Cheng Pei Pei stars in this Shaw Brothers film that teems with hidden identities, spectacular scenery and interesting use of weapons not normally seen in martial arts movies. The legend of “Shadow Whip” is one of a caravan guard that went rogue and hijacked a load of jewels that he and his crew were supposed to be transporting. One of the original group, Chief Hong (Ku Feng) has been searching for the Shadow Whip for 15 years, hoping to catch and punish him. Joining the search is Wang (Yueh Hua), whose father was slaughtered during the fight for the jewels. They all converge in a small town and start to suspect a local innkeeper and his daughter (Cheng Pei Pei) who is more than competent with a whip. Once traps are set and the fights begin in earnest, true identities are revealed and the facts about the jewel heist 15 years before come to light.

As with most collaborations between Cheng Pei Pei and Yueh Hua, The Shadow Whip is an enjoyable, albeit short, kung fu film. The scenery might be the star of the film, with snowy fields and forests standing out in contrast to the costumes and blood. I read somewhere that it was filmed in Japan, which is entirely possible, but it also could have been the north of China. The whip fights are quite good, with some excellent innovation using the whips as tools to fling victims into other weapons or impale them on sharp, splintered refuse from clashes. The chemistry between Pei Pei and Hua is good, but not quite to the level that there appears to be any romantic possibilities between the characters. Excellent supporting roles from Ku Feng and Tien Feng round out the cast. Entertaining but not entirely thrilling would be how I’d describe the film. Worth a single watch.

6.5/10