Synopsis: Five disciples, each a grandmaster in a particular style of kung fu, are banded together by a wise old drunken monk. He leads the band of fighters on a mission to catch a group of evil martial-arts experts, and white-haired wizards from China and Tibet in the ultimate martial arts fight to the finish. (87 Mins)

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Views: I was so excited to finally see this action-packed classic and I was not disappointed! As well as starring in a host of classics from the 1970s, director Ko Pao was behind one of my childhood favourites, Ninja Kids: Kiss Of Death (aka Ninja Tiger), as well as directing titles like Shaolin Iron Claws and 7 Commandments Of Kung-Fu. As it happens, 5 Fighters From Shaolin was his last as a director but it's still bursting with energy thanks to its fantastic kung-fu cast, some fun comedy, crazy stunt-work, and plenty of fast and furious choreography courtesy of old friends Alexander Lo Rei and Robert Tai. As it turns out, the majority of the main cast members have each shared the screen at one time or another with Lo Rei or, at the very least, were directed by Tai somewhere along the way...

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Mark Long, almost unrecognisable as a wacky-old-monk, travels the land to find the best (but most rag-tag) bunch of fighters to help him take on the white-haired killer, played by his brother Jack Long. The first is the great Chang Shan, co-star of many Alexander Lo Rei movies such as Devil Killer, Shaolin Vs Lama, Ninja USA, and Ninja Hunter, as well as many other Taiwanese classics such as Of Cooks & Kung Fu, A Fistful Of Talons, and A Heroic Fight. Chang is a great mover and really gets to show his skills from the get-go here proving to be one of the best fighters of the show. The next is Shaw Brothers star Chiang Sheng, a brilliant kung-fu star who had a few small roles in classics such as The Brave Archer 1 & 2, Naval Commandos, and Chinatown Kid, before landing his big role in the awesome Five Venoms just a year later. From there, Chiang went onto star in a host of Shaw Brothers hits, as well as doubling-up as the assistant director on most of those he starred in through to the brilliant Shanghai Thirteen for Chang Cheh. Chiang would also don another hat as the martial arts-director for the most of the very same movies, as well as direct his own title with the awesome Ninja In The Deadly Trap starring Ti Lung, Yasuaki Kurata, Philip Kwok, and Chiang himself. I always enjoyed him as the blind master in the aforementioned Ninja Kids: Kiss Of Death and he proves to be just as entertaining here as a roadside-teahouse owner. Chiang runs the teahouse alongside his brother who is played by the fun William Yen. Yen has starred in many Alexander Lo Rei and Robert Tai productions as well as Exciting Dragon, Kung Fu Wonderchild, and School For Vampires with Alexander Lo Rei choreographing once again. The last of the kung-fu brothers is played by Chiu Ying Hong, a popular actor appearing in what would only be his fourth role since launching his career a couple of years prior in Pearl Chang's Matching Escort. Chiu would go on to star in a host of films over the next two decades including titles such as Lucky Seven 2, Queen Of Gambler, Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins, Heroic Brothers, and Lo Rei titles like Life Is A Bet, Passionate Dream, and Drug Tiger also starring Eric Tsang and Wu Ma. And of course, we can't forget about the awesome Jack Long – an incredible kung-fu star who has headlined many classic titles and starred in some of my favourites such as Beach Of The War Gods, 7 Grandmasters, Born Invincible, Ninja Hunter, and so much more. Here, Jack Long showcases some fast-and-furious moves as the white-haired killer - sporting many similarities to his character in the latter ( which is ironic since this is also known as Ninja Hunter 2) and proves to be more than a challenge for the team of heroes!

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After a fun introduction to the heroes of the piece, the 20 minute mark sees the rigorous training regime kicks-in which allows the highly skilled cast members to put their kung-fu and comedy skills to good use. One such scene includes a sequence at night were monk Mark Long blocks all senses of his students – clogging their noses and ears with tissues, blindfolding them and making them wear cloth mitts before setting them off on a mission to get back to the temple by using 'the force' (for want of a better explanation). It's all a good bit of old-fashioned kung-fu fun and after a good 30 minutes of training, daft comedy, and impressive moves, that results in a quick scuffle with some bandits and the the team throwing a hissy-fit about their teachers hard-handed ways. It also shows just what a talented bunch of people are involved in this production Much like his brother, Mark Long is an incredible on-screen fighter and throws some strong moves that really impress and I have to admit, I did enjoy him a little more than usual in this comedic role as the crazy monk. One of his highlights for me was his fight against the great Alan Chui and his men which allowed both of the stars to put their skills to good use. Around the one hour mark there are a few scenes that don't offer much explanation – possibly down to a bad edit for this western release, or something lost in translation. But thankfully, it isn't too distracting and leads to an insane 20 minute finale with (the now one-armed) monk Long and his fighters taking on Jack Long and his men in a beautifully choreographed kung-fu battle of crazy stunts, violent moves, and explosions, in true Lo Rei/Robert Tai style – which is more than enough to keep me happy.

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Although I talk about how 5 Fighters From Shaolin is just like Lo Rei's other ninja movies, it is by far the most comedic of them all – and funny in a way that doesn't detract from the amazing kung-fu action that's on offer. In fact, all that's missing is Alexander Lo Rei himself but I'd still give this movie a thumbs-up and go back for another watch soon...

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Overall: Funny, fast paced, and full of great kung-fu, 5 Fighters From Shaolin is well worth the watch and highly entertaining!!