Storywise, THE BLAZING TEMPLE works as a direct follow-up to RETURN OF THE 18 BRONZEMEN, except that the actors who appear in both are not necessarily in the same roles. For instance, in RETURN Carter Wong played an Emperor who went undercover to train at Shaolin, while in BLAZING, he plays Siu, one of a small group of exemplary Shaolin students (YI Yuan takes over the role of the Shaolin-trained Emperor).
More of an action and swordfighting film, than a boxing film (until the final showdown), the said action in BLAZING is both impressive and nearly non-stop. The center piece (using miniatures) is the Qing attack on, and the burning of, the Shaolin Temple. This rather sobering section includes shots of several monks self-immolating as the temple crumbles and burns around them.
BLAZING is also more of an ensemble piece than a showcase for any individual actor. In addition to Carter, CHANG Yi and WEI Tzu-tung have featured roles as two of his fellow exemplary students.
As for notable women, CHIA Ling (aka Judy Lee) bookends the film, serving up a welcome display of kicks, punches, leaps and sword-swingin'. Additionally, there's the wonderful Grace Chen Shu-fang as the Emperor's feisty #1 concubine.
Finally, I should note that I watched this film via the subtitled Mei-Ah dvd and I heartily recommend this version. Should a dubbed version exist, it might not be nearly as satisfying.
More of an action and swordfighting film, than a boxing film (until the final showdown), the said action in BLAZING is both impressive and nearly non-stop. The center piece (using miniatures) is the Qing attack on, and the burning of, the Shaolin Temple. This rather sobering section includes shots of several monks self-immolating as the temple crumbles and burns around them.
BLAZING is also more of an ensemble piece than a showcase for any individual actor. In addition to Carter, CHANG Yi and WEI Tzu-tung have featured roles as two of his fellow exemplary students.
As for notable women, CHIA Ling (aka Judy Lee) bookends the film, serving up a welcome display of kicks, punches, leaps and sword-swingin'. Additionally, there's the wonderful Grace Chen Shu-fang as the Emperor's feisty #1 concubine.
Finally, I should note that I watched this film via the subtitled Mei-Ah dvd and I heartily recommend this version. Should a dubbed version exist, it might not be nearly as satisfying.