The Crane Fighter (1979)

"If you had any character, you'd already be married"

Crane Fighter starring Chia Ling struggled to get out of its own way to make a coherent story, and I’m using that term loosely given the genre. Slapstick comedy juxtaposed with a high body count always takes away from the emotional stakes. Throw in some glaringly sexist language and this film was doomed to failure for me.

Ping’er has been forbidden by her father from ever studying kung fu. So, she does what any dutiful daughter would do and studies behind his back. Her father was one of the few people to survive the Qing attack on the Shaolin Temple which means there are men hunting him. The imposing General Ko Chin Chung is determined to eradicate the remaining Shaolin members. Into this volatile situation struts in Blue Fan aka Busybody who is either helping Ping’er out or sparring with her after her secret is exposed. General Ko leaves no stone unturned in his effort to find Ping’er and her family and friends, something they make all too easy for him.

Admittedly, this Taiwanese film was already going to be a challenge as it was faded, the sound tinny, and the dialogue dubbed in English. Ray Lui directed, produced, starred in, and was also a martial arts director for this film. I feel comfortable laying most of the blame for the cringey sexist language at his feet as well as writer Chang Hsin Yi. Blue Fan was always dropping words of wisdom that often began with, “Women are just like children…” Minor spoiler alert, Ping’er believed her new husband would have to force her onto the marriage bed. Speaking of cringey, the comedy was the cringiest. I’m not a big fan of kung fu comedy, but the sentiment here was we need a laugh so throw the stooge into a vat of water, tofu or have the ML’s face be peed on. What was actually comic were the awful Bruce Lee wigs for the men with a pigtail tacked on.

I like Chia Ling and more often than not have enjoyed her films. She was quick and limber, capable of doing some of her own tumbling. She held up well against the larger than normal fu fighter, Chin Kang. Ray’s choreography was actually pretty good, but his filming techniques didn’t impress me on the bigger fights. The Big Bad’s weakness was ridiculous though I haven’t seen that particular weak spot before. And doubt I will again.

As much as I adore a hard-hitting woman taking down the bad guys, this film was a chore to get through. Chia Ling and her character deserved better than to be constantly belittled for being a woman, especially by the male lead. Rated on a curve.

9 March 2026

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