The Rebel Intruders (4½ Stars)

I almost gave this film five stars. It has the best kung fu action (i.e. realistic kung fu) of any film I've seen. All the fighters are highly skilled, both the good guys and the bad guys. The reason that I've deducted half a star is because the action is confused by having too many characters. Fighters are introduced, some late in the film, and their names are announced on the screen, but there are so many of them that I can't possibly remember all their names. I didn't count them, but there must be at least 15, maybe 20 named fighters. In their favour, they're all have excellent skills.

There's another problem, a problem with the packaging of the film. not the film itself. The film offers a selection between German dubbing and the original Chinese dialogue with English subtitles. I picked the latter version of course. I wasn't able to figure out when the film took place in Chinese history. After finishing the film I rewatched the opening scene in German. Ah ha! At the beginning there's text on the screen which isn't translated in the subtitles, but in the dubbed version there's a voiceover explaining the historical background. Now it's all clear.

The film takes place in the early 17th Century, towards the end of the Ming Dynasty. Law and order has broken down. Various generals have conquered provinces, setting themselves up as local dictators. They're fighting against one another to extend their territory. The town of Hsuchin is ruled by the benevolent leader Cheng. The cruel General Lin (who we don't see in the film) is advancing. Cheng has appointed four commanders to defend the town. Lin has sent a message to Commander Teng, promising him wealth and power if he lets him into the town.

The town is full of refugees, fleeing from the fighting in the North. Cheng might be benevolent, but his soldiers don't trust the refugees and attack them at the slightest provocation. The refugees are considered to be criminals. Things haven't changed much since then.

Most of the refugees have to sleep on the street, but three young men are more fortunate. They're all highly skilled fighters. One is hired as the doorman of a whore house. One is hired as a security guard in a casino. One is hired to train Commander Teng's soldiers. A brawl breaks out in the casino, and the three men get to know one another. They become blood brothers.

Teng murders Cheng in the whore house. The only witnesses are the three friends, so they're framed for the murder. They have to fight their way through the town.

The fight scenes are dazzling, even though they're not as exaggerated as many other martial arts films. The different army groups in the town have different fighting styles: spear, sword and bare fists, which means a lot of variation in the fights. I can highly recommend this film.