Arabian Nights welded to kung fu welded to Chinese legend. There are distant echoes of the Chinese classic Monkey as well as of Lord of the Rings. Although the resultant amalgam rarely blends together with total ease, it remains a fascinating curiosity. Jeff Cooper is the muscleman hero, an anachronism that stays obstinately outside the story of the quest through trials, for truth and freedom, within whose bounds the various characters played by David Carradine (Death, Blindman, Monkeyman etc) dovetail almost to perfection. Carried to its highest point, this aesthetic epic could have been a powerful and unique cinema entertainment. As it is, even in greatly flawed form, it is more to be applauded than many a `safe' venture in an already accredited genre.

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