Customer Reviews

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

It was good to see that Columbia/TriStar pictures had released the 2 movie dvd edition of Jackie Chan's classics. I watched Snake in the Eagle's Shadow since I was a young boy. I remembered watching it many times. This was back in the early 80s. Now watching it again is a delight.

Though, a very important part of the film was cut. This changed the tone of the film since it is the pivot of the storyline. The story was about how Jackie Chan learned the Snake Style from the old beggar, who is the master of the Snake Style. However, a vicious martial art opponent with an Eagle style was determined to wipe out the Snake Style clan. Chan didn't know this was going, and the old beggar was on the run, to escape from the Eagle Style master. Through the middle part of the story, Chan discovered that the Snake style manual that was left to him was torn apart by his cat. He found his cat trapped in a corner of the room confronted by a cobra snake. In the original film, it actually revealed how the cat won the fight against the cobra, with agility and the speed of its claw. The snake failed in its offensive attempts, and in the end the cat killed it. This scene brought an important revelation to Jackie that he could integrate the cat fighting system into his current Snake fighting style. The scene is pivotal because he saw how the cat avoided and faught back the snake. This I believe, is not only important for the film, but also for the audience, who can see logically how Jackie would adapt such style. The fight between the cat and the snake was omitted, where we could only see the confrontation of the snake and the cat, and the next cut was the snake dying on the floor with the cat next to it. I am not sure whether this only happens in the region 4 version, but I suspect its a standard cut. This totally throw me out of the exciting experience of watching the movie since it didn't match the original film. I can't make any sense out of why Columbia/TriStar would want to cut the scene. It degrades the experience of watching a classic movie such as this one.

I would recommend finding another version if possible, released in Hong Kong perhaps.

This film has Jackie and Simon Yuen Siu Tien (Su Huan Chi from DM)teaming together again. Jackie plays an orphan who is indentured at a kung fu school. At the school he does chores and gets used as a punching bag. One day in the street, he runs into an old beggar who teaches him the Snake Fist style. The Eagle Claw clan wishes to wipe out the weaker Snake Fist style users, so Jackie develops his own style of Cat's Claw. Simon Yuen Siu Tien is great in this movie, possibly better than he was in Drunken Master. There is an incredible scene at the beginning where he balances a bowl on his hands, feet, and head while Jackie tries to grab it. The action in this is great, as well as the plot. Do yourself a favor and watch this. (But don't watch Snake in the Eagle's Shadow II, Jackie's not even in it).

This movie's story is pretty simple Shang Kwan Yi Mun (Hwang Jang Lee)is the eagle claw master who has decided to wipe out everyone who knows the Snake Fist technique. After having killed almost every snake fist master there is now only one left Pak Cheung Tien (Simon Yuen). But what he doesn't expect is that Pak Cheung Tien will teach the poor orphan boy Chien Fu (Jackie Chan) the snake fist style. Now Chien Fu has to under go some of the most tortuous training ever devised. On the way he also learns another style "the cat's claw" which he learns from a cat that kills a king cobra snake. Chien Fu now decides to combine the snake's fist with the cat's claw to be able to beat Shang Kwan Yi Mun in the final confrontation. This movie is a pretty stunning showcase and the first time Jackie Chan got to show what he is able to perform. Simon Yuen shines as the old snake fist master. Hwang Jang Lee also makes a solid performance as the dreaded eagles claw master. What can I say this movie is a classic. Anyone interested in Jackie Chan's kung fu movies Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, and Drunken Master is the ones to get too. See Yuen founder of Seasonal Films saw his chance when he managed to get director Lo Wei to loan out Jackie Chan for 2 movies. Although many people had told him that it was a major risk to have Jackie Chan as the star after all the awful movie's he had made in the past with Lo Wei who tried to position Jackie Chan as the next Bruce Lee which was a very bad idea. This movie just can't fail the fight scenes are brilliant especially for the time they were made. Although the production on this movie seems this One of the Best and was typical for all Hong Kong movies ever made at the time. This is the movie that gave Jackie Chan the recognition to be a Star, and soon to be a Super Star. I am a Big Jackie Chan Fan, and I am telling you if you like Jackie Chan Movies this movie (Snake in The Eagle's Shadow) is a must have. How, is because of the out sanding action that Jackie Chan and Master Hwang Jang Lee display in this great movie. Also it has some funny stuff in it movie. This is a great movie. So if you like Jackie Chan Movies Snake in The Eagle's Shadow, and Drunken Master is a must have to your collection. So I hope you injoy this movie.

