![]() ![]() There will be the inevitable grumbles that plot and characterization are light but it’s not an issue for what is essentially a siege film about a group of characters battling their way out of a tough situation. This leads to some creative fighting techniques and tactics as the usually defensive shields are used for offensive attacks and cool kills. While Jimmy Wang Yu (who also writes and directs here) gets a boatload of fight action screentime the supporting cast gets some memorable moments especially Chang Yi-Kuai as Hung who uses two large steel shields as his weapon of choice. Very much weapon based, ‘Beach of the War Gods’ is a fantastic showcase for sword-based action. It’s breathless stuff mounted with sustained confidence that keeps the attention and excitement flowing by mixing in various Chinese and Japanese fighting styles. Each warrior gets a cool introduction fight to show off their particular skills and once the group unite and train the villagers to defend themselves, the last 40 minutes or so is just one giant set piece as the Japanese attack the beachside village and get absolutely slaughtered. Lean of the plot (nothing wrong with that!), ‘Beach of the War Gods’ is nevertheless a satisfying fight epic that uses its town-under-siege setting well to stage an often-breathtaking mixture of fight and weapon styles. Heavily influenced by genre titan ‘Seven Samurai’, Jimmy Wang Yu puts his own spin on the classic tale of super warriors training a village to defend itself and delivers a fantastic fight-packed film. ![]() ![]() Enlisting the fight skills of four other great warriors each with a weapons specialty (knife, sword, bladed spear, shield) the Magnificent Five, if you will, train the townsfolk to fight back leading to perhaps one of the most sustained and impressive battle sequences put to screen. Sympathetic to the town’s plight, Feng decides to stay and help defend the village and rid them of the Japanese’s iron grip once and for all. The citizens have given up hope of living a peaceful life and have made the decision to leave but when Feng dispatches a gang of Japanese soldiers with ruthless efficiency (and death by chopstick!), the townsfolk see a glimmer of hope. Jimmy Wang Yu is Hsia Feng, a wandering feudal warrior who walks into a Chinese coastal town that is under constant threat from the marauding Japanese. And they'll need all these skills and some trickery and lots of luck to boot, against their fearsome opponent, Captain Hashimoto.Rollicking martial arts epic from the ‘One-Armed Boxer’ himself, Jimmy Wang Yu, ‘Beach of the War Gods’ is a fantastic vehicle for its star and his supporting cast to showcase heaps of wickedly staged old-school fight action. Shield-weilding Thunder Fist Hung and Spearman Li. Chao Iron Bull, with his sword of toughened steel and an even sharper tongue. With another nod to Kurosawa, Hsiao Feng gathers a band of skilled fighters. ![]() Hsiao suggests the villagers gather the young men from nearby villagers, while he travels inland to get help. The Japanese demand an extortionate amount of money from the villagers, and considerately give them ten days to come up with it, or be slaughtered. Fortunately the super patriot Hsiao Feng swaggers into town, not unlike Mifune did in Yojimbo. Japanese pirates are invading Chinese villages in 1565. ![]()
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