Topic: Kung Fu Episode Reviews

[addicted2dvd]

Kung Fu follows the adventures of a Shaolin monk, Kwai Chang Caine who travels through the American Old West armed only with his spiritual training and his skill in martial arts, as he seeks his half-brother, Danny Caine.

Cast:
    * David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine
    * Keye Luke as Master Po
    * Philip Ahn as Master Khan
    * Radames Pera as Grasshopper (Caine as a child)

[addicted2dvd]

Kung Fu: The Complete First Season He is a man of peace in a violent land. He is Kwai Chang Caine, schooled in the spirit-mind-body ways of the Shaolin priesthood by the blind, avuncular Master Po and the stern yet loving master Kan. Caine speaks softly but hits hard. He lives humbly yet knows great contentment. He is the Old West's most unusual hero. But hero is not a word Caine would use. He would simply say, "I am a man." All the excitement of Caine's adventure is yours to enjoy in this DVD collection featuring the breakthrough pilot movie, the 15 season one episodes and entertaining extras featuring star David Carradine and the series creators. Are you ready to begin? Snatch the pebble from my hand....

EPISODES:
0. Pilot Movie
1. King of the Mountain
2. Dark Angel
3. Blood Brother
4. An Eye For An Eye
5. The Tide
6. The Soul Is the Warrior
7. Nine Lives
8. Sun and Cloud Shadow
9. Chains
10. Alethea
11. The Praying Mantis Kills
12. Superstition
13. The Stone
14. The Third Man
15. The Ancient Warrior

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Kung Fu: Season 1

PILOT MOVIE
Original Airdate: 2/22/72
"Work. Wander. Rest when I can." Shaolin priest Caine hegins his journey in a trailblazing debut that pits him against a railroad boss... and provides revealing flashbacks of his Shaolin beginnings.

Cast:
David Carradine as Caine
Barry Sullivan as Dillon
Albert Salmi as Raif
Wayne Maunder as McKay
Benson Fong as Han Fei
Richard Loo as Master Sun
Keye Luke as Master Po
Philip Ahn as Master Kan
Victor Sen Yung as Chuen
Robert Ito as Fong
James Hong as Hsiang
Radames Pera as Young Caine
Roy Jenson as Fuller
John Leoning as Master Teh
David Chow as Little Monk

My Thoughts:
While I know I have seen this before... it has been so long since I seen it that it felt like it was the first time seeing it. I enjoyed every second of watching this again. It is a great introduction to the characters. Normally I don't like something with a lot of flashbacks... but this show has always been an exception to that. I always felt that the flashbacks work great for this series. I actually thought this series lasted longer then it did. But only lasted 3 seasons. I hope to make these sets last a while... but I don't know... I can see myself really getting into watching these episodes again.

My Rating:

[Kathy]

I felt the same way Pete. This was one of the few shows I always watched when it was initially aired. Then, when I bought the DVDs I forgot how much I enjoyed this series.

Watch the changes in David Carradine as the series progresses - it's very interesting.

One other great thing...I did complete Cast and Crew profiles on all three seasons! 

[addicted2dvd]

And Made my job much easier! As I just had to copy and paste them over to the child profiles I am creating! 

Season 1 is done... will probably at least work on season 2 tomorrow.

[Antares]

When I was a kid, this was my favorite program on TV. I need to get the DVD's.

[addicted2dvd]

The only thing that bothers me about the season 1 set is they cropped it to make it widescreen. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting... but still put me off a little. There could have been some more extras in the season 1 set also. But that is a minor thing. What is important is the episodes.

[addicted2dvd]

Kung Fu: Season 1

1. KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
Original Airdate: 10/14/72
Caine finds work with a widowed ranch woman... and also finds he has romantic feelings for her. But the arrival of a bounty hunter and the likelihood that others will follow cast an ominous shadow on love.

Cast:
David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine
Brandon Cruz as Peter Gideon
Lara Parker as Amy Allender
John Saxon as Raven
Philip Ahn as Master Kan
Keye Luke as Master Po
Ken Lynch
Mills Watson as Turpin
Radames Pera as Young Caine
Robert Hoy as Curry McCoy
Mark Allen as Postmaster
Ivy Bethune as Jenny McCoy
Gary McLarty as Frank McCoy
Paul Harper as Amos
Larry Finley as Blacksmith

My Thoughts:
The first actual episode of the series... and it starts off just as good as the pilot movie. I enjoyed every second of it. I am so enjoying this... it has been so many years since I seen these episodes that I only remember brief scenes here and there. So it is basically like watching the series for the first time again.

My Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Kung Fu: Season 1

2. DARK ANGEL
Original Airdate: 11/11/72
Caine shows recently blinded preacher Serenity Johnson how to rely on his other sense. Serinity, in turn, uses his new awareness to persuade Caine's close-minded grandfather to accept the wandering monk.

Cast:
David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine
John Carradine as Rev. Serenity Johnson
Robert Carradine as Sonny Jim
Dean Jagger as Henry Caine
Adrienne Marden as Coralee
James Griffith as Purdy
Paul Harper as Davey Peartree
Keye Luke as Master Po
Philip Ahn as Master Kan
Larry Duran as Lead Indian
Chuck Bail as First Tough
Bob Herron as Second Tough
Bill McLean as Poker Player
Jim Weatherill as First Vigilante
Tim Haldeman as Second Vigilante
Donald Eiber as Third Vigilante

My Thoughts:
Another excellent episode. This is the first one that we meet a member of Caine's family. It is also the one where he learns that he has a half-brother.... which puts him on a long journey (not finding him till some point in the last season) to find him.

My Rating: