Starring: Bruce Li (as Ho Chung Dao), Chen Sing, Chan Wai-Man, Nick Cheung. Directed by: Law Kei
This is a movie for the hardcore Bruce Li (aka Ho Chung Tao) fans! While by no means a superb kung fu movie, it's a very good, entertaining kung fu movie and something fun to watch when you're bored and stuck at home on the weekends.
In "Bruce Lee....", Chan Lee Kung (Chan, in a sinister role), a Shaolin student in China, betrays his school and vows to do penance by going into exile in Malaysia. Three years later, Chan has become the feared, ruthless leader of a criminal empire which has set up its base of operations in a small Malaysian village. Since Chan is well-trained in Shaolin kung fu and he has an army of men at his disposal, there's nothing the local authorities can do to stop him.
Meanwhile back in China, one of Shaolin's students named Shu San (Cheung) is going to Malaysia to visit his family and quietly scout around for any info about Chan to report back to Shaolin. When he arrives at his family's village, it doesn't take long for him to discover that this is also Chan's base of operations. To make matters even more complicated, both Chan and Shu San are both in love with Wai Sin, Shu San's cousin.
One day Chan and his men take Wai Sin by force after she rejects him and when Shu San comes to her rescue, they give him a very bad beating. Fortunately he managed to send a telegram back to Shaolin and help soon comes when Master Fok Yuen Gap (Chen) and his best student Yu Fong (Li) come to town to take down Chan.
Can they overcome Chan and his men and accomplish their mission? Watch and find out!
"Bruce Lee...." does have a few holes in its storyline and the kung fu gorilla scene might be a little on the cheesy side, but this is actually a very good kung fu movie. The vast bulk of the storyline is well-written and easy to figure out, the kung fu (which was choreographed by Nick Cheung) scenes are very good, and there is also a very interesting reenactment of the story of the Indian monk Da Mo, who discovered the Eighteen Lohan Fists and taught them to Shaolin monks in the 6th century AD.
For those of you who are curious, Bruce Li does a good job in his role with only a bare minimum of Bruce Lee mannerisms toward the end!
Also in this movie are cameos by Bolo Yeung as the master with long hair and Mars as the teacher wearing as mask.
If you're looking for some good kung fu escapism or are a fan of Bruce Li, look no further than this movie! It's sure to fit the bill for you!
Also known as: Nan yang tang ren jie (original Mandarin title-HK), Bruce Li the Invincible (original English title-HK), Bruce Lee the Invincible (English video title-HK), Bruce Li the Invincible Chinatown Connection (international English title), The Invincible (alternate HK English title), Wei zhen tian nan (Mandarin video title-HK), Die gelben Augen des Gorillas (West Germany), Sygrousi giganton tou karate (Greece), Game of the Dragon (unknown English title)
Showing posts with label old kung fu movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label old kung fu movies. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Two Great Cavaliers (1978, Taiwan/HK)
Starring: Angela Mao, John Liu, Chen Sing. Directed by: Yeung Ching Chen
In the West, this movie is commonly known by three titles: "Two Great Cavaliers", "Blade of Fury", and "Deadly Duo", which is also the name of a Shaw Bros. movie.
No matter what name you may find this movie under, it's a kung fu movie that stars two of '70s kung fu cinema's greatest: Angela Mao and John Liu!
In this movie, Chen Sing plays Kuan Yu Chung, a fief in a Chinese province who has sworn his loyalty to the Manchu (Qing) Dynasty who are starting to establish their rule across China. Angela Mao plays Hsiao Mei, the leader of a group of anti-Qing rebels who are all members of the Fung Wan kung fu clan. The clan has been entrusted with the task of defeating Kuan and delivering a list of names of other anti-Qing rebels to the resistance leaders. Naturally, Kuan wants to crush the resistance in his province and he wants this list very badly.
