Woodyanders The evil and corrupt Emperor Yung Cheng (a marvelously ruthless portrayal by Yang Chiang) commissions a new deadly and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as the flying guillotine. After elite squad member Ma Teng (a solid and likable performance by Kuen Tai Chen) objects to the immoral killings done with the guillotines and decides to defect, Cheng sends the other members of the assassination squad to track Teng down and kill him. Director Meng Hua Ho relates the enjoyable and engrossing story at a snappy pace, doesn't skimp on the bloody'n'brutal violence, stages the action scenes with flair and skill, offers a meticulous and convincing evocation of the period setting, and even sprinkles in a little tasty female nudity for good measure. Kuang Ni's surprisingly meaty script nicely explores the significant themes of guilt, honor, loyalty, morality, and betrayal. The lavish sets and costumes provide an impressive sense of scope. The titular contraption rates as one seriously nasty and fearsome piece of lethal work. The lovely Wu Chi Liu brings a winning blend of charm and substance to her role as the sweet and sympathetic Yu Ping. Hui-chi Tsao's crisp widescreen cinematography gives this film a handsome and expansive look. Fu-ling Wang's dynamic and dramatic score hits the stirring spot. A really sound and satisfying Shaw Brothers outing.

wanderingstar A paranoid emperor has 12 assassins trained in the use of a new weapon - the flying guillotine, which can take a guy's head off at 100 paces. The weapon is pretty cheesy actually, but in a good way if you like these old Shaw Bros flicks.The main appeal of this film is that it is plot driven with a good story line, touching on concepts of morality and when to question loyalty.However, the kung fu is a bit sparse and we don't really see much martial arts until probably 40 minutes in.Worth watching though, better plot than most of these 70's kung fu flicks even if it isn't exactly packed with kung fu action.

winner55 This is one of those few movies that enters cinema legend simply because a better remembered film was made in response to it. Flying guillotine was quite popular in its day, thus Wang Yu's idea of stealing an idea from it. Now it's become difficult find.Of course I saw this after seeing Wang Yu's later film. Consequently I was actually prepared for a film much less fun than the later film.well, it is a little less fun - but only a little. Ho Meng-hua has really paced this film well - Whenever we reach a point where the plot appears in danger of slowing down, Ho makes sure something happens to recapture our attention.The cinematography is quite good, and the editor has used the footage well. But my sense is that the largest contribution was from Ho Meng-hwa.Of course, it helps a little to have Chen Kuan Tai play the hero. Chen was not only a brilliant traditional kung-fu performer, he could also act quite convincingly.There are a number of slips in the film, but thanks to its pacing, these are easy to ignore. It's definitely a "grand-guinol" B-movie; but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Rufus T This film is no high art but, if you would like to be entertained with good cheesy kung fu action, this movie could be for you. So outrageous it was one of the most memorable films I watched as a child. I don't want to give away too much. A flying guillotine, is a sort of hat box attached to a rope. Thrown like a Frisbee, it settles on a person's head then, with a quick tug it swiftly slices it off. The device is then yanked back like a returning yo-yo as the headless corpse drops to the ground. A Shaw Brothers classic.