Yuen Woo-ping directs Jackie Chan, Hwang Jang Lee and Yuen Siu-tien in this martial arts classic about an orphan who learns a forbidden fighting style. 

Martial arts movies are still a novelty to me. I’ve seen about thirty in my life, so I’m no expert. But I know a good un when I see one. Chan is unashamedly entertaining in Snake in Eagle’s Shadow. Lending his fluid movements, his impressive strength, his laid back physical timing and his boyish exuberance to a classic tale of training montages, wise masters, despicable villians and demented duels. The soundtrack is a seventies collage of stolen samples and the sound effects play like you are dubbing them in with your mouth on the sofa . There’s nothing wrong with that. It adds to the thrills. Adds to the charm. A comedy sequence involving footprints and a cloth has to be seen to be believed. A brilliant sustained visual gag. Old school perfection.

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