MASKED AVENGERS is a kung fu mystery from director Chang Cheh, and another winning production from the splendid team at Shaw Brothers. This one's a Venom movie that deliberately harks back to FIVE DEADLY VENOMS, with a gang of bad guys going around committing brutal murders and hiding behind ornate masks. The heroes of the film, led by an unusually serious Chiang Sheng, do their best to work out the identity of the bad guys, which any Venom fan will guess from the outset.

This is the typically action-packed production which excels both in terms of plot and drama, and features some great and bloody bouts to boot. The emphasis is on trident fighting here, and things build to a wonderful brawl in a booby-trapped temple, featuring all manner of physics-defying mayhem and the like. Phillip Kwok is very good value as the mysterious waiter while Lu Feng remains at the top of his game. It's a pity that Sun Chien and Lo Meng are missing, but Wang Li does show up, and the film is so much fun that you don't miss the Venoms who aren't present.

If your knowledge of Avengers movies begins and ends with the exploits of Captain America and company, you really should check out The Masked Avengers: they haven't got 'superpowers' as such, but their moves are just as awesome, and all executed without the aid of millions of dollars of CGI.

The film follows a group of highly trained martial artists dedicated to hunting down a gang of vicious masked killers for hire whose weapon of choice is the trident. After tracking the masked assassins to the town of Jingyang, the brave fighters find themselves attacked and killed one-by-one. Will they uncover the identities of the gang's three leaders (whose golden masks come with fancy coloured beards) and make them pay before it is too late? Of course they will…

To be honest, there are just a few too many very similar characters to keep track of to make this a wholly satisfying martial arts classic, but with so much impressive kung fu, and lots of bright red blood (gory impalements and slashing aplenty), the film still qualifies as an essential slice of Shaw Brothers chop-socky madness.

After much mystery and murderous martial arts mayhem, the whole thing boils down to an absolutely stunning showdown between the baddies and the surviving good guys (who get a little help from an ex-leader of the gang turned hero, played by Philip Kwok), the fantastic finale taking place at the villains' booby trapped temple, which comes equipped with acid jets, arrow traps, and deadly spiked doors.

Masked Killers is a far better title for this movie than Masked Avengers. Avenging means to seek revenge for a wrong done, be it murder of a family member, friend, Shifu etc or shame of a female important to you, et al. I am not sure what the Masked gang in this movie are avenging. I definitely know they do it in an extremely bloody manner. If you're into Slaughterhouse style movies, this one should be on your to watch list. If not, might I suggest The Cripple Avengers instead. Less blood and plenty of fighting.

Qi Shanyun's (Chiang Sheng - my fave Venom) students are dropping like flies at the hands of a local gang who conceal their identity using masks someone got out of the clearance bin after Halloween. Qi follows the trail of dead students to a small town. He brings with him the remaining students to help investigate the deaths. They encounter Gao Yao (Phillip Kwok Chun-Fung - my 2nd Fave Venom), who does his best to conceal his Wushu skills.

Qi's 2nd senior student Zeng Jun (Chin Siu-Ho) quickly befriends Gao, despite other students disdain for him. Zeng senses Gao knows something is amiss in the town, but refuses to say what. Qi feels he knows who's involved with the gang, but his suspicions are at odds with the evidence in front of him. His students continue to die at the hands of the Masked Gang as Qi and his students get closer to the truth.

The Masked Gang use Buddhas and devices similar to the Iron Maiden to crush victims they bring back to their base. Others are stabbed with tridents on long poles. Gao saves Zeng and two other students from an ambush at the inn by seeming to accidentally help. This seals Zeng's belief that Gao is one of the good guys.

Qi's main suspects Ling Yunzi (Lu Feng) and Fang Zuguang (Wong Lik) are near him during the time a few students are killed. One student manages to rip the mask off a Masked Gang Leaders face, but dies before he can tell anyone who it is. Qi's eldest senior student Liang Rong (Chu Ko) is adamant Gao is the Leader of the Masked Gang and the killer of the students, despite Zeng's assurances otherwise.

Zeng overhears two of the Masked Gang Leaders speaking with Gao, whom the leaders suspect is their missing third leader. None of the Leaders knew they others as they always wore masks. Which makes me wonder how everyone was recruited. The two remaining leaders search for evidence he is whom they seek, but are unable to find it. Liang Rong does likewise when trying to convince Qi of Goa's identity. Zeng admits he moved the evidence because he knows Gao is good.

Zeng goes to Gao to convince him that he needs to help fight the gang with Qi and the others. Gao refuses and explains his reasoning. He wishes Zeng well and departs for places unknown. Zeng is confronted by The two known Masked Gang Leaders and the new 3rd Leader. Zeng does his best to stand his ground but the three are too much for him. He tells two of the leaders their identities (Ling Yunzi and Fang Zuguang), but admits he isn't sure about the third. He breaks the 3rd leaders mask to reveal it is fellow student Liang Rong. Zeng is left for dead pinned to a tree.

Gao overhears two men walking passed about the man pinned to the tree. Zeng reveals Liang's identity to Gao before dying. Gao enters the inn as Liang is once more trying to convince Qi that Gao is the real killer. Gao announces Zeng told him who the three leaders were and points out Liang as one of them. Liang keeps saying Zeng is dead and therefore cannot speak about who the leaders are. Gao reminds Liang that no one said Zeng was dead or how he died. Liang is the one who seems to know what happened.

The final fight reminds me of the fight at the end off The Crippled Avengers. Lu Sheng fights against Phillip and Chiang in nearly the same manner in both films. The bloodiness aside, this wasn't a bad film, even if two of the Five Venoms were absent. I gave it a 6 due to the overly bloody scenes. Quentin Tarantino would love this movie.