Classic Television Review: Kung Fu

America is the place. The old west is the time. Kung Fu is the legend. Kwai Chang Caine is the man.

But he is no ordinary man. He is a Shaolin priest. His hands and feet are deadly, yet his mind is peaceful and serene. He crosses the seemingly endless dunes of a desert, taunted by a scorching sun. For him it is a walk in the park. So focused, so disciplined, nothing fazes him.

The miners at the saloon don't believe him when he tells them that he walked across the desert. They almost don't believe what they see with their own eyes. A ruffian pulls a knife and Caine deftly kicks it out of the ruffian's hand--the knife is launched and sticks to the ceiling.

The ruffian tries to club Caine with a chair. The chair is blocked by Caine's lighting hand, then his foot connects with the ruffian's stomach, sending the ruffian hurling into a card table, which collapses to the floor.

Chinese are not allowed in the saloon, but no-one, from now on, tries to stop Caine from finishing his water mixed with tea leaves from his pouch. The crowd stands in awe of this seemingly simple, soft-spoken man who is a Kung Fu master.

Caine's memories are flashbacks to his youth at the Shaolin Temple in China. His father was American. His mother was Chinese. His parents are dead and he was an orphan. From this tragedy and discord arose his inner harmony and oneness with the universe.

The Shaolin masters taught him well. After walking on rice paper, after taking a pebble from his master's hand, after branding his forearms with dragon symbols while carrying a caldron of hot coals, it is time for him to leave, to go to America, to find his brother Daniel Caine, to find his roots, and to escape the price on his head.

Why is there a price on his head? The answer is revealed when you hear the grasshopper. To hear the grasshopper, according to the blind Master Po, you must learn to see with your ears.

Of course, watching the video might be easier.

This video is the pilot to the Kung Fu television series which debuted in 1972.

David Carradine stars as Kwai Chang Caine in this action-adventure western-or should I say eastern? In either case, Carradine plays the role in the center-very convincingly.

Keye Luke plays the sweetest, wisest, and most nurturing old man you will ever see. As the blind but extraordinary Master Po, he teaches young Grasshopper (Caine) the Taoist philosophy.

Philip Ahn is Master Kan-serene and surreal as he delivers the classic line: "When you can take the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave."

Rad Pera is Kwai Chang Caine the boy. Always placid, always open, always ready to soak up his lessons like a sponge.

The supporting cast did their jobs well and earned their pay. The fight choreography is not the best I have seen; however, the philosophical teachings delivered by Caine and his masters are the most fascinating aspect of this video.

The theme music is oriental with reed instruments setting the serene and centered tone of the flashback scenes in China. The costumes, sets and locations are convincing and made me forget that I was just watching a video.

I could write more words, but I won't. Kwai Chang Caine says, "If words are no better than silence, it is better to remain silent."

Recommended:

Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older