14 AMAZONS

(Hong Kong 1972) 

Original Title: Shi Si Nu Ying Hao 十四女英豪

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Directed by Cheng Kang Produced by Run Run Shaw Action by Tony Ching Siu Tung, Leung Siu Chung Starring: Ivy Ling Po, Lisa Lu, Lily Ho, TYuen Hua, Fan Mei Sheng, Tien Feng, Wang Hsieh, James Nam, Paul Chun, Lo Lieh, Lin Ching, Bety Ting Pei, Sharon Yeung Pan Pan, Bolo Yeung Reviewing: Black Hill/Koch Media German Blu-ray Release Genres: Martial Arts / War / Drama

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Rating: 4.5 / 5

Black Hill German Blu-ray Synopsis: Revenge Of The Yellow Tigers is an epic historical drama of daredevil action and clashing guns. The 1972 Hong Kong blockbuster is the Shaws' homage to the story of the brave Yang warriors who set out to avenge their general. Generations of Yang warriors involved in numerous famous battles sacrificed themselves for their country - up to their last general, Yang Tsung Pao. He defended the territory of the Song Dynasty against the Tartar invasion. For three days and three nights he besieged the enemy. Unassisted, he fights bravely, true to the spirit of Yang. Outnumbered, he was ambushed at the Golden Mountain - his troops were wiped out. Tsung Pao was wounded and was about to be captured. Our story begins here... (117 Mins)

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Views: This historical epic opens with a fight scene much like the closing-battle of most other kung-fu films, where we witness the massacre of the famed General Yang and his army who were slaughtered by the invading Mongolians. It's a pretty brutal slaying that sees the greatest warriors of the clan, and their leader, killed outright. After the news reaches home and the shock has passed, the 14 women of the Yang family (his wife and daughters) set out on a blood-soaked revenge mission to take down the invading army that puts their weapons skills to the test that makes 14 Amazons explode with many great characters, hundreds of extras, and a host of great kung-fu battles that practically fill three-quarters of the film's 2 hour running time!

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The legendary stories of the Yang Family have been passed down for generations – told countless times in Chinese and Hong Kong cinema. The Yang's took part in many wars throughout the decades, although most were not without their losses. And for anyone who's not a fan of the old-school kung-fu movies, there's always Frankie Chan's underrated 2011 reworking, Legendary Amazons, which is great fun and just as action-packed. As with most Shaw Brothers productions, the sets and costumes for 14 Amazons are outstanding with such great attention-to-detail that compliments the amazing cast on offer, as well as some incredible model work blended in throughout. The cast in question include the lovely Lisa Lu Yan who plays the Grand Dame, She Tai Chun, in what would only be her second role on the big screen after her debut as Madam Dong in The Arch. Although still active through to 2018, Lisa impressed in a wide range of roles from titular character of The Empress Dowager to The Last Emperor alongside John Lone and Joan Chen before going on to modern flicks such as Temptation Of A Monk, The Postmodern Life Of My Aunt, Invisible Target, Lust Caution, and 12 Golden Ducks with the brilliant Sandra Ng. The wonderful Ivy Ling Po, star of over 100 films from the early 1950s, also joins the fight and was no stranger to action roles. From playing the titular character in Lady General Hua Mulan, to starring alongside a young Jimmy Wang Yu in films such as Temple Of The Red Lotus, The Twin Swords, and The Sword & The Lute, Ling Po made quite the impression over the years and went into retirement in the late 1980s after starring in Eric Tsang and O Sing Pui's Golden Swallow remake, only to make one more film appearance almost 20 years later in Kenneth Bi's Rice Rhapsody alongside Sylvia Chang, Maggie Q, and Chin Han – her old co-star from Lady General Hua Mulan.