In order to deliver the list and defeat Kuan and his men, the rebels are going to need the help of their best fighter Ou Yang Chun (Liu). Unfortunately for the rebels, Chun has met the woman of his dreams and decided to leave the Fung Wan clan, settle down, and make a quiet life for himself. If his brothers and sisters in Fung Wan want his help, they must get a little persuasive, especially where Chun's fiancee (who Hsiao Mei is extremely jealous of) is concerned......
The storyline of this movie can be a little confusing to understand as there are many characters who have their own swerving loyalties and motivations. However, we get to see Angela Mao and John Liu perform some of their greatest fighting scenes in "Two Great Cavaliers" and that alone is worth watching the movie in its entirety! Both perform some awesome legwork that makes Chuck Norris look like child's play throughout this movie! The end fight scene in particular is amazing and both are at their best in the final showdown.
Also in this movie are Leung Kar-Yan as brother-in-arms Sung Hua and Man Kong-Lung as the mysterious Pai Lung Hsing, who joins the rebels. Both have some very good fight scenes that are also worth watching. Chiang Kam also makes an appearance in this movie, but only as an extra baddie.
If you think you can keep track of all the characters and want to see some good Angela Mao and John Liu action, be sure to check this movie out! There's some awesome kung fu that's waiting for you to watch!
Also known as: Ci xiong shuang sha (original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Two Great Cavaliers (English title-HK), Blade of Fury (international English title), Deadly Duo (international English DVD title), The Two Great Cavaliers (international English title), Wang Yu - Härter als Granit (West Germany), Les 2 cavaliers de Shaolin (France)
In the West, this movie is commonly known by three titles: "Two Great Cavaliers", "Blade of Fury", and "Deadly Duo", which is also the name of a Shaw Bros. movie.
No matter what name you may find this movie under, it's a kung fu movie that stars two of '70s kung fu cinema's greatest: Angela Mao and John Liu!
In this movie, Chen Sing plays Kuan Yu Chung, a fief in a Chinese province who has sworn his loyalty to the Manchu (Qing) Dynasty who are starting to establish their rule across China. Angela Mao plays Hsiao Mei, the leader of a group of anti-Qing rebels who are all members of the Fung Wan kung fu clan. The clan has been entrusted with the task of defeating Kuan and delivering a list of names of other anti-Qing rebels to the resistance leaders. Naturally, Kuan wants to crush the resistance in his province and he wants this list very badly.
In order to deliver the list and defeat Kuan and his men, the rebels are going to need the help of their best fighter Ou Yang Chun (Liu). Unfortunately for the rebels, Chun has met the woman of his dreams and decided to leave the Fung Wan clan, settle down, and make a quiet life for himself. If his brothers and sisters in Fung Wan want his help, they must get a little persuasive, especially where Chun's fiancee (who Hsiao Mei is extremely jealous of) is concerned......
The storyline of this movie can be a little confusing to understand as there are many characters who have their own swerving loyalties and motivations. However, we get to see Angela Mao and John Liu perform some of their greatest fighting scenes in "Two Great Cavaliers" and that alone is worth watching the movie in its entirety! Both perform some awesome legwork that makes Chuck Norris look like child's play throughout this movie! The end fight scene in particular is amazing and both are at their best in the final showdown.
Also in this movie are Leung Kar-Yan as brother-in-arms Sung Hua and Man Kong-Lung as the mysterious Pai Lung Hsing, who joins the rebels. Both have some very good fight scenes that are also worth watching. Chiang Kam also makes an appearance in this movie, but only as an extra baddie.
If you think you can keep track of all the characters and want to see some good Angela Mao and John Liu action, be sure to check this movie out! There's some awesome kung fu that's waiting for you to watch!
Also known as: Ci xiong shuang sha (original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Two Great Cavaliers (English title-HK), Blade of Fury (international English title), Deadly Duo (international English DVD title), The Two Great Cavaliers (international English title), Wang Yu - Härter als Granit (West Germany), Les 2 cavaliers de Shaolin (France)
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Rivals of the Silver Fox (1979, HK/South Korea)
Starring: Casanova Wong, Phillip Ko, Chan Siu-Pang, Chin Chi Chu (as Gam Kei Chu). Directed by: Chan Siu-Pang
From the director of "Choy Lee Fat Kung Fu" Chan Siu-Pang (who also co-stars as the Invisible Thief) comes this Hong Kong-South Korean co-production.
