Customer Reviews

Kung Fu: The Complete Second Season

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Caine, a Chinese-American immigrant, conflicts with a violent 1870's American West as he seeks a way of peace. The conflict that he feels within himself as a peaceful man who practices martial arts is portrayed excellently. The flashbacks that he has of conversations and lessons in a Shaolin temple are a glimpse into another world. An outstanding series.

The series has been criticized because Bruce Lee, an American actor of Chinese descent, was passed over in favor of an actor not of Chinese descent.

[...]
I've read that the extras are:
--Zen and Now: A Dinner with David Carradine & Friends featuring Carradine's Kill Bill co-stars Vivica A. Fox and Michael Madsen, Kung Fu series co-star Radames Pera and Technical Advisor Kam Yuen and more!
--David Carradine commentary tracks on 2 key episodes

The series is presented in the original aspect ration of 1.33:1, rather than the widescreen effect artifically created for Season 1. The running time is 1167 minutes and the soundtrack is the original 1.0 soundtrack. Reportedly, Closed Captioning and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish will be provided.

1. The Well: Caine drinks contaminated water and must rely on help from a reluctant ex-slave.
2. The Assassin gs: Dana Elcar: Caine gets in the middle of a life and death feud between two families.
3. The Chalice: A gold chalice must be return to the mission from which it was stolen.
4. El Brujo: A male witch casts a milicious spell that frightens everyone in a small town.
5. The Squawman: A farmer married to an Indian woman shoots the son of an outlaw.
6. The Spirit-Helper: Caine mentors an Indian boy who wants to rescue his kidnapped mother from the men who killed his father.
7. The Tong: The Chinese mafia targets Caine after gives refuge to an orphan.
8. The Soldier: An army lieutenant finds out that he is unable to shoot anyone.
9. The Salamander: A young man cannot tell illusion from reality.
10. The Hoots: A pacifistic religious group allows their water to be taken from them.
11. The Elixir gs: Diana Muldaur, Richard Caine: A medicine hawker's obsession for independence hurts those around her.
12. The Gunman: A man murders a man in the act of killing his wife, and the woman comes to his defense.
13. Empty Pages of a Dead Book: gs: Slim Pickens, Bruce Carradine: Caine and a former sheriff are accused of murder.
14. A Dream Within a Dream: gs: Tina Louise: Caine discovers a corpse hanging in a marsh and is accused of murder.
15. The Way of Violence Has No Mind: Caine is mistaken for being a member of a vigilante group of miners, robbing coaches to punish those stole their mine.
16. In Uncertain Bondage (a.k.a. The Pit): Caine tries to prevent a woman from being kidnapped by her servants and is injured.
17. Night of the Owls, Day of the Doves: A madam and her girls who have been bequeathed some valuable land are attacked by robbers.
18. Crossties: gs: Barry Sullivan, Denver Pyle, Harrison Ford: Railroad detectives are assigned to bring in a group of angry farmers whose land was taken by the railroad.
19. The Passion of Chen Yi: Two women try to con Caine out of his ivory carvings, and Caine is accused of murder.
20. Arrogant Dragon: gs: Richard Loo: Caine defends a former leader of the Tong sentenced to die by them because he wanted to return home to die.
21. The Nature of Evil gs: John Carradine : A blind man tries to revenge a murdered friend.
22. The Cenopath (1) gs: Nancy Kwan: Caine gets involved with an eccentric Scotsman in a burial odyssey. Caine remembers his relationship with a concubine.
23. The Cenopath (2) gs: Nancy Kwan: Continuance of Part 1.

"Kung Fu" catapulted actor David Carradine to fame. He didn't even know it because he didn't have a TV and was living in what he describes as a "shack" (my guess is a very nice one) in Southern California according to the commentary track on "The Well". The classic 70's TV series had an impact on many kids (including this one) when it aired giving us our first taste of Kung Fu, eastern philosphy set in the wild west.