Lily Ho, who starred in films such as The Sword & The Lute, The Water Margin, and The House Of 72 Tenants adds to the sisters, as does Shu Pei Pei who appeared in films like The Sword Of Swords and Cub Tiger From Kwangtung, and the lovely Wang Ping also appears - co-star of classics such as The Chinese Boxer, The Killer, King Boxer, and Jackie Chan's Magnificent Bodyguards. The infamous Betty Ting Pei joins the cast, as does the wonderful Teresa Ha Ping who went on to star in over 260 films before her death in 2019. From her debut in the 1956 film The Soul Stealer, Ha went on to star in or appear in many fantastic titles such as Shaw Brothers hits like Killer Clans, The Magic Blade, Clans Of Intrigue, Death Duel, Battle Wizard, Chinatown Kid, and Killer Constable, as well as delivering plenty of memorable roles in modern titles like Millionaires Express, Kung Fu Scholar, The Accidental Spy, and a hilarious role in Chow Sing Chi's Hail The Judge. Shaw Brothers leading man Yueh Hua stars as Lu Chao, one of the swordsmen that comes to the Yang family's aid after escaping the Mongolians who murdered his family and put him up against Bolo in a fight to the death. Before passing just under a year before Teresa Ha Ping, Hua had starred in almost 140 feature films since his debut in 1964 as a dancer in The Dancing Millionairess – a film that became the starting point for many Shaw Brothers stars including Lo Lieh, Chin Ping, and Cheng Kang Yeh. A couple of years later he gained the lead role as Wu Kong in The Monkey Goes West and its sequel Princess Iron Fan, quickly followed by King Hu's epic Come Drink With Me alongside Cheng Pei Pei. Over the years, Yueh starred in many Shaw Brothers titles until moving into modern day film in the mid 80s, appearing in titles such as On The Wrong Track, In The Line Of Duty 3, Just Heroes, Princess Madam, Rumble In The Bronx, and Three Kingdoms: Resurrection Of The Dragon. The great Tien Feng – star of The Young Master, The Fate Of Lee Khan, and The Assassin with Jimmy Wang Yu – plays the Mongolian warlord, King Wang, with his Young Master co-star Fan Mei Sheng who appears as one of the generals of the Mongolian army. Mei Shing is no stranger to fans of Hong Kong cinema and has starred in many classic titles over the years including One-Armed Swordsman, The Magic Blade, Dreadnought, The Magnificent Butcher, Millionaires Express, and Story Of Ricky alongside his big handsome son and kung-fu star – the amazing Fan Siu Wong. Equally exciting is seeing prolific actor Wang Hsieh as the 1st Prince, James Nam as the 2nd, the wonderful Tin Ching as the 3rd, Paul Chun (brother to David Chaing and Derek Yee) as the 4th, and the amazing Lo Lieh as the 5th Prince. The aforementioned Bolo Yeung appears a number of times as one of the Mongolian fighters - often killed off only to reappear in the following scenes wearing a new hat or more facial hair. It's also worth keeping an eye out for the younger faces of Eric Tsang, Corey Yuen Kwai, Ricky Hui, Eddy Ko, Jason Pia Piao, Billy Chan, Lam Ching Ying, Tony Leung Siu Hung and his brother Bruce Leung, and Hong Kong director Tony Ching Siu Tung who also had a hand in the choreography...

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As this was only his second job as a martial arts director, Tony Ching was taken under the wing of Shaw Brother's regular, Leung Siu Chung – father to the aforementioned stars Bruce Leung and Tony Leung Siu Hung. Leung worked as the action-director on many kung-fu classics such as Billy Chong's Sun Dragon, The Thunderbolt Fist, Kung Fu Executioner, and The Dragon Lives Again with his son Bruce, and started his relationship with the Shaw Brothers studio in1971 when hired to work on The Lady Hermit for director Ho Meng Hua. In 14 Amazons, most of the fights include putting the family weapon to good use (the spear), so any fans of the incredible 8 Diagram Pole Fighter will enjoy this even more due to its many similarities. Thankfully, the fights come often enough, from large-scale war battles to one-on-one showdowns,  with each fight proving to be wonderfully choreographed, very inventive, and exciting to watch. They can also be quite violent at times with plenty of the studios infamous blood-spraying on display as well as Lo Lieh shooting arrows in peoples eyes, people getting cut in half, cliff falls, rock crushing, and so much more. One thing I must point out though is the fact that most of the bad guys were dressed like little Santa Clauses, and while it does add some unintentional humour at times – it's hardly distracting and obviously based on traditional Mongolian dress. And finally, this certainly wouldn't be the epic it is without the guidance of a good director, with Sir Run Run Shaw putting that job in the hands of the great Cheng Kang who also provided the script. Starting his career as an actor and director in1951, Cheng went on to helm many classics such as The Sword Of Swords with Jimmy Wang Yu, Pursuit, Killers Five, The Flying Guillotine 2, The Criminals, and Gambling Soul which would also be his last as a director. Interestingly enough, one of Cheng's finest offerings to fans was when he gave us one of Hong Kong cinema's greatest treasures in his son, Tony Ching Siu Tung – a man who would go on to bring us some of the finest martial-arts-action-films ever made, with 14 Amazons marking the first time the pair would ever work together and Gambling Soul, their last...

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Overall: Epic in its running time, action scenes and superstar cast, 14 Amazons is wonderfully scripted, beautifully shot, and highly entertaining

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Black Hill Blu-ray Extras: Trailers, Photo Gallery