The best martial arts films have a spiritual element to go with the physical. Think of how many films were about the monks of the Shaolin Temple? But where do you imagine the most spiritual part of Asia is located? For me, it’s the Himalayan mountains. This is where the Dali Lama lives. Although the Dali Lama is not known for his roundhouse kicks. Golden Harvest took their star Angela Mao to Nepal so that she could fight on the Roof of the World in 1976. The Himalayan gave audiences a taste for high altitude action.
The movie starts out like a travelogue as we are taken to a tribal festival in the Himalayan mountains. There’s a trio playing music. A couple performs a traditional dance. Then we have a group of men on horseback including Sammo Hung in a vest and Tien Chang (The Tattoo Connection‘s Dorian Tan). This isn’t a normal race. They head down the hilltop, grab a spear and then stick a chicken. This is followed by a bout of co-ed Kung Fu with
Tseng Ching Lan (Lady Whirlwind‘s Angela Mao) and Kao I-Fan (Five Fingers of Death‘s Ling Hon). This is a bit more dynamic than a dance scene between the two. Turns out that their tangling is a mating ritual as someone from Tseng clan wants her sparring partner as her groom. Problem is that I-Fan has been promised to marry his cousin. His oldest brother Kao Chu (Double Impact‘s Chen Hsing) finds a solution when he spots a scruffy guy in the crowd who looks like his brother. Chu does an extreme switcheroo. The new guy (also Ling Hon) is into the devious plot and even tells his wife and newborn baby that he’ll be back in a few years. He’s ready to get hitched into the wealthy family. Although he doesn’t expect the marriage to last too long. Tien Chang is the unworthy suitor for the bride who might be Lan’s only chance to survive Kao Chu’s treachery as the world’s worst brother-in-law.
The Himalayan has a lot of devious plans to go with the martial arts action. Angela Mao is the star of the film. She has a few action scenes, but does more dramatic exchanges with the cast. There is a bit of training when she must learn a special martial arts technique from Himayalan monks. Chen Hsing does an amazing job. He’s a villain who doesn’t let blood stop him from achieving his goal of money and power. The guy even gets freaky on screen (although not with Angela Mao). It also needs to be pointed out that this version of The Himalayan is 5 minutes longer than the version that was featured on Shout! Factory’s Angela Mao Ying Collection that came out on DVD in 2014. I can’t get to the disc, but I’m going to guess part of those missing minutes might involve Chen Hsing’s love scene that ultimately reenforces his character’s character. The Himalayan is a top-notch martial arts film in both plot and action. The Himalayan is the perfect Kung Fu date flick.
Keep your eyes peeled for appearances by Sammo Hung, Biao Yuen, Corey Yuen and Jackie Chan. In 1976, Sammo is the one who is higher up in the film ladder with a minor role and serving as a fight choreographer. Sammo is part of the spearing chickens scene in the opening and the big finale fight. Jackie is noticeable as a guard. It’s amazing to think what Angela Mao meant to Golden Harvest. She launched the studio by starring in their first two releases (The Angry River and The Invincible Eight – also released by 88 Films this week). She co-starred with Bruce Lee in the massively successful Enter The Dragon. Her films also featured the future of Golden Harvest with Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Biao Yuen (who united on Project A – also from 88 films). Angela Mao is deservedly the First Lady of Golden Harvest.
Angela Mao currently runs Nan Bei Ho restaurant in Bayside, Queens. I’ve been told by screenwriter-producer (Ed Wood & My Name Is Dolemite) and nunchucks enthusiast Larry Karaszewski that her Stinky Tofu is “excellent.”
The Video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The 2K restoration from the original negative brings out beauty of the mountains. The Audio is Mandarin LPCM 2.0 mono. There is also an English dub LPCM 2.0 mono. The mix sounds great. The movie is subtitled in English.
Mini Poster with the original artwork and a new design. It’s suitable for framing.
Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng and Michael Worth get deep into the film. They get into how the film actually has a narrator for the opening. The film finished 19th in the Hong Kong box office in 1976. They point out that Sammo Hung used a different name in the credits. They give plenty of background on cast and crew. Always a great way to listen to Djeng and Worth as part of a second viewing.
Tales From The Monastery: An Interview With Dorian Tan (9:37) has him talk about only making two films for Golden Harvest: Hand of Death with John Woo and this. Both films were mainly shot in South Korea so he didn’t spend much time with Golden Harvest’s Hong Kong studio. He recalls feeling it wasn’t a big company. None of the studio heads lurked around the set. He also didn’t go to Nepal and was inserted with movie magic. Michael Worth conducts the interview. He gets into working with Angela Mao and her fighting style. We also learn why it’s important to not lean over the line during a stunt.
English Opening and Closing Credits (3:07) has English narration and text.
Image Gallery (3:10) has the posters, lobby cards and press photos.
Mandarin Trailer (4;35) talks about the branch of Buddhism that’s very difficult to practice. We’re promised to see Angela Mao in action at the Roof of the Earth.
88 Films present The Himalayan: Limited Edition. Directed by Feng Huang. Screenplay by Kuang Ni. Starring Angela Mao, Sing Chen, Tao-Liang Tan, Shan Kwan, Billy Chan, Sammo Hung, Biao Yuen, Corey Yuen & Jackie Chan. Running Time: 117 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: May 12, 2026.
