← Back to Directory
Shaolin Deadly Kicks
Movie

Shaolin Deadly Kicks

1977 • Unknown

Woke Score
1
out of 10

Plot

Eight thieves steal a treasure map and split it into eight pieces, vowing to regroup three years later. But they'll have to deal with a deadly-kicking cop.

Overall Series Review

Shaolin Deadly Kicks is a classic 1977 Hong Kong martial arts film, driven entirely by action, crime, and justice. The plot follows an undercover police constable, Hung Yi, who must track down the eight members of a robbery gang who stole a treasure map and split it into pieces. The film is a showcase for the star, Dorian Tan Tao-Liang, whose dazzling taekwondo kicks earned him the nickname 'Flash Legs.' The narrative is a straightforward, high-stakes hunt where the protagonist’s superior martial skill and moral conviction are tested against the thieves' greed and treachery. The central conflict remains focused on the universal themes of law versus crime and the pursuit of a moral duty, offering non-stop action typical of the Golden Age of Kung Fu cinema.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

Characters are judged solely on their fighting ability and their status as a lawman or a criminal. The all-Asian casting is authentic to the 1970s Hong Kong production and genre. The film contains no focus on immutable characteristics or political lectures regarding race.

Oikophobia1/10

The film centers on the protagonist's mission to uphold the law and return a stolen treasure map to its rightful location, implied to be a temple. This premise reinforces a positive view of traditional legal institutions and a cultural landmark. The story celebrates Chinese martial arts traditions and physical discipline.

Feminism2/10

The main focus is the martial arts combat between the male protagonist and the male villains. The narrative briefly features women in supportive and familial roles, such as the love interest who saves the hero and the blind mother of one of the villains. The story uses family responsibility as a moral motivator for one of the men.

LGBTQ+1/10

The action narrative is purely focused on the conflict between the male police officer and the male criminals. The plot contains no references to sexual ideology, alternative sexualities, or the deconstruction of the nuclear family. Gender dynamics are traditionally presented for the era and genre.

Anti-Theism1/10

The story establishes a clear, objective moral truth: the lawman is good, and the greedy thieves are evil. The protagonist's ultimate goal is to recover the treasure map and return it to the temple, representing a transcendent moral purpose. The film is a classic good versus evil story.