Scott Brooks

I mostly enjoyed it. The story and the production values were mostly excellent. The biggest drawbacks in my opinion were; the jumps back and forth in time weren't made clear enough, and, the characters of May, Cate, and Kentaro were insufferable and unlikeable. (it seems like the writers were only capable of writing them as petulant children) But, other than that, it was a pretty compelling show! I would've given it 4 stars if not for those 3 awful characters bogging it down.

"Poison Clan Rocks the World!" ...this is the movie that started my lifelong fanaticism of Chinese Kung-fu films. Considered essential viewing by serious fans, this is one of the most iconic Chinese Kung-fu movies in the history of the genre, so much so that the troupe of actors who starred in it have come to be known as "the venom mob", and it's reputed to have inspired both "The Power Rangers" and the "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad" in "Kill Bill". It's directed by one of the giants of the industry, the venerable Chang Cheh, who directed other classics such as "Kid with the Golden Arm", "5 Element Ninja", and "The One Armed Swordsman", and his unique, patented style was in top form here. "5 Deadly Venoms" is as much a drama/suspense/mystery/thriller as it is a martial arts movie. Even though the fighting styles are steeped in fantasy, the overall plot manages to stay oddly grounded. In a nutshell: a reclusive master is dying, he knows that several of his former students are going to use their kung-fu superpowers to kill and rob his old partner who has amassed a secret fortune, so he entrusts his final student with the duty of finding them and stopping them before they do. There's more to it - FAR more - but that's the basic jist (you can easily find more detailed synopsis's online). There's even a nice lil' twist at the end worthy of M. Night Shyamalan. Yes, at the end of the day, "5 Deadly Venoms" has all of the flaws of the typical Kung-fu movie of it's time, it has it's cheesey elements, like the acting, and a relatively low budget, but that's just the nature of the beast. It also does a lot of things very well, such as the sets, the costumes, and the overall production. All-in-all, it definitely deserves it's place in the Hall of Fame. If you've never seen it, watch it...and if you have, watch it again.