Brave Archer

"Brave Archer" aka "Kung-Fu Warlords" is a 1977 Hong Kong Shaw Brothers film trilogy directed by Chang Cheh based on Jinyong's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" novels. The trilogy is divided into four parts with most of the entire Shaw Studios cast of martial artist in at least 1 (if not all) of the films. Alexander Fu Sheng and the Venoms appear in all of the films in a starring or supporting role.

Plot

Brave Archer Pt. 1

Guo Jing (Fu Sheng) and Yang Kang (Lee I Min) are sons of a group of rebels, the rebels are attacked by the emperor and are then rescued by 6 teachers. The teachers agree to separate the two boys so that they would meet as adults to determine whose kung fu is better. Jing becomes a pupil of 6 kung fu masters while Kang becomes the arrogant adopted son of the emperor (inadvertently). While Jing’s family is killed Kang’s family is not as his mother becomes the emperor’s concubine and his father goes into hiding. Jing travels to a local town where he befriends a lowly beggar named Huang Rong (Niu Niu) who happens to be the daughter of the Chief of Peach Island (Ku Kwan Chung) and meets Kang who is in a contest to (unknowingly) marry his fathers adopted daughter. Huang reveals to Jing that she is a “girl” (as he thought she was a man) and the two make their way back to Peach Island after getting into trouble with the authorities. Yang Kang meets his father but turns him and his former teacher into the authorities as he is loyal to the emperor, his mother kills herself.

Guo Jing learns the 18 palm technique from the 9 Fingered Beggar Hong Qigong while the girl becomes the beggar chief in grooming. On Peach Island, Huang Yaoshi (Ku Kwan Chung) is against the proposed marriage of Jing and Huang (called Yang Er in the film), Jing meets a strange monk named Cho (Kuo Chui) who teaches him his special kung fu and forces him to read a kung fu manual, which happened to be written by Huang’s deceased mother. Ouyang Feng (Wang Lung) Wei arrives with his nephew Ouyang Ke (Danny Lee) who wants to marry Haung, the 9 Fingered beggar also arrives. Yung Er’s father forces both of them into a contest to see who is worthy of marrying his daughter which the last being the reciting of the manual which Jing was previously forced to read by Cho, thus winning the contest. Yaoshi agrees however, Ouyang Feng now wants the kung fu manual (his hidden motives) from Jing and Cho leading to part 2.

Brave Archer Pt. 2

Huang is taken hostage by Wang Lung Wei so he may get the manual from Fu Sheng. Fu Sheng and the beggar chief rescues Yung Er and Fu Sheng gives Wei a fake (memorized) manual which will eventually drive him insane (in B.A Pt. 4). Wei, the beggar and Cho (Kuo Chui) get into a fight and Wei’s nephew is injured allowing Yung Er, Fu Sheng and the beggar chief to escape. The 9 Fingered beggar is injured and gives Yung Er his beggar stick which symbolizes the leader of the beggar gang as well as the techniques to use the stick if challenged by the members. Wang Lung Wei and his nephew pursue Fu Sheng and Yung Er to get revenge for the nephews injuries to a deserted town. They take shelter in an abandoned restaurant being inhabited by a retarded girl (Shirley Yu).

Fu Sheng and Yung Er meet up with Cho again to find a treasure, Fu Sheng is injured and Cho gets into a fight with Wang Lung Wei, Fu Sheng retreats with Yung Er so he may get time to heal. At this point multiple sub-plots occur at the restaurant between Wang Lung Wei, his nephew, Lee I Min (who steals the beggar stick), Ku Kwon Chung, Sun Chien, Cho, Kara Hui, a blind woman kung fu expert and a group of Wu Tang monks who use the “Northstar Style”. Fu Sheng and Yung Er come out of hiding to meet her father. Yung Er’s father takes the retarded girl to Peach Island since she is the daughter of one of his former classmates. Sheng and Er are eventually are kidnapped by the beggar clan being run by Lu Feng and Chiang Sheng since the 9 Fingered Beggar is missing. While captive the clan gets into a situation with the Iron Palm clan ran by Lo Mang. Lee I Min instigates a fight while posing as the beggar chief (since he has the stick). Lu Feng and Yung Er escape from bondage and challenge Lee I Min’s authority eventually making a fool of him and Yung Er becomes head of the beggar clan. Lee I Min joins the Iron Palm clan and the series continues to Pt. 3.

Brave Archer Pt 3 aka Blast Of the Iron Palm

Fu Sheng and Yung Er pursue Yu Tai Ping (now the prince) and the Iron Palm Clan, led by Lo Mang and Chu Ko. Lo Mang injures Yung Er with his Iron Palm technique and the two pursue an antidote for her injuries. Sheng and Er stumble into a swamp inhabited by a Lady Lou (Lily Li). She tells the two that the only person who can cure her is Ti Lung’s special kung fu who is now a monk. Sheng and Er travel to see Ti Lung but must defeat each of his body guards (Chaing Sheng, Sun Chien, Wang Li, and Lu Feng) in a battle of wits. They eventually get to Ti Lung who tells them that Lady Lou intentionally sent them to him to get him to use his special style which will eventually kill him after its used. Ti Lung backtracks to the past as a young Cho (Kuo Chui) and Lady Lou had an affair while living in his palace. Lady Lou became pregnant and her child was murdered by Lo Mang who want Ti Lung to also use his special kung fu. However, Ti Lung regrets his past decision and offers to cure Yung Er despite the consequences.

