The perfect film to check out after watching Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon is 1978’s Five Deadly Venoms, which proves just as thrilling and exciting to watch. Recognized as one of the most motivational martial arts movies of all time, Enter The Dragon is credited for having contributed to the development of the martial arts genre in the movie industry and is one of the most influential action movies ever made. Enter The Dragon centers on three protagonists of different backgrounds, who all compete in a martial arts tournament.
Enter the Dragon was released shortly after Bruce Lee:s death and was widely praised for its screenplay, characters, and strong depiction of martial arts. In the years following its release, many martial arts movies have done their best to emulate Enter The Dragon’s success. While trying to follow up on the legendary Bruce Lee action movie is not an easy task, the 1978 mystery movie, Five Deadly Venoms, with a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, has proven itself to be a movie that can live up to the challenge.
Produced by the Shaw Brothers, Five Deadly Venoms was directed by Chang Cheh. The movie follows Yang Tieh, the sixth and final pupil of the powerful Poison Clan, who is called upon by his dying master, to locate and defeat five previous students who are believed to have been overcome by evil. Each of the five students possesses a unique style of kung-fu style, based on the Five Poisonous Creatures of Chinese folklore. Yang must locate the five students, uncover their identities, and determine who he can really trust to assist him in his mission.
Five Deadly Venoms received a widely positive reception from critics upon its initial release, receiving praise for its depiction of Chinese mythology, premise, and unique take on the martial arts genre. The movie also had an engaging mystery about the identity of the story’s true villain. That said, what is arguably the movie’s greatest element is its intense and powerful fight scenes that are ideal for viewers who enjoyed watching Bruce Lee’s martial arts performance in Enter The Dragon.
Why Five Deadly Venoms Still Holds Up Almost 50 Years Later
The Movie Has Developed A Cult Following Across The Years
Considered one of the best martial arts movies released in the 1970s, Five Deadly Venoms has developed a large cult following over the years as one of the most motivational kung-fu action movies ever made. Its status as a legendary martial arts movie is helped by the performances of the “Venom Mob actors.” Following the release of Five Deadly Venoms, the five actors -Chiang Sheng, Lu Feng, Phillip Kwok, Sun Chien, and Lo Meng – went on to appear in several more movies together. Their works contributed to the martial arts genre’s rise in popularity with cable and video distributors across America (via Black Belt Magazine).
Five Deadly Venoms has served as inspiration for acclaimed film director, Quentin Tarantino; the movie was one of several martial arts thrillers that inspired the creation of Kill Bill, with Five Deadly Venoms inspiring the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad seen battling against Beatrix in Tarantino’s action thriller. The movie also inspired the Furious Five team in Kung Fu Panda and has been sampled in the music of American hip-hop group, Wu-Tang Clan (via Vanity Fair). Considered one of the Shaw Brothers’ best martial arts movies, Five Deadly Venoms proves itself just as thrilling a watch as Bruce Lee’s legendary Enter The Dragon.