SNAKE In The Eagle's Shadow 1978 [ VHSrip & DVDrip]

About

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (Chinese: 蛇形刁手; lit. 'Snake Form Tricky Hand'[1]) is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping in his directorial debut. It stars Jackie Chan, Hwang Jang-lee, and Yuen Woo-ping's real life father, Yuen Siu-tien. The film's plot is about Chien Fu (Jackie Chan), an orphan who is bullied at a kung fu school, meeting an old beggar, Pai Cheng-tien (Yuen Siu-tien), who becomes his sifu (teacher) and trains him in Snake Kung Fu.

Right after this film, Yuen Woo-ping directed Drunken Master, released in the same year, which also starred Jackie Chan, Hwang Jang-lee and Yuen Siu-tien. The film established Chan's slapstick kung fu comedy style which he further developed with Drunken Master, while also establishing the basic plot structure used in many martial arts films internationally since then.

Plot

Chien Fu, an orphan adopted by a kung fu school, is overworked as their janitor while being bullied and abused by the kung fu teachers as a walking punching-bag. The school's cook, Ah-Wu, is his only sympathizer. Chien befriends an old beggar by offering him a meal and a place to stay. Unknown to Chien, the old beggar is actually Pai Cheng-tien, one of the last surviving masters of the Snake-style of kung fu. Pai is on the run from the Eagle Claw clan, which is viciously killing off all of the rival Snake-style masters. He is ambushed by Eagle Claw student Su Chen and an assassin masquerading as a Christian missionary, and is injured. After being abused once more, Chien later finds Pai and helps him recover. Pai agrees to give him more lessons, on the condition that he does not call him "sifu" ("master"), since they are friends. The real reason, however, is to keep Chien's connection with him secret from his pursuers.

Chien practices the lessons and learns to avoid being hurt by the school's bumbling teachers. When the school is invaded by the Mantis school, to everyone's amazement Chien easily defeats their master using the snake style. One of the passing wanderers who witnesses the fight is the high master of the Eagle Clan, Sheng Kuan, who recognizes the style at once and decides to tail Chien.

Chien meets Sheng Kuan, who inquires about the old beggar, claiming that he was a colleague of Pai's. As a show of 'proof', he easily fends off Chien's attacks. Chien realises that his Snake-style fighting is no match for the style practiced by the stranger, and thus creates a new style from watching his pet cat kill a cobra. Later on the Eagle Claw conspirators track down Pai, who manages to kill Su Chen. He returns to Chien for hiding, but it is then shown that Ah-Wu is also an Eagle Claw conspirator as he puts poison into their tea.

Chien rushes to fetch Sheng Kuan, but sensing danger, Pai flees, with his enemy in pursuit. As Chien hurries after them, he finally learns the truth behind the conspiracy upon defeating the fake missionary, and eventually challenges Sheng Kuan to single combat after Pai is brought down. Chien brings his new 'Cat Claw' technique—against which Sheng Kuan knows no defense—to bear, killing him. When Ah-Wu shows up after the fight and reveals his true allegiance, Chien and Pai feign defeat, and then, after fatally injuring Wu, reveal that they have by chance avoided ingesting the poison. Afterwards, the two friends wander off to refine Chien's new technique, giving it its titular name.

Cast

Jackie Chan – Chien Fu (as Cheng Lung)[1] (voiced by Tang Wing-hung)[2]

Hwang Jang-lee – Sheng Kuan[1]

Yuen Siu-tien – Pai Chang-tien (as Simon Yuen)[1]

Dean Shek – Teacher Li[1] (voiced by Lee Chung Keung)

Archive

Internet Archive, in More feature films

Licence or status

CC BY-ND 4.0, as the Internet Archive states it.

Credit

KonCategory3

Language

English

Who can watch

The archive gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from its collection and subjects. How films are placed