Carradine plays Cane a half Chinese Shaolin priest searching for his half brother Danny in America. On the run when he causes the death of a member of the royal Chinese court, Cane has a bounty on his head. The second season consists of 23 episodes and is presented in its original 1.33:1 full screen format (unlike season one which was cropped for a widescreen format of 1.78:1). The image quality is exceptionally crisp and clear with solid blacks and exceptionally good color given the fact that the series is over 30 years old. The images have been cleaned up and there's little in the way of dirt and hair to mar the images. The sophisticated storytelling in every episode feature a plot involving Cane as a man contrasted to Cane being trained at the Shaolin temple by his teachers. This unusual use of flashbacks as a "subplot" enriched and made the series unusual and memorable. This device hasn't been used in a series since and, while it could easily have become a gimmick, most of the writers and directors used it to compliment the more modern stories they were telling. With stunning cinematography and sharp direction that frequently used unusual camera angles, "Kung Fu" sadly only lasted three seasons (Carradine left when it became successful to pursue a film career).

The extras are particularly fun. We get rambling but fascinating commentaries from Carradine on two episodes; "The Well" where Cane drinks contaminated water and must be nursed back to health by an African-American family and "A Dream Within a Dream" in which Cane discovers a body in a marsh. When the body mysteriously disappears, the tension escalates in the town. Carradine relates a number of interesting stories including his habit of NOT reading the script (he would study it just before he needed to do his scenes learning the lines and picking up a general idea of the plot). Carradine claims that this helped foster the idea that the foreign Cane couldn't understand the culture or what was truly going on around him a lot of the time. Carradine also points out that only two directors in three years ever figured out he was doing this (although I suspect he probably did read the two hour pilot).

The only extra is a great featurette wittily entitled "Now and Zen" where Carradine has a dinner with friends from the series and castmates from "Kill Bill". They discuss the series, the character and the impact "Kung Fu" had in its day. We also get hear from Kam Yuen one of the technical advisors on the show and Radames Pera the man who played Cane as a child in the flashback episodes of the series.

Kudos to Warner Brothers for returning the series to its original format and for doing a great job of delivering this classic series. Unlike many companies (are you listening Universal?)that put out series as so much "product" a lot of care went into putting this set together. A note about the packaging. The package designer Paul Lanner did, indeed, spell the title of the the cenotaph correctly but it was changed without his consent for the domestic release. While I'm not a fan of the two sided dual layer discs (we have 23 episodes spread over four discs as a result) because they can easily get damaged or scratched, the exceptional package design works well at protecting the discs and providing key info on each individual episodes.

Only once, in cinematic and television history has one character ever been so completely different, original, believable and constant such as Kwai Chang Caine. The Temple Teachings from the famous flashback sequences are now a part of the american heritage, as Finally, East meets West and both philosophies complement each other as Humanity should; each and every regular character (actor) in this series could not possibly improve on their performances; actors, writers, directors, producers, all were at the top of their art during those memorable three years. David Caradine, Keye Luke and Philip Ahn have inspired me as a young man and will live on and inspire future generations thanks to their colossal performances. I am gratefull to Warner Brothers for having the guts to distribute this landmark series and to Amazon Com to offer it online!

Oddly, the second season seems more antiquated than the first, and relies more on dialogue and character development, than action to capture the audience's attention. It does this well. These episodes have a simplicity, innocence, and an uncanny way of drawing you into the sense of distant place and time. "The Brujo" is in my opinion one of the greatest episodes of the series, beautifully directed, acted, and with Carradine in top form. The contrast of Carradine in the special feature informal dinner chat, with Caine, confirms that Caine was a character that Carradine seem to channel, as evasive as the melancholy notes from his flute, the graceful and clumsy slow motion ballet, the simultaneously unfocused and penetrating vision. No episode stands alone. Each season gives us a chance to see that unique character in cinematic history, Caine, evolve, and it captures the imagination, is life affirming, and empowering.

I remember watching thid series as a kid and enjoying it very much. As an adult, I still find the series to be a joy to watch and learn from. There is much one can learn as a child or adult and the additional bonus material helps to understand the sacrifices made to bring this serie sto television.

A few years ago, I gave the first season a positive review, but this is light years beyond it. Caine began progressing on his path because everyone associated with the show began finding their way as well. Year One, like the beginning of Caine's journey, was random and confused. Here, there's a purpose. Talk about a productive off-season. A few mid-season slumps, but no clunkers between a strong start and a stronger finish.

