Kid with the Golden Arm (1979) - Shaw Brothers Celestial Remaste

I feel bad, because I always have to qualify my love for The Kid with the Golden Arm by pointing out that, great as it is, other Chang Cheh/Venoms films are clearly superior, including Five Deadly Venoms, Crippled Avengers, and the quasi-Venoms masterpiece, Chinese Super Ninjas. Of course, that said, Kid is still one of the best Chang Cheh and the Shaw Brothers had to offer. It is also one of the rare occasions when all six Venoms were present. Here all play colorful characters, splitting the hero/villain duties as usual. Sun Chien (Scorpion) plays the leader of a band of men escorting government gold, Wei Pai (Snake) makes a rare appearance as the jerkiest hero ever to sling a sword, and Chiang Sheng (multi-Venom) is the enthusiastic Short Axe. Meanwhile, Lo Meng (Toad) turns in one of his best performances as the villainous, but admirable, eponymous Kid, leading a gang of bandits alongside Lu Feng (Centipede) as Silver Spear and perennial villain Wang Lung as Iron Robe (who meets one of the nastiest deaths IΓΓé¼Γäóve ever seen in a fu movie, and that is saying a lot). Of course, as always, it is up to Kuo Chui (Lizard) to bring the fun as drunken hero/secret agent Hai Tao.

Sure the plot was no great shakes, but so what? Aside from an utterly pointless last moment plot twist, there is nothing to complain about. Chang Cheh brings on the fighting and the camaraderie, and even finds time for an interesting subplot about stiff-necked Wei Pai. The fu is acrobatic and weapons-based, and there is a lot more of it than in the original Five Deadly Venoms. Overall, itΓΓé¼Γäós one of Chang ChehΓΓé¼Γäós better efforts ΓΓé¼ΓÇ£ a concentrated dose of mayhem and honor where the patented Shaw Brothers freeze-frame finale packs a real punch.