Kung Fu Review #1

Welcome to the first of many Kung Fu Reviews.
In order to get all the dust off of my kung fu/karate movies, I will be watching them and writing a review for every single martial arts film that I own.
I will give my point of view as to whether the film is first-rate, or if it stinks worse than dog poop.
So without further ado, here we go.
The film I watched last night was called "Invincible Armour", and i must admit, having forgotten just what this film was about, I felt more than a little skeptical about if it should be the first one to review. The opening credits were more than enough to get me hyped up. During the opening, the narrator explained that the technique known as Iron Armour was the most effective martial art in terms of defense, while Eagle's Claw was the most effective in terms of offense. Combined, the two styles were considered unbeatable.
So at this point, I'm thinking "somebody is gonna be a bad mofo up in this if they've mastered BOTH styles!
On to the plot.
The story begins when a traveler named Hu Long happens upon a Ming Dynasty Minister, a Pai Mei, or Bak Mei like character. They briefly test each other's abilities, and compare notes, and in a beautifully choreographed exhibition match, Hu Long cheats and kills the Minister.
His right hand man, General Chow tries to subdue the assassin, but fails, and at the same time is accused of the murder. Before the authorities can apprehend him, he vows to avenge his master. He then sets off on his task, and the news of Minister's murder makes its way back to Ming Minister Chang. (Another Bak Mei)
He then sends out his own man Security Chief Shen Yu to find General Chow and kill him on sight as immediately as possible-no questions asked.
During his search for Hu Long, General Chow meets and helps out a young
boy's sister stop the lewd advances of a bully, and the boy and Chow become fast friends. The boy then teaches Chow a new technique called Iron Finger, which is even more fomidable than Eagle's Claw.
Minister Chang, having grown tired of waiting for Shen Yu to report General Chow's death, decides to find use his mastery of the Iron Armour, and Eagle's Claw styles to kill Chow.
Remember that bad mofo I was telling you about?
Now that you have the gist of what the film is about, go out and rent/buy/see it!!! The various styles of Kung Fu are excellently excecuted, the special effects (reverse camera jumps/slow motion/blood spurts) are everything you would expect in a martial arts film. The fight choreography is spot on throughout the entire film, and although the acting is'nt top-notch, the passion and emotions of the actors are almost palpable. All in all, Invincible Armour is a great film, and I give it 4 Kung Fu Kicks out of 5. It would have gotten a 5, but the acting could have been better, and Chow's training scene seemed slightly rushed.
Peace.