Shaolin Daredevils, also known from it's various international subtitles The Daredevils, Daredevils Of Kung Fu and Magnificent Acrobats, is a 1979 Shaw Brothers martial arts movie directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Five Venoms Mob. Notably with Lo Mang as the protagonist, the son of a murdered kung-fu master who forms a team with his four best friends, led by Philip Kwok, in order to take down the corrupt head of military responsible for the murder.
Yang Tau-Ying is a student of a martial arts school and a hooligan, and the son of the academy's owner, Master Yang; but when the Yang family uncovers a conspiracy from a corrupt local military leader, General Han, resulting in Master Yang's death, Yang Tau-Ying ends up seeking assistance from his friends in the academy, including his bestie Liang Guo-ren, and fellow kung-fu trainees Fu Quan-yi, Xin-zheng and Chen Feng, to avenge Master Yang's murder. Calling themselves the Shaolin Daredevils, it's the five heroes against an army.
This is one of the somewhat rarer films where Lu Feng, who usually played villains in films featuring the Five Venoms (including Masked Avengers, Crippled Avengers and Five Deadly Venoms), gets to be one of the heroes for once.
Shaolin Daredevils contains examples of:
- Badass Crew: The five Daredevils, who bands together to take down General Han and his underlings.
- Band of Brothers: After Yang's family is killed and Yang intends to take down General Han in order to avenge his father, Yang's fellow compatriots in the kung fu school, consisting of Fu Quan-yi, Xin-zheng, Liang Guo-ren and Chen Feng quickly forms a team to assist Yang.
- Big Bad: General Han, who had Yang's father killed and massacred Yang's family in order to cover up a conspiracy. Yang and his new friends must expose the corrupt General and battle him to the death.
- Blood from the Mouth: Han, the main villain, after having his innards crushed.
- Bodyguarding a Badass: General Han have three elite fighters who serves as his personal bodyguards, despite Han being a very capable fighter on his own. Naturally the film's climax have Yang and his daredevil friends fighting Han and the elite guards to the death.
- Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting: The Five Daredevils are played by the Shaws' Five Venoms Mob, and they all get to show off their skills. As does the villain, General Han, and his minions as well.
- Good Old Fisticuffs: Despite the military theme and a subplot involving Yang and the Daredevils stealing pistols from General Han's quarters, all the action scenes in the film are fistfights.
- The Hero Dies: Yang, the film's main character, stays behind as a diversion as the MP barges into the warehouse the final battle took place. For his efforts, Yang ends up being shot multiple times by MPs, delivering one last line as credits roll.
- Lame Last Words:Yang: I should've chosen scissors. note
- Non-Indicative Title: Despite the title, the film have absolutely nothing to do with the Shaolin Sect at all. The heroes' fighting styles may be Shaolin-inspired, but they are in no way affiliated with Shaolin.
- Takes Ten to Hold: How General Han is defeated in the finale; after a lengthy fight where all of Han's bodyguards are taken down, the Daredevils then assists Yang into fighting Han, and ultimately the four Daredevils grabs Han by his arms and legs, pinning him to the ground, as Yang executes Han with a stomp via kneecap, crushing Han's guts and killing him.
- Training Montage: The Five Daredevils training to defeat General Han and his bodyguards.
- You Killed My Father: Yang Tau-Ying is after General Han after the general had Yang's father killed in a cover-up operation.