In "Rivals...", a kung fu master is out to avenge the death of his wife at the hands of the evil kung fu master Ma Tien Chang, who wants some "secret medicinal documents" that were in the possession of her father. This master must raise his baby alone and take it with him as he searches for the evil master.
Unfortunately for our hero, taking on Ma is no easy task as he is holed up in the formidable Death Valley with an army of Shaolin bronzemen! Fortunately he has some help along the way in the form of the Invisible Thief (who he rescues from the thugs of a local lord he robbed), a woman (Wong) who helps him take care of his baby, another kung fu master who wants to take on Ma, and the priest Wu Kuo (Ko) who teaches him the kung fu skills he will need to take on the army of bronzemen.
This movie was obviously made on a shoestring budget and the storyline is just a little complicated, but it's much more complex and emotional than it seems. This can be an emotionally involving movie if you make the effort to understand our hero's motivations and all the pain he's feeling as he tries to avenge his wife, protect his baby, and ultimately, protect Casanova Wong's character, who he obviously has feelings for. Also, this is a very unusual movie where the storyline involves a baby and all the good guys, despite whatever motivations they may have, take care of and take up for each other. Of course the kung fu scenes are very good, but it's too bad Casanova didn't get as many fighting scenes in this movie!
Also, the Korean countryside used in this movie is gorgeous! It gives this movie a very tranquil atmosphere and blends into the storyline well.
This is a relatively unknown kung fu movie, but one worth checking out if you're into unusual storylines, or are a fan of Phillip Ko, Casanova Wong, or Chan Siu-Pang.
Also known as: 오대관문/Odae Gwan Mun (original Korean title), The Five Barriers (original English title-South Korea), 決戰銀狐/Jue zhan yin hu (original Mandarin title-HK), Mei hua tang lang (Taiwan)
From the director of "Choy Lee Fat Kung Fu" Chan Siu-Pang (who also co-stars as the Invisible Thief) comes this Hong Kong-South Korean co-production.
In "Rivals...", a kung fu master is out to avenge the death of his wife at the hands of the evil kung fu master Ma Tien Chang, who wants some "secret medicinal documents" that were in the possession of her father. This master must raise his baby alone and take it with him as he searches for the evil master.
Unfortunately for our hero, taking on Ma is no easy task as he is holed up in the formidable Death Valley with an army of Shaolin bronzemen! Fortunately he has some help along the way in the form of the Invisible Thief (who he rescues from the thugs of a local lord he robbed), a woman (Wong) who helps him take care of his baby, another kung fu master who wants to take on Ma, and the priest Wu Kuo (Ko) who teaches him the kung fu skills he will need to take on the army of bronzemen.
This movie was obviously made on a shoestring budget and the storyline is just a little complicated, but it's much more complex and emotional than it seems. This can be an emotionally involving movie if you make the effort to understand our hero's motivations and all the pain he's feeling as he tries to avenge his wife, protect his baby, and ultimately, protect Casanova Wong's character, who he obviously has feelings for. Also, this is a very unusual movie where the storyline involves a baby and all the good guys, despite whatever motivations they may have, take care of and take up for each other. Of course the kung fu scenes are very good, but it's too bad Casanova didn't get as many fighting scenes in this movie!
Also, the Korean countryside used in this movie is gorgeous! It gives this movie a very tranquil atmosphere and blends into the storyline well.
This is a relatively unknown kung fu movie, but one worth checking out if you're into unusual storylines, or are a fan of Phillip Ko, Casanova Wong, or Chan Siu-Pang.