The immersion in the atmosphere is absolute, and it's extremely easy to forget you're watching actors on a film set. The atmosphere, the wide variety of natural beauty that the US offers (I can't believe I wrote that), the trademark use of music to maximum effect, the joy of seeing actors you know well popping up here. Much cross-pollination from the original Star Trek. Don Johnson as a teenaged Indian back when he could (believe it or not) act. Tina Louise confusing volume with emotion, which could be why they shipped her off to Gilligan's Island. Slim Pickens, of course. Boss Hogg before he wore white, back when he was just a sheriff. George Dzundza as a customer in a whorehouse. Denver Pyle (Dukes of Hazzard, Grizzly Adams) as a clean-shaven doctor, with a pre-Star Wars Harrison Ford in the same episode. But I've gotta give the award to Jack Elam as a sympathetic "good guy" character. Probably the most dialogue he's ever delivered in his career, and he's amazing.

If you watch six episodes in the same day, you might notice the same extra in two consecutive shows. What, did Hollywood have a shortage of little blonde-haired boys back then? Could be nepotism. Could be nobody but me cares. I like having things like this to notice just because I'm a goofball. They take nothing away from what Kung Fu achieved.

The show might drift into fortune cookie goofiness from time to time, but basically we're on a quest for wisdom here. A TV show about Chinese Buddhism, folks. And about life. Don't forget how groundbreaking it was. It ages well, too, which was the only question the first season left me with. It's pretty easy to impress a pre-teenager with sensible philosophy, but I'm older than many of the monks now, and I've also taught in China. No problem. It still moves me, with some thought-provoking bits of dialogue that make me glad I can hit "pause" in this day and age. There's not a damn thing wrong with being an unabashed morality play as long as it's not boring, and the folks behind the series knew this. It can even deliver humor that doesn't shatter everything else it is. I'd completely forgotten that.

You know what I don't like? That idealists must apologize in advance for it. Kung Fu, like the aforementioned Star Trek, came from a time where such "pre-emptive strikes" weren't necessary. If Kung Fu chose to write about how things should be instead of how they are from time to time, I chose to appreciate it for that, to consider, and to learn. I've still got a bit of the old idealist in me, and if that means a journey as lonely as Kwai Chang Caine's, then that's what it means. The old redneck in me makes me stubborn.

It's sufficiently well-grounded in what it is to present some silly voodoo mess on occasion and still hold your interest, never drifting into the cartoonish land of The Legend Continues. Even the minor characters get good solid memorable dialogue. It does drift into the land of the racial stereotype, but I don't think that was deliberate. I mean, you generally don't think of Caine as a stereotype, even though he's got Chinese Kung Fu superpowers. He's just this good soul who searches, and just so happens to know a bit of the old chop sockey so he doesn't get killed. If you catch it breaking with reality, which happens once in a while, you just forgive it and keep watching because it's so well-intentioned and just so damn well done. Best TV show ever? I dunno. Could be. Top Ten, definitely.

Near the end of this set of DVDs, they finally decided to write about Chinese culture, and I saw things that I'd seen back in China. (I'm not saying I moved to China because of Kung Fu, but I'm not denying it either. I asked Jan about a Shaolin wedding, then changed my mind.) It occurred to me before then, however, that I never saw anyone on this show eat with chopsticks. I can give David Carradine lessons if he needs them.

(None of the above comments apply to the two-part episode that ended Season Two. It sucks beyond belief and is painful to contemplate.)

My original plan was to enjoy this and sell it, like I did the first year. Instead, I've enjoyed all 23 episodes and put them back on my shelf for future enjoyment. The other part of the plan, to order and watch the third and final season, remains as it was.

Having been an avid watcher of the Kung Fu series and now a practicing Buddhist, this video is part of my daily enlightment.

The flashbacks express Buddhist viewpoints on how to look at our daily issues from a different perspective.

When I have had a stressful day, I come home and watch an episode of the Second Season of Kung Fu. I then feel as relaxed as when I chant or meditate.

Like the previous reviewer I have a problem with the episodes having been shortened a few minutes to make room for more commercials, which cuts into the story and makes it choppier. And the screen also seems to have been cropped too. But overall, I guess it's better to have them in this format and versions than not at all. But that's why the three star rating.

The second season's episodes are notable for the appearance of a very young Harrison Ford in the episode, Crossties, four or five years before the first Star Wars movie, and also Don Johnson, Gilbert Roland, John Carradine, Tina Louise (from Gilligan's Island), Slim Pickens, and Benson Fong.

