Going through my old hard disc, I came across Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, and to be sincere, I realised why a lot of us loved Jackie Chan and why he became a force to be reckoned with in the martial arts industry. I have seen a lot of his subsequent movies, but there is something very different about him when he was still young and trying to make a name for himself. This movie, released in 1978 in Hong Kong, was directed by Yuen Woo Ping, and it's more of a kung fu film with some funny scenes about a young man who was abused and trained by an old master.
What is Snake in the Eagle's Shadow about?
Chien Fu is a name I seem not to forget because the movie was centred about him and played by young Jackie Chan, a young man with no parents who lives in one of the kung fu schools, but he is always maltreated by everyone there, especially the master. He serves as the school's cleaner, and sometimes, they use him as a punching bag. What I found funny was that nobody was ready to teach him Kung Fu, even though he was surrounded by those who knew it. But he sometimes watches them.
After some scenes, his life changes after helping Pai Cheng Tien, an old man who is also a teacher. Jackie Chan sees this man as an old man without knowing that he's a very talented and skilful master of the Snake King Fu fighting style, and he has been running and keeping himself from the Eagle Claw school. As the movie progresses, Jackie Chan accommodated Pai in his small quarter, and he was learning some Kung Fu moves from Pai. And for me, this was where I got more interested again.
Why do I love this movie?
- Jackie Chan's comedy
Jackie Chan himself was the very first thing I enjoyed in this movie. Even before all the major fighting scenes, he has constantly shown his funny side. Though his character was beaten in the movie, he was embarrassed in front of everyone and constantly used as a punching bag in some ridiculous situation, but one way or another, he was not depressed; rather, he brought out the fun in everything.
And I was so enjoying how he made use of his surroundings, most especially when he was fighting. He knows that he is not the strongest in the room, so he doesn't try to fight like one. Rather, he tries to run, throw anything and make use of anything around him for his defence, and dodge. And this also made me like him more.
- The relationship between Chien Fu and Pai
This is probably my favourite part of the movie.
I love the way they bonded effortlessly, which made their friendship stronger. And Pai didn't just teach Jackie Chan how Kung Fu became; he needed another fighter. Chien extended his act of love and kindness to Pai, and it paid off at the end, which changed his life.
And I liked Chien for that because he didn't become important because he asked for attention. Rather, he became important because of his act of kindness to the old man who everyone thought was useless.
- The training scenes
I don't think I will ever get tired of watching old kung fu training scenes.
It was a load of hilarious scenes because of how Pai thought Chien. But I saw the slow transformations even though Chien was finding it very difficult at first. But as the teaching went on, he was getting all the old man was teaching him effortlessly.
Unlike some other movies, my favourite thing about this teaching was that every bit of progress in the learning was shown, and Chein didn't just become a good fighter overnight. His mistakes were shown, and how he tried over and over again even when he was beaten. I was so satisfied with everything I watched.
- The snake style
I so much anticipate when Chien will even use the skills the old man has taught him. And watching him in action was another reason I like this movie because he was not aggressive like the Eagles' claws fighter.
It was so entertaining for me watching how Chein was fighting his opponents effortlessly even though they looked physically stronger than him.
- Pai Cheng-Tien
Apart from Jackie Chan, I'll pick the old man as my second favourite character even though the scenes he featured in were not that many, but the few he was in were effective. Even though he can be funny and be seriously fighting the next minute.
The fact that he was being hunted made me sad a bit, and he wasn't just hiding because he was afraid. But he was also trying to preserve the legacy of his fighting style as the last surviving master.
- The villain
Another character I won't be leaving out is Hwang Jang-lee as Lord Sheng Kuan. Watching him, I got to see why everyone always tries to avoid him when he fights because he has the ability, and he doesn't need to shout to showcase how dangerous he is.
His excellent Eagle Claw also stood out, which gave this type of unimaginable constant in the end when he was faced with Chiens' snake style.
- The humour
Though a lot will say it's an old movie, all the humour in it still stands for me. There are some ridiculous situations that got me laughing, especially when Chien was being chased or beaten and he was trying to find his way out of the situation. The comedy part of the movie worked hand in hand with the serious part, which gave it the balance it needed.
- The fights
And what is Snake in the Eagle's Shadow with the fighting scenes, which I will say are the obvious reasons to see this movie? Right from the choreography, everything was excellent, but much attention was given to this movie. I feel the directors back then were not always in a hurry like some we have today.
And all the action scenes were not like the modern movies we have today, where the main actor doesn't get tired or make any mistakes. Here, Jackie Chan was beaten, fall made mistakes, and was exposed to physical danger without forming a superhero.
- The floor-cleaning scenes
To be honest, when Chien was still working in the fighting school, the funniest and most hilarious parts came when he was cleaning the floor. Especially when his boss makes his work harder, especially when he just finished cleaning the floor and his boss walks around with a white stain on the floor. That shows how he was badly treated.
My final thoughts
What I found good and amazing about this movie is how much personality it has. It's more than Jackie Chan fighting throughout. What I observed was a young man who was ignored and mistreated and found someone who believed in him. And to be honest, as short as that is, it made me enjoy it.
If you haven't seen this movie but you are a fan of old-school martial arts movies like training stories or physical comedy, this is a perfect watch for you. And I think if you want to know the root of Jackie Chan's style and why people respect him, see thiis movie.
Personally, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow gets a very strong 9.4/10.
Screenwriter: Huo An Hsi , Lung Hsiao and Chi Yuan Hsi
Director: Yuen Woo-Ping
Genres: martial arts, action, and comedy.
Yes, it's an old movie from the 90s, sometimes brutal, sometimes ridiculous, but it has something many modern action movies lack and struggle to create, which is personality.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to review this movie, and I appreciate you all for reading. See you all in my next review.
imdb images
Other images are screenshots from my movie player
Rating: 9.4/100
Rating: 94/100