Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) poster
7.8
Your Rating: 0/10
Ratings: 7.8/10 from 315 users
# of Watchers: 517
Reviews: 1 user
Ranked #3925
Popularity #11578
Watchers 315

Chien Fu, an orphan adopted by a kung-fu school, is overworked as their janitor and abused by the kung fu teachers as a walking punching bag. Chien befriends an old beggar by offering him a meal and a place to stay. Unknown to Chien, the old beggar is actually the last surviving master of the Snake-style of kung fu. The old man is on the run from the Eagle Claw clan, which is viciously killing off all of the rival Snake-style kung fu masters. Seeing that Chien is being abused, the old man teaches Chien the footwork of snake style which enables one to avoid an opponent's attacks. (Source: Wikipedia) Edit Translation

  • English
  • Español
  • magyar / magyar nyelv
  • dansk
  • Country: Hong Kong
  • Type: Movie
  • Release Date: Mar 1, 1978
  • Duration: 1 hr. 38 min.
  • Score: 7.8 (scored by 315 users)
  • Ranked: #3925
  • Popularity: #11578
  • Content Rating: 13+ - Teens 13 or older

Cast & Credits

Photos

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) photo
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) photo
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) photo
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) photo
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) photo

Reviews

Completed
The Butterfly
4 people found this review helpful
Sep 29, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

A menagerie of kung fu styles!

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow was Jackie Chan's first hit and first hint at the comedic kung fu movie style he would go on to perfect. A 65-year-old Simon Yuen meshed perfectly with Chan and the old kung fu artist showed he was still spritely for a man his age.

Chien Fu is an orphan who works as a janitor and tackling dummy for a martial arts school. When he "saves" a beggar from being abused by another school he inadvertently meets his new kung fu teacher. Pai Chang Tien is a Snake Fist master in disguise and on the run from the Eagle Claw clan who are seeking to eliminate all those who practice the reptilian style. After an arduous training montage, Chien Fu learns the Snake style just in time to face the Big Bad. But in order to defeat him he will have to add another style to succeed in the life or death battle.

Simon Yuen was a delight as the crafty old master who could defeat opponents with chopsticks and a rice bowl. He may have had stuntman help but there were many scenes where he was still showing he had the moves that had kept him employed for thirty years at the time. His son, Yuen Woo Ping, alongside Hsu Hsia created the entertaining fights. While acrobatic and comic, the fights could be slow as Jackie Chan went through his elaborate moves. The movie did show why there need to be animal rights activists when Chien Fu learned Cat's Claw technique from watching a house cat fight a cobra. PETA line 1! Tino Wong made an appearance as an offended fighter who roughed up some of the school's fighters and in the end had to be taught a lesson by Chien Fu. In the final fight with Hwang Jang Lee, aka Thunderleg, the legendary kicker accidentally knocked out one of Jackie's teeth which was quite apparent. The screeching cat sounds were hilarious when Chien Fu used the Cat's Claw technique.

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow started out slow, but once Simon brought Jackie up to speed on his fighting skill, the movie also picked up speed. Aside from the initial slapstick scenes, the comedy also became better integrated into the story as it went on and wasn't so over the top. This was a fun kung fu flick that showed off a variety of styles which I always find interesting. The chemistry between Chan and Yuen made up for story plot holes and lapses. For fans of Jackie Chan, it's one to check out to see where his comedic style really began to take root.

9/28/23

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Details

  • Movie: Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
  • Country: Hong Kong
  • Release Date: Mar 1, 1978
  • Duration: 1 hr. 38 min.
  • Content Rating: 13+ - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

  • Score: 7.8 (scored by 315 users)
  • Ranked: #3925
  • Popularity: #11578
  • Watchers: 517

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