A brief comment on the martial arts, since I am a teacher of kung fu and also karate. A judo instructor, oddly enough, was the first expert engaged to advise on the martial arts for the show. At some point, someone apparently said shouldn't we get a kung fu expert since that's what the show is about? And so they retained Los Angeles sifu Kam Yuen, a master of the very interesting tai mantis style of kung fu, which is an offshoot of the original northern praying mantis style and considered a very sophisticated system.

There are actually dozens of different praying mantis styles at this point, including six harmonies mantis, plum flower mantis, shiny board mantis, 7 star praying mantis, and southern mantis, although the latter probably isn't a true praying mantis sytem.

So it was interesting that a master of one of the rarer kung fu styles in this country was chosen, rather than something more common such as Wing Chun, Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut, or 7 Star Praying mantis, all of which are more common styles. But whatever style was chosen, the show introduced millions of people to kung fu in a way that was technically accurate and faithful to the original style.

In the 1970's, there wasn't much in the way of action shows for kids and teens. Most of the action dramas were cop shows like Kojak, Starsky & Hutch, etc, or Saturday morning fare that was aimed at younger kids. Then Kung Fun came along and probably did more to spur interest in the martial arts than any single event in history. But more than an action show, Kung-fu doled out equally amounts of wisdom and life lessons to go along with those fists and feet of fury. Today, there'd no doubt be outcray about having a caucasian playing the role of an oriental, even if he was supposed to be half American.

David Carradine perfectly underplayed role as the wise Caine set this show so far apart from anything else in the 1970's. Season two features 23 episodes:

The Well
The Assassin
The Chalice
The Brujo
The Squawman
Spirit Helper
The Tong
The Soldier
The Salamander
The Hoots
The Elixir
The Gunman
Empty Pages of a Dead Book
A Dream Within a Dream
The Way of Violence Has No Mind
In Uncertain Bondage
Night of the Owls, Day of the Doves
Crossties
The Passion of Chen Yi
Arrogant Dragon
The Nature of Evil
The Cenotaph, Part I
The Cenotaph, Part II

The Best in my opinion are:

"The Chalice" A Franciscan priest, Benito Cardona, has stolen a golden chalice he made for the tabernacle at San Blaise. Caine sees him murdered by four men, the Gilchrist gang, who steal the chalice. Before Cardona dies, he begs Caine to retrieve the chalice, which he stole because he was obsessed by it.

"The Assassin" Caine witnesses an ambush by a Ninja and is mistakenly identified as having been part of it.

"The Spirit-Helper" Caine helps Nashebo, an indian boy, who thinks Caine is a spirit-helper sent to guide him in becoming a man. When they discover that Nashebo's mother has been kidnapped and his father killed, the young man expects his guide to help him with rescue and revenge.

"The Gunman" - Caine befriends a wounded gunman who is being tracked by a bounty hunter. The gunman insists on being taken to the ranch of a widow whom he first met during the war and to whom he feels he owes $50.

"The Way of Violence has no Mind" - A mine owner assumes Caine is involved with the Chinese 'Robin Hood' who has been stealing from him. When the mine owner takes the law into his own hands, Caine is almost drowned and a farmer is shot twice.

"Arrogant Dragon" - Caine, delivering a message given him by a dying man, becomes involved in an internal dispute in a local Tong. The daughter of the former Tong leader begs Caine to help her father who is about to be executed.

"The Nature of Evil" - On his way to Eureka, Caine gets a feeling which leads him to his old friend Serenity Johnson and a town called Ninevah that is full of fear. Guest stars John Carradine.

This really was an amazing series, especially for the time. Well-written and superbly acted with outstanding location shootings for a TV show. So glad this is out on DVD!

`Kung Fu - The Complete Second Season' continues the odyssey of Kwai Chang Caine on his sojourns across the American west in search of the half-brother he has never met. His search is continually complicated by a myriad of hired assassins sent by the Chinese Emperor to kill him for the accidental death of his nephew along with the constant racial prejudice he must encounter at every new town he enters. Tough circumstances even for a martial arts priest to overcome.

If you're open to Buddhist philosophy or just open in general I encourage you to give it a try and join the wandering, flute playing monk on the road less traveled. This series not only entertains, it teaches.