Also known as: 오대관문/Odae Gwan Mun (original Korean title), The Five Barriers (original English title-South Korea), 決戰銀狐/Jue zhan yin hu (original Mandarin title-HK), Mei hua tang lang (Taiwan)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A Fistful of Talons (1983, HK)
Starring: Billy Chong, Whang Ing-Sik, Liu Hao-yi, Pai Ying. Directed by: Sun Chung
This movie is perhaps one of Billy Chong's most popular movies, and a very good early 1980s independent production from Shaw Bros. director Sun Chung.
"A Fist Full...." takes place in the early 20th century, just after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912. A group of Qing loyalists are in a small Chinese town plotting to overthrow the Republic and restore the Qing to power.
Billy plays Ching I Ming, a young man who works at a tavern run by his uncle and spends his free time harassing the Qing loyalists and cutting their ponytails (a sign of loyalty to the Qing Dynasty) off. Pai Ying plays Ding Wei Chung, a mysterious stranger staying at the tavern who turns out to be a high-ranking Qing defector and one who is highly wanted by the Qings because he has in his possession a number of valuable documents and the Imperial seal, which is the symbol of authority.
After giving the Qings a good butt-kicking in his own town, I Ming gets a little restless and decides to go to a neighboring town, where he catches some more Qings and turns them in. He gets a job with the local constabulary...and is "encouraged" by the local constable to marry his daughter (Liu), who he claims can't get married because "she is too fierce."
Very soon I Ming and Ding cross paths again purely by accident, and trouble soon follows....both in terms of the Qing and the soon-to-be bride who is hunting for I Ming!
Can Ching I Ming and Ding Wei Chung get the documents and seal to Sun Yat-sen's government? Also, can they take on the head of the Qing loyalists Nai Sin (Whang), who is a very skilled kung fu master with a powerful kick?
All in all this is a good kung fu movie from the early '80s that has a very coherent storyline (that's even more understandable if you know a little about Chinese history), good directing, and very good production qualities. The actors and actresses in this movie do a very good job and Billy Chong's performance is sort of a combination of Jackie Chan and Alexander Fu Sheng rolled into one. His kung fu skills are amazing and they really show off in this movie. Pai Ying does a good job as Ding Wei Chung and Liu Hao-yi not only has her own fight scenes but is an eagle trainer in this movie. And of course, Whang Ing-Sik does a very good job as Nai Sin.
A word of warning to animal lovers though: You may not like the very last scene of this movie.
Don't miss this movie if you're a fan of Billy Chong or just want to see a good Jackie Chan-style kung fu movie!
Also known as: 風林火山/Foo ying (original Cantonese title-HK), Guo lu ke (original Mandarin title-HK; original script title), Feng lin huo shan (Taiwanese Mandarin title), Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain (literal English title-Taiwan), A Fist Full of Talons (original English title-HK), A Fistful of Talons (English title-HK)
This movie is perhaps one of Billy Chong's most popular movies, and a very good early 1980s independent production from Shaw Bros. director Sun Chung.
"A Fist Full...." takes place in the early 20th century, just after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912. A group of Qing loyalists are in a small Chinese town plotting to overthrow the Republic and restore the Qing to power.
Billy plays Ching I Ming, a young man who works at a tavern run by his uncle and spends his free time harassing the Qing loyalists and cutting their ponytails (a sign of loyalty to the Qing Dynasty) off. Pai Ying plays Ding Wei Chung, a mysterious stranger staying at the tavern who turns out to be a high-ranking Qing defector and one who is highly wanted by the Qings because he has in his possession a number of valuable documents and the Imperial seal, which is the symbol of authority.
After giving the Qings a good butt-kicking in his own town, I Ming gets a little restless and decides to go to a neighboring town, where he catches some more Qings and turns them in. He gets a job with the local constabulary...and is "encouraged" by the local constable to marry his daughter (Liu), who he claims can't get married because "she is too fierce."
Very soon I Ming and Ding cross paths again purely by accident, and trouble soon follows....both in terms of the Qing and the soon-to-be bride who is hunting for I Ming!
