Men from the Monastery

A predictable, though somewhat more brutal Cheh Chang film. Like most of his films, this one sticks close to the blueprint. These Shaw Bros martial arts features are solid filler for fans of the genre and minor deviations from the formula help to keep it at least a little fresh, as long as you don't expect to see anything that truly breaks the mold.

The titular monastery is the Shaolin temple, where four individuals come to train and learn from the local monks. They all have qualms with their Manchu oppressors and seek help from the teachers to take their revenge. It's not much of a plot, but it suffices for this type of film.

There are quite a few scenes shot on location, which is always a plus (I'm not the biggest fan of Chang's studio work), the finale has some nice visual touches and the fights are somewhat more brutal than usually the case. These are shifts I'm sure only dedicated Shaw Bros followers will notice, but they make that this film does stand out in Chang's oeuvre. Solid martial arts filler.