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The Spiritual Boxer was an early Shaw Brothers kung fu comedy starring Wong Yu. For the most part it was inoffensive and yet also mind numbingly boring. Wong Yu did not have the charisma to carry off this bland redemption story by Ni Kuang.
Hsiao Chen is separated from his master when Chi Keung was taken to jail. Hsiao takes over their spiritual charlatan business by accident and then purposefully. He’s saved from a group of thugs by cross-dressing Jin Lian who becomes his new “disciple” in the business. The two end up fleecing people even as they convince the villagers Hsiao is a medium for the gods. When Hsiao begins teaching the villagers kung fu to protect themselves from the local gangsters, the Big Bad calls in reinforcements that may be the end for the “spiritual boxer.”
I had high hopes for this film when the introduction included an exhibition match with Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, and Wilson Tong. It went downhill from there. Wong had skills but lacked the star power to carry this film. The film had numerous familiar names as villagers and the Big Bad’s thugs. Lin Chen Chi in a wig that looked like combed out roadkill, did an adequate if not memorable job. Shih Chung Tien wasn’t exactly terrifying as the local crime boss Liu Deruei. Lee Hoi San and Ng Hong Sang did, however, bring the menace as Liu’s hired specialty killers.
The bookended fights were well choreographed as Lau Kar Leung (one of my faves) was both the director and martial arts director. This was only his second directorial effort so I’m willing to cut him some slack. Spiritual Boxer was the film equivalent of luke warm water, not awful, but not good either. Graded on a curve as usual.
31 October 2025
Hsiao Chen is separated from his master when Chi Keung was taken to jail. Hsiao takes over their spiritual charlatan business by accident and then purposefully. He’s saved from a group of thugs by cross-dressing Jin Lian who becomes his new “disciple” in the business. The two end up fleecing people even as they convince the villagers Hsiao is a medium for the gods. When Hsiao begins teaching the villagers kung fu to protect themselves from the local gangsters, the Big Bad calls in reinforcements that may be the end for the “spiritual boxer.”
I had high hopes for this film when the introduction included an exhibition match with Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, and Wilson Tong. It went downhill from there. Wong had skills but lacked the star power to carry this film. The film had numerous familiar names as villagers and the Big Bad’s thugs. Lin Chen Chi in a wig that looked like combed out roadkill, did an adequate if not memorable job. Shih Chung Tien wasn’t exactly terrifying as the local crime boss Liu Deruei. Lee Hoi San and Ng Hong Sang did, however, bring the menace as Liu’s hired specialty killers.
The bookended fights were well choreographed as Lau Kar Leung (one of my faves) was both the director and martial arts director. This was only his second directorial effort so I’m willing to cut him some slack. Spiritual Boxer was the film equivalent of luke warm water, not awful, but not good either. Graded on a curve as usual.
31 October 2025
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