'The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)' is one of the more brutal martial arts movies of its type, with a finale that features some jaw-dropping (and teeth-shattering) moments of gore that really punctuate the otherwise balletic choreography and hammer home the fact that in this dance, people die. The feature puts a lot of other Kung fu flicks to shame before its opening titles are even over, beginning with a glorious battle sequence that sees seven brothers go up against an ambush of Tartan soldiers. Only two brothers make it out alive, with one returning home a traumatised wreck and the other seeking refuge in a monetary until a suitable moment arises for him to get his vengeance. The bulk of the film depicts the two brothers' attempted recovery from their staggering loss and betrayal, building to an expected indulgence in revenge while also having one of them engage in a practice that constantly implores them to forget all worldly issues. Gordon Liu portrays an angry and impatient warrior whose determination to be a monk seems to come from an inability to take no for an answer rather than some genuine longing for enlightenment, and he essentially bullies his way to (almost) the top of the order. Even towards the end of his journey, he isn't the calm and collected Kung fu monk you may expect; he's almost the polar opposite of Liu's similar character in 'The 36 Chambers Of Shaolin (1978)'. Alexander Fu-Sheng, whose tragic death during filming prevented him from appearing in the final battle, plays someone suffering with severe PTSD that seems to be causing him to have intense flashbacks which kick him into fight or flight mode - which, for him, is more like fight or fight mode. It's an interesting angle to explore, primarily because it doesn't exactly fit with the conventional genre format and isn't given the conclusion you may expect. Unfortunately, the mid-section of the movie just isn't all that engaging, with neither of the main storylines being as compelling as they need to be to justify their length. At the same time, though, the flick is pretty breezy throughout and features more than a few brilliant action set-pieces to keep you entertained. Furthermore, the final third is simply phenomenal, with one of the most intense and impressive final fights I can recall. It's satisfyingly fast-paced, masterfully filmed and surprisingly violent. It's genuinely fantastic in every way. Ultiamtely, this is a somewhat uneven but mostly successful martial arts movie with a fairly bleak tone and some amazing action scenes. Its strong opening and closing movements more than make up for its weaker middle portion (even though its second act does dampen its overall impact somewhat and prevents it from being quite as strong as something like the aforementioned 'The 36 Chambers Of Shaolin (1978)'). It's a really solid effort that will keep you entertained from start to finish, and occasionally knock your socks clean off.