Lady Lou infiltrates Ti Lung’s dwelling and almost kills him however changes her mind last minute. Ti Lung and his body guards allow her to leave and escort her out. The Iron Palm gang shows up outside to fight Ti Lung, Lady Lou recognizes Lo Mang’s Iron Palm style as the one who killed her child and the ensuing fight begins between the Iron Palm clan, Fu Sheng, Ti Lung’s body guards and Lady Lou. The current (elder) Cho shows up and is immediately recognized by the elder Lady Lou. Cho points out the Iron Palm clans and Lo Mang’s weak spots and they are eventually killed. Lady Lou pursues a running Cho as the movie ends.

Brave Archer Pt 4 aka Mysterious Island

*The fourth movie in the series is based on the LOTCH's sequel "Return of the Condor Heroes". This film contained multiple role switches as Kuo Chui would now play the part of Guo Jing that Fu Sheng previously held in the series and Lily Li played the role of Yung Er. Wang Li also played the role previously held by Wang Lung Wei and Lung Tung Sheng took Lee I Min’s role who left Shaw Studios.

Guo and Yung Er return to Peach Island to find Kuo’s masters murdered except for the blind one. Yung Er’s father is framed by Wang Li and Kuo attempts to avenge his teachers by fighting against the Peach Island Chief. Eventually the ever intelligent Yung Er exposes the plot as it was a set up between the prince and Wang Li to get Kuo and her father to kill each other and the prince to learn Wang Li’s special kung fu style he learned from the fake manual (see Pt. 1). The Prince has a child as his wife runs in the last moment and is killed by him (then kills himself) leaving the boy (Fu Sheng) an orphan. Kuo and Yung Er take the boy in, fast forward roughly 18 years and now Fu Sheng is fully grown, Kuo and Er also have a daughter Fu-Erh (Wen Hsuh Erh) and two other students (Lau Shi Kwong and Chin Siu-Ho), and also stay with Kuo’s blind teacher. All the students are taught martial arts except Fu Sheng who Kuo fears will become like his father (the Prince). This pits a rivalry between Fu Sheng and the other students and forces him to eventually meet up with the now insane Wang Li who teaches him his frog style kung fu. Fu Sheng also believes that Kuo and Yung Er killed his parents as the insane Wang Li can’t get the real story straight. The situation is eventually resolved by Kuo and Lau Shi Kwong who then takes Fu Sheng to live with his fathers old Wu Tang masters.

Kuo, Fu Sheng and Kwong arrive a the temple where a quarrel is taking place between Lu Feng (now in a hero role), Chu Ko and Chiang Sheng. Chu Ko and Sheng (now playing a villain role) slaughter their way into the temple to get the treasure in a hidden tomb and almost kill the Northstar style masters until thwarted by Kuo, Kwong and Fu Sheng, the battle then moves outside in usual “Venom Style” action with a battle featuring the Venoms and Fu Sheng.

Cast

*Fu Sheng (1-4) - Guo Jing (1-3), Yang Guo (4)
*Niu Niu (1, 2, 3) - Huang Rong
*Lee I Min (1, 2) - Yang Kang
*Kuo Chui (1-4) - Zhou BoTong, Aged Guo Jing in Pt. 4
*Danny Lee (1, 2) - Ouyang Ke
*Lo Mang (1-3) - Teacher in Pt 1, Qiu QianRen in 2 & 3
*Ku Kuan Chung (1,2) - Huang YaoShi
*Wang Lung Wei (1,2) - Ouyang Feng
*Ti Lung (3) - Yi Deng Da shi
*Ku Feng (1-4) - Hong Qigong
*Lu Feng (1-4) - Various roles
*Kara Hui (1, 2, 4) - Prince's wife
*Wang Li (3, 4) - Body guard (3), Ouyang Feng(4)
*Chiang Sheng (1-4) - Various roles
*Wen Hsueh Erh (4) - Kuo's daughter
*Lung Tung Sheng - The Prince (4)
*Yu Tai Ping (3) - The Prince (3)
*Chu Ko (3, 4) - Various villains
*Lily Li (3, 4) - Lady Liu/ Ying Gu(3), Huang Rong(4)
*Johnny Wang Lung-Wei (1, 2) -
*Wei Pai (2)
*Sun Chien (2, 3) - Various hero roles

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078249/ IMDb entry for "Brave Archer 1" (1977)]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078250/ IMDb entry for "Brave Archer 2" (1978)]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079896/ IMDb entry for "Brave Archer 3" (1981)]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079899/ IMDb entry for "Brave Archer 4" (1982)]