Can Ching I Ming and Ding Wei Chung get the documents and seal to Sun Yat-sen's government? Also, can they take on the head of the Qing loyalists Nai Sin (Whang), who is a very skilled kung fu master with a powerful kick?
All in all this is a good kung fu movie from the early '80s that has a very coherent storyline (that's even more understandable if you know a little about Chinese history), good directing, and very good production qualities. The actors and actresses in this movie do a very good job and Billy Chong's performance is sort of a combination of Jackie Chan and Alexander Fu Sheng rolled into one. His kung fu skills are amazing and they really show off in this movie. Pai Ying does a good job as Ding Wei Chung and Liu Hao-yi not only has her own fight scenes but is an eagle trainer in this movie. And of course, Whang Ing-Sik does a very good job as Nai Sin.
A word of warning to animal lovers though: You may not like the very last scene of this movie.
Don't miss this movie if you're a fan of Billy Chong or just want to see a good Jackie Chan-style kung fu movie!
Also known as: 風林火山/Foo ying (original Cantonese title-HK), Guo lu ke (original Mandarin title-HK; original script title), Feng lin huo shan (Taiwanese Mandarin title), Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain (literal English title-Taiwan), A Fist Full of Talons (original English title-HK), A Fistful of Talons (English title-HK)
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Killer Meteors (1976, HK/Taiwan)
Starring: Jimmy Wang Yu, Jackie Chan, Lan Liu-li. Directed by: Lo Wei
"The Killer Meteors" is a movie that has, in the various Western video and DVD releases, been marketed as a movie with Jackie Chan as the main star. This is not exactly true. Jimmy Wang Yu is actually the star of this movie and Jackie was given a secondary role since Wang Yu was one of the big martial arts movie stars in Hong Kong at the time and "Jacky" (as he was known at the time) was still struggling to get his career going.
In "The Killer Meteors", Wang Yu plays the Killer Meteor Mei Sin Her, who is a master of both kung fu and the Killer Meteor, which is a weapon well-known and feared all over China. Master Mei is so feared that men get down on their knees, cut their fingers off, and beg for mercy just so he will spare their lives!
Jackie (in a rare villainous role) plays the Immortal Meteor Wa Wu-bin who believes his wife has poisoned him. He needs the antidote which, unfortunately for him, is in the hands of his scheming wife. Getting the antidote from his wife is going to be no easy matter because she has four kung fu masters serving as her bodyguards and the Immortal Meteor is in no condition to take them on. Therefore, he must get a little help from the Killer Meteor......
This movie is the big-screen adaptation of a novel from famed wuxia novelist Ku Feng, who is also credited for writing the screenplay for the movie. As is the case for the novel, there are many plot twists and turns and get ready for those before watching this movie! In fact you'll want to pay very close attention, especially at the end.
Also in a supporting role in this movie are Phillip Ko as Go Yuen So and Sit Hon as the Lightning Swordsman Wan Fong.
All in all this is an excellent old school kung fu/wuxia movie....as long as you keep in mind that it's a Wang Yu movie and not (quite) one starring Jackie Chan. As a matter of fact, Jackie only has one fight scene in the whole movie! Apart from this, the cast pulls the movie off very well and Wang Yu is in his prime as the Killer Meteor, who can kill his opponents (and "friends") with no mercy and do a bit of womanizing afterwards! This is a must-see if you are a fan of Wang Yu or Jackie Chan!
Also known as:風雨雙流星/Feng yu shuang liu xing (original Mandarin title-HK), Fung yu seung lau sing (original Cantonese title-HK), Wind, Rain, Two Meteors (literal English title-HK), Jackie Chan Versus Wang Wu (VCD title-Thailand), Tiger der Todesarena (West Germany), Anikitos aetos tou karate/Oi ongolithoi tou kung fu (Greek VHS and DVD titles respectively), Meteoro inmortal (Spain), Karate Death Squad (bootleg title-US)
"The Killer Meteors" is a movie that has, in the various Western video and DVD releases, been marketed as a movie with Jackie Chan as the main star. This is not exactly true. Jimmy Wang Yu is actually the star of this movie and Jackie was given a secondary role since Wang Yu was one of the big martial arts movie stars in Hong Kong at the time and "Jacky" (as he was known at the time) was still struggling to get his career going.
