User Reviews

THE INVINCIBLE ARMOUR is a solid piece of period fu that doesn't disappoint when it comes to hard-hitting fight action. The storyline is some needlessly convoluted thing that draws in various sub-plots, the most prominent of which involves a man who is framed for murder and must fight to clear his name while the authorities pursue him. As is usual for this period of kung fu, the heroes are all Ming patriots fighting for their country's dynasty.

The complexities of the narrative pale in comparison to the martial arts involved, which is rather complex. There are no less than three styles studied in-depth here: the titular 'iron armour', which renders the human body impervious to strikes; the 'iron finger' strike, which has the power to combat the 'iron armour' technique, and the 'eagle claw' strike, which is just all-round deadly.

The producers in Hong Kong headed to Taiwan to shoot this on the cheap, but cheap production values mean that they could afford to put a whole host of Hong Kong talent up on the screen. Not least of these is the immortal Hwang Jang Lee as the villain; hidden behind his long white hair and beard, Lee remains as deadly as ever and never disappoints in the fighting stakes. I love the sinister music that accompanies his character wherever he goes (elsewhere, the soundtrack of the spaghetti western DAY OF ANGER is ripped off extensively). John Liu is acceptable as the upstanding young hero out for justice, but the supporting cast is even better. We get Phillip Ko as another long-haired master, while Corey Yuen and Yuen Biao team up for cameos as an assassin pair.

The fight action is hugely entertaining and the strikes are all hard-hitting and convincingly staged. As is usual for these films, the action gets better and better as the running time progresses, finishing with a furious final bout. Yuen Woo-ping worked on the choreography, and it shows. Hard-working director/producer Ng See-Yuen has also handled GAME OF DEATH 2 and THE SECRET RIVALS during his lengthy and illustrious career.

Those elaborate, Shaw Brothers-style period costumes just don't work against a Poverty Row background like the one we see in "Invincible Armor", but hell...why quibble? Hwang Jang Lee and John Liu, two of the top three kickers in the business (the third being Delon Tam, Liu's instructor), tear up the screen in this film and that's what counts. My only complaint about the fight scenes is that there were too many distracting, split-second shots of shattered eggs every time someone attacked what they thought was Hwang's vulnerable point (his testicles, naturally). Just concentrate on the action, guys, please! Otherwise, this is a fun, straightforward flick that you'll enjoy if Hong Kong kung fu cinema is your thing.

John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee star together in this excellent kung fu film. The plot deals with a Ming General being framed for murder. He must then fight off soldiers while looking for the real murderer and with both John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee the fights cannot be anything else but great. Liu's kicks are awesome; it is hard to believe that according to his instructor and fellow Kung fu actor Tan Tao Liang, John Liu had problems with flexibility. When you see him holding his leg up as he stand still it is hard to believe this was ever true. Hwang Jang Lee sadly doesn't kick as much as he should and his skills are underused, we see far more in Secret Rivals of his phenomenal ability. The egg part is really funny although I am sure it wasn't intended to be. Having said that, this is great film for all kung fu fans.

Proliferate as martial arts flicks have been in cinema over the years, and especially in the 70s and 80s, not all are made equal. Some particular names are so famous and trusted that they easily command respect; titles falling outside the bounds of such exemplars are less certain to be worth our while. Even without taking into account dubbing which more than not tends to be not just awful but altogether painful, there are all too many ways in which a film might fall short, and many have. For better and for worse, scarcely any sooner than it begins one can start to form lasting impressions about 'The invincible armour.' It certainly stands much taller than the worst among some of its brethren; on the other hand, make no mistake that this is certainly no exemplar, and this is nothing one needs to go out of their way to see. It's enjoyable enough if you come across it, but only as something light and frivolous on a lazy day when you want to turn off your brain.

The trouble here is that it's far too easy too tabulate the flaws and shortcomings, and they stack up considerably against the advantages the movie can claim. It's not for nothing that I mention the dubbing, for while this instance isn't the absolute worst I've ever heard, it's surely not far off, and those who provided the voiceovers should frankly be ashamed of themselves. True, this is not a fault of the picture in and of itself, and I can only try not to hold it against filmmaker See-Yuen Ng; it's also conceivable that in addition to dubbing, the original was re-cut or otherwise manipulated in being prepared for markets outside the region. The latter is less likely, however, and one way or another there's no disputing the frailties as we see them. The editing is brusque and overly excitable, and in cases where the footage is sped up, just tawdrily cartoonish; it too often seems like if the camera weren't zooming in or out, it wouldn't be operating at all. The audio is less than pristine, and the effusive use of sound effects becomes tiresome after a point.

