18 Bronzemen is a 1976

Hong Kong films of 1976

A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1976:.-A-B:-C-:-External links:* * Hong Kong films of 1976 at...

 Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 kung fu film

Martial arts film

Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...

 directed by Joseph Kuo. It is one of the Shaolin

Shaolin kung fu

Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery.Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin...

 themed films, concerning their battles against the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

.

A sequel

Sequel

A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...

, called Return of the 18 Bronzemen, followed and was released in the same year.

Plot

The much-reviled Ching government decide to eradicate any opposition to their rulership by attacking pro-Ming families in the kingdom. One such attack sees an influential official killed, though his wife and son manage to escape thanks to the intervention of a close ally. While on the run, the son, Shaolung, is aided by his father's close friend (Jack Long) who teaches the young boy the basics of kung-fu. As time passes, the renegades must once again move on and evade capture by the Ching army. However, it is decided that the safest place for Shaolung to hide would be in the Ming-friendly Shaolin Temple where he could also further his knowledge of kung-fu. Once there, the boy finds the severe, disciplined lifestyle hard to cope with and, despite his best efforts, he lags behind his fellow pupils. Over time he does make a couple of close friends and it is their encouragement that drives him to reach his goals. Now a young man, Shaolung (Tien Peng) gradually develops into a formidable fighter and concentrates his sights on leaving Shaolin to avenge his father's death. However, to 'graduate' from Shaolin means to defeat the Shaolin bronzemen and a series of similarly fiendish tests. The first attempt to conquer these trials is unsuccessful, but Shaolung is spurred on by his straight-talking friend (Wong) and finally leaves through Shaolin's hallowed gates after a final tremendous effort. Once through the dreaded chambers, the Shaolin disciples will have the Shaolin crest of the dragon and tiger burnt into their forearms by lifting a huge bronze pot. Outside, our heroes meet up with more patriots. Shao Lung meets his uncle who tells him the true story of his past and gives him half of a royal seal, the other half belonging to his (unknown) future wife. Once on his journey again his constantly stalked by a young “man” (actually a woman in disguise), Miss Lu. After defending him from an assassination attempt, Miss Lu constantly claims how Shao Lung owes her his life, though he is still under the impression she is still a man (a typical recurring plot device in some martial arts films though it is obvious it is a woman). After another failed attempt at Shao Lung, he manages to come across Miss Lu’s half of the royal seal thus revealing she is a woman and also his wife-to-be. Shao Lung and Miss Lu meet up with Brother Wan, and in turn they meet with Brother Ta-Chi who managed to beat the Bronzemen and leave Shaolin. Ta-Chi is a mole who was placed in Shaolin by the Qings to learn kung fu and eventually kill Shao Lung. Shao Lung and Brother Wan manage to kill their former brother in self defense,and with Miss Lu, move on till kill the Manchu general.

Cast

• Chiang Nan – Brother Ta-Chi
• Jack Long – Young Ta-Chi
• Peng Tien – Shao Lung
• Polly Shang Kuan – Miss Lu
• Carter Wong – Brother Wan