Review of The Shaolin Avengers

Chang Cheh's THE SHAOLIN AVENGERS is a remake of Chang Cheh's MEN FROM THE MONASTERY down to the star(s). (Tod Browning remade THE UNHOLY THREE and Hitchcock THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, to cite but two examples, so the notion of filmmakers taking a second shot at a particular story isn't exactly unheard of.) (Oops. Just goes to show you: you gotta do yer homework. Browning remade London AFTER MIDNIGHT- as MARK OF THE VAMPIRE- and it was Jack Conway who remade THE UNHOLY THREE. Let that be a lesson to all you wannabe movie reviewers out there.) THE SHAOLIN AVENGERS is, as reviewer Brian Camp points out, an even better telling of this particular tale than the original version (one legitimate argument FOR remakes). Fu Sheng's "weak spot" is, I believe, precisely the kind of thing that prevented many martial arts movies from airing on American television over the years (and perhaps STILL, to this day): it's graphic and- shh!- involves anatomical naughty bits that American viewers can't handle (...)... Checker out and see for yourself- if you've got the balls...