes, and as a result the film stands as one of the best and most entertaining examples of martial arts cinema of its period.

Wei Lo (director)
CAST: Ying Bai … Master Wan Shun
Ying-Chieh Han, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Kun Li, Angela Mao, Nora Miao, James Tien, Yin Tse, Siu-Lung Leung