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IMDbPro

Heroes of the East

Original title: Zhong hua zhang fu
  • 1978
  • R
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
Heroes of the East (1978)
A Chinese man (Liu) marries a Japanese woman through an arranged marriage and manages to insult all of her Japanese martial arts family by issuing a challenge to her that is misinterpreted by the others. He must then prove how good Chinese Kung Fu really is through a series of duels with the seven Japanese martial artists who come to meet the challenge.
Play trailer4:17
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33 Photos
Kung FuActionComedy

A Chinese man marries a Japanese martial artist, and they begin to bicker over which country has the better martial arts. It reaches a point where he has to go against Japanese martial artis... Read allA Chinese man marries a Japanese martial artist, and they begin to bicker over which country has the better martial arts. It reaches a point where he has to go against Japanese martial artists in different styles to prove who's the best.A Chinese man marries a Japanese martial artist, and they begin to bicker over which country has the better martial arts. It reaches a point where he has to go against Japanese martial artists in different styles to prove who's the best.

  • Director
    • Chia-Liang Liu
  • Writer
    • Kuang Ni
  • Stars
    • Chia-Hui Liu
    • Yuka Mizuno
    • Yasuaki Kurata
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    2.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Chia-Liang Liu
    • Writer
      • Kuang Ni
    • Stars
      • Chia-Hui Liu
      • Yuka Mizuno
      • Yasuaki Kurata
    • 33User reviews
    • 33Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 4:17
    Trailer

    Photos33

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    Top cast43

    Edit
    Chia-Hui Liu
    Chia-Hui Liu
    • Ho Tao
    Yuka Mizuno
    • Yumiko Koda
    Yasuaki Kurata
    Yasuaki Kurata
    • Takeno, Japanese ninjutsu expert
    • (as Kurata Yasuaki)
    Naozo Kato
    • Dojo Grandmaster
    Tsutomu Harada
    • Japanese Kendo expert
    • (as Riki Harada)
    Yujiro Sumi
    • Karate expert
    Hayato Ryuzaki
    • Nunchaku expert
    Nobuo Yana
    • Japanese spear expert
    Yasutaka Nakazaki
    • Japanese Sai expert
    Hitoshi Ômae
    • Japanese judo expert
    Chia-Liang Liu
    Chia-Liang Liu
    • Drunken Master Su (Guest star)
    Ho Bao-Hsing
      Lung Chan
      Lung Chan
      Ming-Wai Chan
      Ming-Wai Chan
        Kang-Yeh Cheng
        Kang-Yeh Cheng
        • Chow Kan
        Chok-Chow Cheung
        Chok-Chow Cheung
        Tien-Chu Chin
        Tien-Chu Chin
        • Wedding guest
        Miao Ching
        Miao Ching
        • Mr. Ho
        • Director
          • Chia-Liang Liu
        • Writer
          • Kuang Ni
        • All cast & crew
        • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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        Storyline

        Edit

        Did you know

        Edit
        • Trivia
          When the Japanese fighters arrive in Hong Kong they walk past, possible arrive on, the Norwegian ship MS Halldis.
        • Alternate versions
          The UK VHS release is cut by over 5 minutes for a '15' rating.
        • Connections
          Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Kung Fu Movies of All Time (2020)

        User reviews33

        Featured review
        8/10

        Solid martial arts movie from Shaw Brothers Studios

        Heroes Of The East aka Shaolin Challenges Ninja is one of many collaborations between actor Gordon Liu and director Lau Kar Leung brought to us by the legendary Shaw Bros. Studios. Gordon Liu has an arranged marriage with a woman from Japan. His wife is an expert of various Japanese fighting styles and each party is of the viewpoint that their style is better than the other. Their various sparring matches cause serious tension in their marriage as well as destroy much of the house. Gordon Liu is, of course an awesome exponent of Chinese kung fu. His wife takes off to Japan and in an effort to get his wife back, slams the Japanese martial arts and challenges her to a competition. His wife's martial arts instructor/love interest grabs the letter from her and does not appreciate the letter's content. Next thing you know Yasuaki Karata and a bunch of Japanese dudes show up at Gordon Liu's pad and challenge him to a tournament. Gordon Liu accepts and fights each representative of various Japanese fighting styles. What separates Heroes Of The East from various other Chinese vs Japanese productions is that it respects both cultures and their fighting styles as well. There are lots of great fights to be had here and both Gordon Liu and Yasuaki Kurata are in top form. Heroes Of The East is indeed a solid martial arts film but it is nowhere near as essential as Lau Kar Leung/Gordon Liu's kung fu masterwork The 36 Chambers Of Shaolin aka Master Killer. Heroes Of The East still resonates and is an enjoyable, fast paced and cohesive martial arts film that is memorable and far above average.
        • dworldeater
        • Jan 19, 2015
        • Permalink

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        FAQ14

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        Details

        Edit
        • Release date
          • December 30, 1978 (Hong Kong)
        • Country of origin
          • Hong Kong
        • Languages
          • Mandarin
          • Cantonese
          • Japanese
        • Also known as
          • Challenge of the Ninja
        • Filming locations
          • Yokohama Harbour, Kanagawa, Japan(Yumiko returns home)
        • Production companies
          • Film Workshop
          • Shaw Brothers
        • See more company credits at IMDbPro

        Tech specs

        Edit
        • Runtime
          1 hour 45 minutes
        • Sound mix
          • Mono
        • Aspect ratio
          • 2.35 : 1

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