Before I go on I must say that my score is based on a heavy tilt. As a DVD this has nothing to really merit 5 stars in the way of features, extras and the ilk. But you're not buying this movie for features are you? You're buying it because this happens to be one of the finest Kung Fu movies ever made.

There is a plot that revolves around two feuding kung fu schools, the snakefist and the eagle's claw. The eagle's claw has all but won, having successfully killed most of the members of the snakefist. Jackie Chan plays an errand boy working in a small kung-fu school and he happens to come across the last remaining master of the snake fist and provides him out with food and shelter.

That's the plot. Its full of holes but at the same time it is dotted with some hilarious moments, highlighted by excellent fighting scenes, and carried by jackie chan's irresistable charm.

This is old school jackie chan. If you've only seen his new films you will most likely not like this. For people who really enjoy his older work or want to see a classic jackie chan film, this is amongst the best. I also recommend police story which is another jackie chan classic.

Together with "Drunken Master", Snake in the Eagle's Shadow launched Jackie's career. Not to be confused with the "sequel", Snake in the Eagle's Shadow II, which to my knowledge doesn't even have Jackie in it. The Eagle Claw style has embarked on a quest to eradicate the Snake Fist style, and almost succeeds before the last living Snake Fist master passes the art on to Jackie. Jackie's character is quite cinderella-like, an orphan kept by the master as a janitor. picked on and abused by the other instructors when the master is away, he gets even after learning kung-fu from the Snake Fist master, played by Simon Yuen. the Eagle Claw master / main villian is played by Hwang Jang Lee, one of the best screen fighters ever. Tino Wong also does some excellent fighting as the arrogant county kung-fu champion. Beautifully choreographed fights and a fair amount of laughs make this a must for any Jackie fan.

I obviously don't agree with the guy who gave this movie 1 star. In my opinion, SitES is one of Jackie's best movies from that period (along with Drunken Master). Sure, the sound effects are real cheesy and the dubbing stinks as always in these old movies. But there are some really cool training scenes to watch and Yuen Siu Tien (who also played the drunken master in Drunken Master) is cool as always. All in all a very entertaining comedic kung fu movie.

This is a decent flick of Jackie Chan's early stuff. Jackie had a good share of unsuccessful films with Lo Wei, because he didn't use Jackie Chan to the fullest. Lo also tried to make Jackie Chan another Bruce Lee. But this is his Jackie's first collaboration with Yuen Woo Ping (the choreographer from The Matrix triology, Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and Unleased), and he introduced Jackie to the genre of kung-fu comedy.

This DVD (the Columbian Tristar version) is the second-best version out there. This version, however, cuts out a brief fight between a cat and a snake (this fight scene is important to the plot). To get the full story, buy the Mei Ah version, or the Hong Kong version.

This film has everything a good martial arts movie needs, besides kick-a!@ fighting scenes, to be venerated as a classic- a decent and touching story, good plot points, and great actors. Jackie Chan, Simon Yuen (Sam Seed from Drunken Master) and the incomparable kicking master Hwang Jang Lee bka Silver Fox along with brilliant director/choreographer Yuen Woo Ping bring this karate-kid type story to life believably (minus the Russian assassin/priest whose dubbed voice is to quote the Chess King Jack Long "reprehensible" yet regaling). A must have for any martial arts fan.... Purchase!

This has to be one of Jackies best old school movies. Classic Jackie fighting and the crazy Snake in the Eagles shadow technique make this a legend. Also those massive chopsticks Jackie's mentor used were amazing. Jackie is a young servent who is taught the snake technique by a wandering mentor. But the Eagle clan has vowed to kill everyone who knows the art of the snake. Unlucky for them, Jackie comes up with his own technique. The Cats Claw. In this movie a stunt went wrong and Jackie has his arm slashed. The original footage is still in the movie. Arm the Homeless

NOTE - THIS IS NOT A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE BUT A WARNING THAT WHAT AMAZON IS SHIPPING IS AN INCREDIBLY CHEAP AND OBVIOUS BOOTLEG.

Seriously. I figured the few people who had reported this were kooks, but they're not - this *is* a bootleg, and a terrible one at that. You can find better bootlegs on streetcorners in NY. The cover is obviously photocopied, and the disc itself is a DVD-R that comes conveniently pre-scratched. Worse than that, though, is the fact that this is *obviously* a rip of a VHS tape that was poorly transferred and completely uncropped. I'll be filing a complaint with Amazon.