Judging from the bland title and the unoriginal opening, I thought this was going to another forgettable Kung Fu flick. Boy, was I wrong. This one is a lot of fun. It will surprise you in more ways than one.
Some thieves steal a sacred Kung Fu text from a Shaolin temple and kill the abbot. Time passes, and a young girl, miffed that the Shaolin temple does not allow women into their ranks, teams up with her uncle to kick their ass. They then reach a compromise: If she retrieves the book from the vicious gang, she will be allowed entrance. So, her uncle begins teaching her the art of “positive Kung Fu”, which has one side effect: It turns her into a man! (Complete with mustache!)
So, not only to we have a feminist Kung Fu movie, we also have one that acts as a trans allegory (crude as it may be) as our heroine is a woman trapped in a man’s body (albeit temporarily). This is why I watch so many seemingly ordinary Kung Fu flicks. You never know when you’re going to get one that is this progressive.
In addition to swapping genders, the book also gives the user the ability to acquire many skills that are rarely seen in martial arts movies. Throughout the film, the heroine uses Go-Go Gadget Legs and Mr. Fantastic arms to defeat her enemies. Other gimmicked fight scenes include fighters who use poison, can become invisible, and take on animal characteristics.
The book also apparently gave the composer the ability to steal music from the 1933 version of King Kong.
Fight for Survival (which also goes by the infinitely more awesome title, Kung Fu Halloween) doesn’t stay on one subject for very long as it’s constantly hopping from one nutty premise to another. Although this can get a little frustrating at times, it’s certainly never boring. It’s not perfect by any means (the heroine’s two bumbling sidekicks are annoying), but it’s unique, memorable, and a lot of fun.
AKA: The Fight for Shaolin Tamo Mystique. AKA: Don’t Bleed on Me. AKA: Kung Fu Halloween. AKA: Lady Wu Tang. AKA: Shaolin Tamo Systique.
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