Dragon Dynasty has done a remarkable job of resurrecting old school martial arts flicks and giving them the true remaster process. Say goodbye to those mediocre reprints and incomprehensible subtitles. Thanks to Dragon Dynasty these films can be seen and heard in the way they were meant to.

The latest screen gem to get this rejuvenating treatment is the legendary cult classic The Five Deadly Venoms. This 1978 actioner is heralded as one of the best kung fu flicks of all time. The film has influenced and inspired people all over the world for years and thanks to this beautifully restored, August 2009 DVD re-release new fans can join the Poison Clan train.

Produced by The Shaw Brothers and directed by Chang Cheh The Five Deadly Venoms begins with a master and his pupil. As the master of Poison Clan succumbs to illness he reflects on the wrongs he committed through the years. He is most grieved by the atrocities committed by his evil clan. To atone for his sins he asks his latest pupil, Yang De (Chiang Sheng), to locate his five prized pupils. The ones that are living decent lives are to be left alone but the ones that are making mischief are to be punished. The master is certain that the Venoms are after the Poison Clan treasure made up of the spoils from past crimes. Yang De will have to find the Venoms, determine which ones are good or evil, and stop the bad Venoms from getting the treasure.

Before the pupil sets off for his quest the master briefs him on the five fighters and their respective fighting styles. Centipede (Lu Feng) has lightning fast punches and kicks that make it appear that he has a hundred hands. With his left hand as the tail and his right hand as the head Snake (Wei Pei) strikes with the fatal speed of a powerful serpent. Toad (Lo Mang) has hardened his body to the point where no sword can pierce him and no fist can bruise him. Gecko/Lizard (Kuo Chui) has attained the ability to adhere to surfaces so he can attack his opponent while clinging to the side of a wall or dangling from the ceiling. Lastly, Scorpion (Sun Chien) has hardened his hands into the strong pincers of his namesake and uses his kicks to mimic the scorpion’s deadly tail.

The Five Deadly Venoms is a delicious sandwich of finely choreographed fight scenes and a surprisingly intricate plot. We follow Yang De through the city as he tries to unmask the Five Venoms who have now adopted civilian identities. Gradually, each Venom reveals himself,  his motives and his fighting abilities. Then there’s an additional twist where the Venoms don’t necessarily know each other either. According to the master the five students trained at different times so the two eldest have no idea who the two younger Venoms are and the younger Venoms are just as clueless about their older brethren. Then there’s one Venom that is a complete mystery to everyone.

The secondary hunt for the treasure leads to a frantic search for the man with the map that results to a series of murders. This gets the local law enforcement involved and things get more complicated due to the corruption running rampant through the police force and the courts. The watcher will have to stay on his/her toes because at any moment a friend can become an enemy and vice versa.

Old school kung fu action almost seems like a completely different animal when compared to the fast and flashy stunts we’ve grown accustomed to in today’s action movies. The fight choreography in The Five Deadly Venoms is a little slower than some might like but the payoff is that the viewer gets to see every nuance of the attacks. There’s a beautiful rhythm to the fighters’ steadied paces and thought out strikes. I enjoy the quickness of the movie martial artists of today but there is something so awesome in a scene like the fight between Centipede and Toad. I love how the two fighters size each other up and how despite their unique talents they are almost evenly matched. It’s just so awesome to watch.

The Five Deadly Venoms has been released on DVD before but those versions usually had poor picture quality. Purists who prefer the Mandarin with English subtitles would get poorly translated script but that didn’t matter too much if you couldn’t even make out words because they blurred too much into the picture. Dragon Dynasty gave this film a thorough scrubbing. No scratches, no nicks, no glare; this is one of the best representations of this film yet. The subtitles have a few grammatical errors but they are easy to read. There is also an English language track for those who are “anti-subtitle”. If you were waiting for a better print to come along or just want to replace that bootleg copy then invest in this product. It is truly worth it.

However, the special features only include a commentary from kung fu cinema expert Bey Logan. If you were expecting outtakes, cast/crew interviews, and featurettes then prepare for a little letdown. It’s a little surprising since Dragon Dynasty’s past releases of classic kung fu have included at least two worthwhile extras. I haven’t listened to the commentary yet but if it’s anything like Mr. Logan’s overview of Come Drink With Me then I’m sure The Five Deadly Venoms commentary will be loaded with enough factoids and trivia to compensate for the lack of additional features.

If you haven’t discovered Dragon Dynasty yet then I implore you to check out their website and review their stock because the film restorations they are performing on these classics is amazing and vital to cinematic history. Their release of The Five Deadly Venoms is gorgeous so if you haven’t checked it out yet then now is the best time to do so.