Both Ng's direction in general, and the acting specifically, raise a skeptical eyebrow at no few points; there were choices made for some shots and scenes, and for some performances, that simply do not come off well. I recognize that in part some of what comes off as flagrant tackiness can just be chalked up to differences in film-making sensibilities, and indeed there are some discernible commonalities with the more esteemed works of Shaw Brothers, Golden Harvest, or the like - yet even if we accept this, the doing here seems outrageous and dubious beyond reason. Worse yet is Lu Tung's screenplay. It's not that there is no value here; on paper the basic story is solid enough, and there are some good ideas. Yet as it presents the narrative is decidedly thin; even if we grant allowances (that may or may not be deserved) for changes made for international markets, the dialogue and scene writing are often much less than fully convincing. To be honest I just don't think this is very good about elucidating the plot in those key scenes that speak to it most directly.

None of this completely stripes 'The invincible armour' of all possible entertainment, but it's a lot for us viewers to bear, and our favor is necessarily diminished in some capacity. This is terribly unfortunate, because there really is a lot to appreciate here. The filming locations and sets are lovely, and so are the costume design, hair, and makeup. The props and weapons are splendid. Above all, if it's kung fu action you want, it's kung fu action you'll get, and the choreography and stunts here are broadly outstanding. In some examples it may be undercut by the editing or cinematography, but at its best the martial arts on display are wonderfully enticing, or in cases downright beautiful. It may also true that there's not entirely as much action as one would like, but even at that it's unquestionably the core strength of the feature. The visual presentation at large, in fact, is overall terrific.

Ah, but would that the same careful effort that had gone into the stunts and fights, and into the otherwise imagery, had been applied across the board. I see the potential in the writing, but the script is sloppy and flimsy as it is; the direction, acting, cinematography, and editing alike are all overzealous and overcooked. Yes, the display of martial disciplines is fantastic, but if this is the value that this title has to offer, it's not as if we can't get it elsewhere. What, then, is left for us to grasp onto in 'The invincible armour?' I repeat that it's suitably fun for a quiet day, and we get what we came for. Our desires are fulfilled at a cost, though, and there's a lot that just doesn't come off well; this feels longer than it needs to be, and the last twenty minutes are kind of just a dull, overdone slog. It's possible I'm being too harsh; it's also possible I'm being too kind. I do like this 1977 flick, and I'm glad for those who get more out of it; I just firmly suggest keeping your eyes on the prize, and try to abide the adjoining inelegance as best you can.

I saw this movie during the bus ride on a school fieldtrip, and couldn't stop enjoying myself. Don't get me wrong, this movie is a bad movie, but that is where it triumphs. The usual cheesiness of these kung fu films makes us wonder if people actually took them seriously sometime in the 1970s. Definately a film to be seen with a crowd, preferably under whichever influence you prefer, "Invincible Armour" contains all the non-stop action and unintentional laughs one would expect from a B-Kung Fu movie. The soundtrack is reminiscent of an early Nintendo Game and the English dubbing highlights the acting. "Invincible Armour" also has possibly one of the most side-splittingly funny (and abrupt) endings ever seen in its genre (including a great allegory which involves a pair of eggs and a fist).

I recommend this movie for anyone looking for a light-hearted laugh and something to talk about the next day with their friends.

John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee once again star together in this Ming Dynasty kung fu epic film. The movie deals with a Ming General being framed for murder. He must fight off soldiers while looking for the real murderer. The movie was choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping (along with Corey Yuen and Yuen Biao) and the fights are great. Liu's kicks are awesome, simply delightful. Hwang Jang Lee mostly uses the eagle's claw technique and doesn't kick as much as he should. However, the choreography isn't as complex and drawn-out as many movies during that time period are. It's fast-paced and very fluid. Overall, a must see for kung fu fans. You won't be disappointed.

The 'script' is hilarious. The kicking is awesome. All the men with beards look the same. The love interest is a bit of a minger, and her brother appears to be retarded.

