KILLER CLANS offers something a little different for fans of Shaw Brothers swordplay movies. There's a greater emphasis on characterisation here than action, and the plot is a lot more complicated than most. It involves a couple of rival clans, and associated freelance swordsmen, battling either other in a series of assassination attempts and face-to-face brawls. So far so ordinary, you might think, but this is made thoroughly entertaining by typical Shaw Brothers production values, i.e. Colourful, often splendid sets, and fine cinematography.

The action, when it comes, is short and deadly. There's less emphasis here on hand to hand combat than weapon play, and there's the usual fun from intriguing props - poison darts shooting from the wrist, robes that protect the wearer from damage. In the end, as always, technique wins out. The acting is of a higher quality than in many lesser kung fu movies and Ku Feng in particular plays a good, interesting and likable character with much complexity. Chor Yuen directed seemingly hundreds of these 'martial world' stories in the latter part of the 1970s but this one stands out due to the strength of the characters involved, both good and bad.

KILLER CLANS opens with Meng (Tsung Hua) making short work of a killer known for killing 108 men- thus establishing Meng as one bad mother****er. From a brothel madam he learns of a plot to kill the head of the Lung Men Society, Sun Yu (Ku Feng). Sun's right hand men are Lu Chuan (Yeuh Hua),whose clothes conceal 72 weapons, and the mysterious Han Tang (Lo Lieh),whose face is never seen in public (if it is, he immediately smears his face with the blood of his victim, to hide his identity). Han Tang wields a razor-edged circular weapon hidden in his hat. KILLER CLANS plays out not unlike THE GODFATHER: Han Tang is ambushed and killed (not unlike "Luca Brasi" in THE GODFATHER). Along the way, Sun's son, Sun Chien, is also ambushed and killed (again, like THE GODFATHER). The drunken Yeh (Ling Yun) is almost an afterthought, and dies, too.There's enough action to keep things moving, and enough going on storywise to make it all interesting. Another kung fu keeper.

This movie makes my list of the best martial arts movies of all time for the year of 1976. It's a story of martial arts clan feuding with intrigue and betrayal. The movie is more focused on the story and characters and the fight sequences are few and short. The fights account for less than 20% of the run time. That is not a description of what I like in a martial arts movie yet this is definitely one of my favorites. I have watched it about three times over the last ten years or so and it stands up.

The nudity in these movies is always female gratuitous nudity. I have no problem with this as long as the babe is hot.

Most of the fights are with weapons. I prefer authentic Chinese weapons. "Legendary Weapons of China" is my top movie of all kind. This movie has many fanciful weapons that look cool but in reality probably would cause only little harm or might not work at all. One character carries 72 hidden weapons at all times. I can see how this is fun for the audience. However, as a lifelong martial arts practitioner I expect respect for authentic legendary weapons.

Enough of what I consider flaws. The features of the movie certainly overcome all flaws. The pace of the story adjusts for the action and dialog. This mix flows smoothly to lock the attention of the audience from start to finish. The fight sequences are short but the substance and uniqueness of each one hits both quick and satisfying. Finally, the Shaw sets and costumes are always a feature and I think this movie topped everything that came before.