Fans thought that Chang Cheh couldn’t out-do his star-making box office hits One-Armed Swordsman, Vengeance, The Water Margin, and Blood Brothers, among many others. Once this landmark saga hit the screen, however, they had to raise their expectations once again. The story was simplicity itself: Shaolin renegade legend Hung Hsi-kuan had five comrades, each with an individual kung-fu skill. This is the story of that quintet’s fight against their Manchu oppressors and traitorous collaborators, played to the hilt by some of the finest martial arts actors who ever got their kicks. Revered choreographers Liu Chia-liang and his brother Liu Chia-yung were there to create one unforgettable bout after another, featuring Crossed Fist, Triple-Jointed Stick, Rolling Technique, Tiger-Stork Style, and Pole Attack. Each of the well-defined heroes takes on the clearly delineated villains for involving sequences of unparalleled effect.