This is by far my favourite kung fu film, and I believe was also sounded endorsed by Quentin Tarantino when he was doing the rounds for Kill Bill 2.

You will laugh, you will go 'oooooh' you will clasp your face with agony at the dire dubbing and acting and YOU WILL ENJOY THIS.

Also, it has a man defeated by an 'iron finger' attack _down there_ if you know what I mean. Nice.

I searched hard on IMDb for this film since it is not primarily listed by it's English name: "Invincible Armor". I work at a video store and was in the mood for a kung-fu movie. I had only seen one kung-fu movie before (Shaolin vs. Lama) and it was pretty cool, so I picked up this one. It was great from the start. They're were some pretty cool training scenes for "eagle claw" and "iron armor" techniques, these scenes made for a great intro to the film. What I found to be the coolest thing of all is that some of the dialogue from the movie is sampled on one of the rap group "Wu-Tang Clan"'s albums. The finale is great too. There is a groin joke in the final fight that I won't reveal. Very funny! All in all a great king-fu flick.

hwang yang yee plays three parts in this film, and is put up against another of the kung fu film industries best kickers, john liu. the film is noteable for having a plot (other than 'oi you, didnt you kill my brother') but the scenes are only good when liu is doling out punishment to assorted bystanders. nevertheless, this is one of the few kung fu flicks i would recommend to non-afficionados.

This is my favourite 70's Kung Fu-movie. Hwang Jang Lee might not get to kick around as he could have, but who cares? The fights are so well choreographed, that you are going to love it. The soundtrack is wonderful. As a sidenote, I should mention, that it has been borrowed (or rather said stolen) from an Italo Western called "I Giorni dell´Ira" starring Lee Van Cleef and Giuliano Gemma. Every self-respecting Ng See Yuen-fan should have watched that movie.

Hwang Jang Lee is a corrupt Ming guard who frames John Liu for murder. A wanted fugitive, John hides out with a teen who is an expert in the infamous Iron Armor technique, a technique that means the expert can withstand anything. However, Hwang is an expert in it as well as the Eagle Claw's. Can John stop Hwang before it's too late

The best part of this film are the fight scenes, they are energetic and hardhitting, however there's little narrative and the story is overly convoluted and I got lost in the sub-plotted confusion. Not a great film, but watch it for the fights.

This has to be the Best martial arts/ Kung Fu movie of the era! It can be hard to follow though so you must pay attention. There are 3 major guys who look alike and have similar sounding names even and then there are 2, 3 or 4 old master types who all look identical and in fact 2 of them are brothers in the film... LOL. I have to rewatch it of course to see if I have exaggerated too much for this review but as far as bad guys go, this bad master is one of the toughest I've seen in these kinds of movies. There are many fight scenes and most of the fighting is pretty realistic if you can suspend your disbelief of course and all are well choreographed.

Often times I find old school kung fu movies that have terrible plot or bad fighting. If I can excuse the bad plot I can watch it for the fight scenes, but a movie that does a good job on both is a real gem.

The movie goes into great detail about the fighting techniques involved. Even if it is fantastical like magic, it is nice to see that the film makers took that extra effort to design choreography around the mythology of the specific kung fu style. The master of the Iron armor certainly shows off his invulnerability by trading blows with his opponent. Chow's fancy footwork was fun to behold. Shen was also able to demonstrate his unique double spear tipped Tonfa.

Instead of having 3-4 major action scenes, the movie is well paced with 6+ fights leading up to the finale. A good balance of plot and action keeps me interested in the movie as an action movie, while I can still appreciate the reason behind all the fighting.

If it's starring Hwang Jang Lee your in for a great movie!This one is a great.This movie is starts out with action and it has very little time to spare with corny comedy like on some kung fu movies.The movies plot is ok.For such a great movie though I thought they could have wrote the movie with a little more drama and twists to keep you guessing on who is good and bad!Great fighting styles,Eagle's claw,Iron finger armor,High leg kicks from John Liu.If you like white long haired masters like me... you will like this movie also.The White haired masters one on one near the end what could be better!The end finishes strong which reminds me of the movie Fist of the white lotus somewhat.Hwang Jang Lee was so strong that you could have thrown a ton brick in his face and he would have still been coming to you!Scary!