Overview
A janitor discovers his true potential and fights back against his bullies with a unique kung fu style.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- slapstick
- exuberant
- playful
- martial arts movie night
- jackie chan marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrate the film as an energetic, highly entertaining showcase for Jackie Chan's physical comedy and Yuen Woo-ping's inventive martial arts choreography.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chien Fu's training and fights turn bullying, acrobatics, and animal imitation into sustained physical comedy.
Fu merges the Snake's Fist with movements based on a cat, creating a distinctive approach to combat.
Fu begins as a bullied janitor unable to fight and becomes capable of defending himself and his mentor.
The plot centers on Snake's Fist, Cat-style movements, and the opposing Eagle's Claw.
Films like Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, and why
Drunken Master
shared slapstick martial arts choreography, comic underdog training, and inventive physical comedy
The Fearless Hyena
shared hong kong action comedy, eccentric kung fu mentorship, and athletic comic performance
Project A
shared martial arts spectacle, underdog empowerment, and playful genre tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Yuen Woo-ping
- Release Date
- 1978-03-01
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (376)
Cast
- Jackie Chan
- Simon Yuen Siu-Tien
- Hwang Jang-Lee
- Dean Shek Tin
- Roy Horan
- Fung Hak-On
- Charlie Chan Yiu-Lam
- Tino Wong
- Peter Chan Lung
- Hsu Hsia
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- ARROW, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Snake in the Eagle's Shadow about?
- A bullied kung fu school janitor finds an eccentric mentor and turns snake, cat, and comic ingenuity into a fighting style of his own.
- What is Snake in the Eagle's Shadow like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Snake in the Eagle's Shadow violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow as mild.
- What did critics think of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow?
- Critics broadly celebrate the film as an energetic, highly entertaining showcase for Jackie Chan's physical comedy and Yuen Woo-ping's inventive martial arts choreography.
- Which films are like Snake in the Eagle's Shadow?
- Films with a similar feel include Drunken Master, The Fearless Hyena, and Project A.
- How long is Snake in the Eagle's Shadow?
- Snake in the Eagle's Shadow runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Snake in the Eagle's Shadow?
- In United States, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow streams on ARROW, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
