The Golden Lion is a 1971 Shaw Brothers wuxia film starring Li Ching, Chao Hsiung (in a rare heroic protagonist role) and James Nam.
In the martial arts world, a Robin Hood-like noble thief called the Golden Lion is a revered legendary hero, but the corrupt officials whom had their wealth stolen by the Golden Lion wants him dead. When a ruthless warlord, Lord Wang Jian-Chao, managed to inflict a poisonous stab on the Golden Lion, the Golden Lion must seek help from a reclusive doctor who lives in the mountains while avoiding Lord Wang's minions.
Do Not confuse this movie with the Leone d'Oro.
The Golden Lion contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Lu Wen-Fang is more than just a pretty face, capable of fighting plenty of mooks by herself and taking loads of names as well, although not as much as Golden Lion Dai.
- Battle in the Rain: There's a fierce battle in a rain-drenched forest where Golden Lion Dai fights off legions of henchmen led by Lord Wang. Not really uncommon for Shaw Brothers.
- Death from Above: Thanks to Golden Lion Dai's insane amount of strength, in the final battle the Golden Lion defeats Lord Wang by hurling a giant bronzer urn from above a tall flight of steps onto the back of Wang's head, breaking his skull.
- Epic Flail: The Big Bad Wang Jian-chao uses a flail as his primary weapon to rough up Golden Lion Dai, and kills quite a few redshirts using this weapon as well. It's worth noting that instead of the usual ball and chain, the flail's tip ends with a set of bronze claws that doubles as a grappling hook.
- Grievous Harm with a Body: In more than one fight scene, thanks to Golden Lion Dai's Super-Strength, he gets to fling multiple mooks into each other and sending them into crumpled heaps of lifeless bodies.
- Just Like Robin Hood: The Golden Lion is a Robin Hood-esque warrior who robs from rich, corrupted officials to help the poor.
- Knows the Ropes: After losing numerous of his men to Golden Lion Dai, Lord Wang is resorted to sending groups of his mooks to ensnare Golden Lion Dai with ropes and tie him up, alive. It works long enough, but Golden Lion ultimately finds enough inner strength to drag the mooks holding those ropes towards him and break free.
- Lightning Bruiser: Golden Lion Dai Xiao-Yao might be a huge man capable of performing massive feats of strength, but he's also a quick fighter capable of leaping and dodging bandit attacks at rapid speed.
- Macguffin Melee: The final Duel to the Death between Golden Lion Dai and Lord Wang, for an antidote bottle to Wang's Flying Claw technique, which bounced from one fighter to another for much of the battle.
- Men of Sherwood: The heroic warriors backing up Lu Wen-fang and Golden Lion Dai. They may be few in numbers, but they slay several enemies as well, and even saves Golden Lion from execution at the end of the film.
- One-Man Army: In typical Shaw Brothers fashion, the Golden Lion is one hell of a killing machine, capable of taking plenty of names - all alone - with an absolutely insane kill-tally by the end of the film
- Protagonist Title
- Red Baron: The film's hero is named Golden Lion Dai Xiao-Yao.
- Slipping a Mickey: In an attempt to kill Golden Lion, one of Lord Wang's bandits tries to off Golden Lion by blowing a poisonous capsule into the medicinal soup Lu Wen-Fang had made for him. It didn't work.
- Staircase Tumble: At the end of the final battle on a massive flight of stone steps, Lord Wang ends up tumbling all the way down after being mortally wounded. And somehow he survives beyond that.
- Sword Fight: Most of the fight scenes.
- Take It to the Bridge: There's a massive fight scene on a tall bridge between Lord Wang and Lu Wen-fang, and later on, Golden Lion taking over her position when she's beaten down. Worth noting that it's the exact same bridge featured in the climax The New One-Armed Swordsman, released in the same year as this movie. Don't be surprised if David Chiang is waiting for his turn to film on that bridge just behind the camera...
- Wuxia
