The Crippled Masters is a cult classic Hong Kong martial arts movie from 1979, directed by Chi Lo (Magic Swords, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu and Black Magic). The film stars Sung-Chuan Chen aka Frank Shum and Chao-Ming Kang aka Jackie Conn ( both actors starred together in Raiders of the Shaolin Temple, Two Crippled Heroes and Fighting Life), both men have physical disabilities. Chen was born with one severely disabled arm due to thalidomide syndrome and Kang has withered legs which he lost the use of during childbirth, both actors managed to adapt well and as we can see in this movie, became very talented martial artists. Other actors worthy of a mention are Chung-Kuei Chang (Wu Tang Vs Ninja, Drunken Tai Chi and Master of the Flying Guillotine), Mu-Chuan Chen (Iron Monkey II, Bloody Monkey Master and Hero of Death ) and Chang Ma (The Witch with the Flying Head, Raiders of the Shaolin Temple and Fearless Hyena II ).

The movie begins with Le Ho (Shum)  having his arms chopped off for betraying his master, Lin Chang Cao (Mu-Chaun Chen). Watching over the proceedings is Cao’s right-hand man, Tang (Conn). Le Ho is cast out into the streets and told never to return to the dojo, and after he is beaten up in a restaurant, he comes into the care of a kindly coffin maker. After Cao’s henchmen Black and White show up and start beating up the coffin maker. Le Ho manages to flee into the countryside, eventually stumbling across a small farm where he is taken in and given work. This is where he learns how to get by in the world without arms. 

Meanwhile, Tang falls foul of his master for knowing too much about his dealings and has acid poured over his legs before being cast out as Le Ho was. Le Ho finds Tang and with revenge on his mind drags the other man into a cave to beat him, however before he can complete the beating an odd little man appears and tells both men that he will train the pair in the martial arts in order that they may take revenge on the man who is really responsible for their dilemmas, Lin Chang Cao. The pair are taken under their new master’s wing and begin their rigorous training, learning martial arts that are perfectly adapted to their disabilities. Can Ho and Tang defeat Cao and end his reign of terror?

The Crippled Masters has become a genuine cult classic, the first martial arts movie to feature disabled actors in leading roles, a step that was revolutionary at the time. Both actors give reasonable performances, however it is their martial arts skills that helped the film reach cult classic status. Both men are outstanding martial artists and have developed styles that work well with their disabilities. The film’s fight sequences are among the finest in Hong Kong cinema and it has to be mentioned that Shum‘s use of a staff with no arms is a truly breathtaking sight to behold, whilst Conn can windmill with the best of them. The rest of the cast do a reasonable job and the film itself is a basic but enjoyable way to pass the time, however, the action and training sequences lift the film above and beyond its average status. 

The Blu-ray features a newly restored print from original 35mm archival elements and looks as good as it probably ever will. On top of that this new Blu-ray from Film Masters features an audio commentary track by Will Sloan and Justin Decloux, the Kings of Kung Fu documentary from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, a martial arts trailer compilation featuring Kung Fu classics like Jim Kelly’s Black Samurai, Sonny Chiba’s The Soul of Bruce Lee and The Game of Death, the 1974 Ramon Zamora movie not the unfinished Bruce Lee masterpiece, as well as old and new trailers for The Crippled Masters and the original raw scan of the movie, and some fascinating side by side comparison shots to show the work that has gone into the restoration of the movie.

Overall, this is a cracking release for a much-loved martial arts cult classic. Whilst the storyline itself may be a bit on the thin side the fight and training sequences are superb and really make this a brilliant watch. The bonus materials and the film restoration add value to the package making it a must-have for fans of classic martial arts movies as well as those who may just want to dip their toe into the genre. On top of that, we see two incredible athletes at the peak of their powers, giving everything they’ve got to this movie. This one is well worth five stars in anyone’s book.