Overview: Before he helped Bruce Lee unleash his Fists of Fury, director Lo Wei established himself as a master of action with swordplay classics like this story of family and vengeance; eight warriors - amongst them Nora Miao (The Way of the Dragon) and Angela Mao (Ener the Dragon) - ride out for revenge against the cruel general who killed all their fathers.

With action arranged by the young genius Sammo Hung - who also appears - Invincible Eight is an undisputed classic of early Hong Kong action, now beautifully restored and presented on Blu-ray for the very first time.

Blu-ray Verdict: One of the very first films from the newly formed Golden Harvest studios, The Invincible Eight boasts a roster of soon-to-be stars as its main attraction, including James Tien, Angela Mao Ying, and a very cute Nora Miao, who happily waltzes away with the movie every time she’s onscreen.

It’s not a million miles from what was coming out of Shaw Brothers at the time, and Lo Wei’s direction is workmanlike at best, but it’s a good story, just complex enough to be interesting without getting confusing, and some of the characters have more depth and backstory than usual. The cook, in particular, could have been little more than annoying comic relief, but he’s an important character throughout and gets plenty to do.

Oddly enough, it’s the action that occasionally lets the side down. The early brawls are, y’know, fine, but they lack spark and too often look a little slow and clumsy. It doesn’t help that whips are a very boring weapon, as there’s not a lot they can do; you either get hit or you don’t. There’s no parrying them, no deflections, no crack of steel against steel.

Then, out of nowhere, the 20 minute climax rolls around and the action suddenly feels revitalized. There’s strong, energetic choreography, plenty of speed and motion, and little touches that bring it all to life, like a sword snagging a roller blind and unravelling it mid-fight.

I do wonder if co-choreographers Han Ying-Chieh and Sammo Hung took charge of the different fights? Han had been directing martial arts sequences for over a decade at this point, and the early fights definitely feel more like that kinda stodgy style of the 60s, whereas the finale is much more in the style Sammo would refine and perfect over the next ten years. Or maybe I’m totally wrong, who knows?

Regardless, this was a ton of fun, and I sincerely hope MVD continues to release all these early Golden Harvest films, as there are some real belters among them. [D.S.]

Bonus Contents:
O-RING SLIP CASE WITH NEW ARTWORK BY AURELIO LORENZO
2K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVE
REMASTERED ORIGINAL MANDARIN MONOAURAL SOUNDTRACK
NEWLY TRANSLATED ENGLISH SUBTITLES
Original Trailer
Audio Commentary with Asian Cinema Experts Frank Djeng & Michael Worth Image Gallery
Reversible sleeve with original Hong Kong poster artwork
Original Trailer

The Invincible Eight (1971) Original Trailer

Official Purchase Link