Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

THE BELLS OF DEATH is one of the earlier swordplay movies made by the Shaw Brothers studio. It's not one of their best works but I found it better paced than THE ASSASSIN made during the same period, for example. The director is clearly influenced by Japanese samurai cinema which makes the action scenes and staging quite unique at times; they do stand out compared to the norm.The story is sparse and familiar, although stylishly told. Chang Yi's family is wiped out by bandits in the opening massacre scene, leading him on a path of revenge. There's plenty of action to keep the narrative moving along nicely along with bloody effects that make this a sometimes comic-book style romp. Chin Ping simpers in a damsel-in-distress type role, but the likes of Ku Feng shine as the oily villains and it's a pleasure to see bit parts for Wu Ma and Sammo Hung.

Some tough folks arrive. And, for no reason other than the pleasure of being evil, they wipe out a family. However, they don't realize that one of them survived. This survivor soon after witnesses an amazing old man with a white beard and long hair wipe out a group of thugs--and he begs to be trained by the man. After training for years, vengeance is meted out to each of the three villainous murderers as well as their MANY henchmen. And through amazing sword skills and determination, the folks are defeated. Souds familiar? Well, this is, pretty much, the plot to "Kill Bill"--as well as quite a few of the Hong Kong martial arts films. In fact, it is "The Bells of Death"--made decades before most of these other films. But, despite the familiarity of the plot, it's a must-see for lovers of the genre because the fighting and choreography is so good--among the very best I've seen. There are also, thankfully, few 'wire foo' stunts--only at the end do you see a guy magically jump up to amazing heights--AND he fails!! I loved this touch as well as the nice pacing throughout. Clearly this is among the very best. No blows that don't even come close to landing, no silly characters and no silly story--just a well-made story of revenge...period.In addition, the DVD print is GREAT--nearly pristine. And, fortunately, it is in Chinese with nice English subtitles--none of that crappy dubbing!! For lovers of the genre, it doesn't get much more exciting!

Don't believe the last reviewer, or else you might find yourself missing out on a great "eastern" western. I rented the celestial remastered DVD of this movie and enjoyed the heck out of it. To think that the low star count given by the guy before me had me dreading this film: after seeing it I'm a bit upset at how a person can review this film with so little respect. It's unlike any of the other films made around this time, and it's so beautifully shot that the cinematography alone is worth your time. Made in 1968, this is easily one of the more brooding, unique swordplay films in the Celestial/IVL library. If you liked THE ASSASSIN and ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN, you'll like this film. The look is unique and the experience is a good one. Especially memorable are little flourishes: the director has a different take on the macho swordsman theme than the other directors in the Shaw stable, which makes the film a refreshing change of pace from Chang Cheh and Chu Yuan flicks. Worth a purchase? In my opinion, yes. Worth a look? Definitely.

Translated as Bells Of Death, this is a typical martial arts type movie. It's a low budget effort with poor dubbing, poor sound effects, poor script, poor cinematography, non-acting, and not that much fighting in the form of martial arts. It's just a bunch of sword fighting, without style and grace. One can see similar fighting in any pirate movie. The acting is what you would expect in a martial arts movie from 1968: not good. Some of the camera angles are poor and are obscured by the sun at times. The story is a typical martial arts one of revenge for murdering one's family. The survivor or relative then exacts revenge in systematic fashion. Nothing new here, nor is it done in an interesting or exciting fashion. There is much more blood and gore than usual for a martial arts film, although the blood effects, at times, are obviously fake. Watching this movie is a huge waste of time. 0 of 4 stars.