KUNG FU (1972) - Season II - mininova

An extremely rare collection ...



For those unfamiliar with the name of Kwai Chang Caine, Kung Fu was a very popular 1970s TV series starring David Carradine as a half American, half Chinese Shaolin monk wandering the old West of the 1870s. When the newly qualified Caine (Carradine) and Master Po (Keye Luke) get in the way of the Emperor's nephew, the royal coward shoots the blind Master Po and in a spontaneous act of revenge, Caine kills him.



Now Caine, with a $10,000 price on his head from the Emperor, flees to America in order to avoid the bounty hunters and to search for his half-brother Danny. As you'd imagine, a half-caste Chinese was not universally welcomed in the wild west and he continually finds himself at odds with every kind of bad guy at large at the time - bandits, robbers, desperados, corrupt ranchers, etc. while still being pursued by the bounty hunters.



Anyway, being a series, what we get is Caine travelling from place to place in his search but also coming up against a problem or bad guy and having to use his formidable martial art skills and the teachings of his Shaolin masters to prevail.



If you grew up in the seventies this was compulsory viewing, especially for most young males. Westerns were still popular at the time and what could be better than to add the mystique of the oriental martial arts, something that was doing well at the cinema but still fairly new to television at the time. Also, on top of the martial arts was the mystery of the Shaolin priests, regarded as the experts in the ancient art of Kung Fu but essentially men of peace, seeking only enlightenment and contentment in a chaotic world - It is said a Shaolin priest can walk through walls. Looked for, he cannot be seen. Listened for, he cannot be heard. Touched, he cannot be felt.



Unlike most martial arts movies of the time, and that hasn't changed much since, the violence and fight scenes are not the main focus of Kung Fu. Even though Bruce Lee was deeply involved with the development of the series and originally intended himself to be cast as the lead, this was never intended to be just another beat-em-up series but extolled the peaceful teachings of the Shaolin Temple.



David Carradine excels in the role of Kwai Chang Caine and this second season continues with well written and directed episodes and good acting all round. Regulars Keye Luke (Master Po), Philip Ahn (Master Kan) and Radames Pera (Young Caine) continue to delight during the flashbacks to the Shaolin Temple and the philosophical and Taoist teachings that help Caine solve his weekly problems. There were also a few recognisable faces guest starring in the episodes - this season sees the likes of Benson Fong, Don Johnson, Slim Pickens, Tina Louise, Harrison Ford, John Carradine, Gilbert Roland and Nancy Kwan appearing in the storylines. There are also a fair number of other actors that you'll no doubt recognise from other shows of the time and some that are still on the go.



http://www.digitallard.com/moviereview/420/



BONUS :



- The Original Soundtrack & two documentaries:



From Grasshopper To Caine - Creating Kung Fu (2003) &

The Tao Of Caine - Production & Beyond (2003)



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