With the amount of films Shaw Bros were producing until their decline, a number were bound to remain obsolete, particularly the ones who did not include any kind of (big) star cast. “Gang Master” is one of those titles, although its quality is not much different than the average of the martial arts entries of the company.
The Dragon Gang is a tribe who is charged with kicking the Mongolian rulers out of China, with its members being highly trained (and rather long-haired) warriors. When the leader of the clan dies, his adopted son, Fu Chung-Yuan, is the most obvious candidate for the position, which he gladly accepts. However, just before the end of the ceremony, Madame Shih, the widow of the previous leader, bursts into the room and reveals that Fu’s real family are actually Mongols. The young man is perplexed, but the proof the Madame and her helper provide are non-disputable, plus the latter eats the document before Fu manages to check by himself. The young man soon finds himself under persecution by his former clan, while the people around him, including his initial foster family, are soon found dead. Li Ta-Hung, the man he used to call brother until that point, tries to help but is also reluctant, and Fu’s situation worsens by the day. In his effort to reveal who are the members of the clan that want him dead, he discovers a number of secrets, including some about himself.
Tsui Siu-Ming follows the Shaw Bros martial arts recipe to a T, with the action starting from the first moment, channeled into a story that seems intricate but essentially isn’t, until a series of fights that lead to a majestic one and a rather abrupt ending, conclude the film. The twist here, however, is somewhat interesting, since a number of people involved look shady, with the exception of Madam Shih, who is, well, a total bitch from the beginning (and Alice Lau great in her hyperbole in the part). The “man on the run” aspect does not work particularly well, since Fu seems to be able to get into the gang’s premises whenever he wants to, while the messianic concept of his ancestry is as expected as it is preterit.
On the other hand, the story serves the action scenes nicely, allowing for much diversity in that regard, even if the rhythm is as it always is in Shaw Bros productions. The use of a variety of weapons, swords, spears, hands and even flags helps the most in that regard, despite the fact that the movie is not particularly violent. The last scene, which unfolds in a 2 against one Mongol general Mang Yi-tu fashion, is where this aspect finds its apogee, as much as the action choreography by Yuen Cheung Yan, which is on the regular high level of similar productions.
Also as usual, the art direction is top notch, with the many interiors thriving through an intricate maximalism and intense colouring, courtesy of both art director Chen Ching-shen and Huang Wen-Yun’s cinematography. Chiang Hsing-Lung and Liu Shao Kuang’s editing allows for a frantic pace that manages to hide the plot holes to a point, but works quite well for the action scenes.
Austin Wai as Fu Chung-Yuan is quite good, succeeding in highlighting at least some of the dramatic elements of his character, while Kuan Tai Chen as Mang Yi-Tu and Jason Piao Pai as Li Ta-hung hold the next best parts.
“Gang Master” is anything but original, but is fun to watch, and another title that will satisfy all fans of Shaw Bros classic movies.