In "The Killer Meteors", Wang Yu plays the Killer Meteor Mei Sin Her, who is a master of both kung fu and the Killer Meteor, which is a weapon well-known and feared all over China. Master Mei is so feared that men get down on their knees, cut their fingers off, and beg for mercy just so he will spare their lives!
Jackie (in a rare villainous role) plays the Immortal Meteor Wa Wu-bin who believes his wife has poisoned him. He needs the antidote which, unfortunately for him, is in the hands of his scheming wife. Getting the antidote from his wife is going to be no easy matter because she has four kung fu masters serving as her bodyguards and the Immortal Meteor is in no condition to take them on. Therefore, he must get a little help from the Killer Meteor......
This movie is the big-screen adaptation of a novel from famed wuxia novelist Ku Feng, who is also credited for writing the screenplay for the movie. As is the case for the novel, there are many plot twists and turns and get ready for those before watching this movie! In fact you'll want to pay very close attention, especially at the end.
Also in a supporting role in this movie are Phillip Ko as Go Yuen So and Sit Hon as the Lightning Swordsman Wan Fong.
All in all this is an excellent old school kung fu/wuxia movie....as long as you keep in mind that it's a Wang Yu movie and not (quite) one starring Jackie Chan. As a matter of fact, Jackie only has one fight scene in the whole movie! Apart from this, the cast pulls the movie off very well and Wang Yu is in his prime as the Killer Meteor, who can kill his opponents (and "friends") with no mercy and do a bit of womanizing afterwards! This is a must-see if you are a fan of Wang Yu or Jackie Chan!
Also known as:風雨雙流星/Feng yu shuang liu xing (original Mandarin title-HK), Fung yu seung lau sing (original Cantonese title-HK), Wind, Rain, Two Meteors (literal English title-HK), Jackie Chan Versus Wang Wu (VCD title-Thailand), Tiger der Todesarena (West Germany), Anikitos aetos tou karate/Oi ongolithoi tou kung fu (Greek VHS and DVD titles respectively), Meteoro inmortal (Spain), Karate Death Squad (bootleg title-US)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Five Superfighters (1983, HK)
Starring: Kuang Hsiung, Hau Chiu-Sing, Austin Wai, Wong Mei-Mei. Directed by: Lo Mar
This is one of the lesser-known movies from Shaw Bros, and one that was filmed on a relatively low budget.
In "Five Superfighters", a wandering kung fu master (Kuang) with a huge ego comes to a Chinese town, goes to the local monkey kung fu school, and gives the sifu (Hau) and his students a pretty bad beating as a way to "correct their bad kung fu."
The sifu, feeling humiliated and worthless, quickly takes to the bottle. One night his students quietly leave him to learn better kung fu skills from other masters and promise to return after six months to defeat the wandering master.
One student goes to a poor crippled old man, the other a widow (Wong), and the third student a fisherman. All three are kung fu experts, but can they teach the young men the skills they will need to restore honor to their school and redeem themselves and their master?
This movie has some awesome, high-octane kung fu action throughout that will blow you away! The scenes with Wong Mei-Mei and Jamie Luk (the fisherman) are particularly amazing to watch and of course, the movie's main protagonist is every bit as good as he says.
If you can find a copy of this movie, this is a minor Shaw Bros. classic that you won't want to miss!
Also known as: Tong San ng foo (original Cantonese title-HK), Tang shan wu hu (original Mandarin title-HK), The Drunken Fighter/Superfighters (unknown English titles), Das Schlitzohr mit dem Dampfhammer (West Germany), Los cinco superluchadores (Spain), Bruce Lee lotta di titani/I maestri del kung-fu (Italy)
This is one of the lesser-known movies from Shaw Bros, and one that was filmed on a relatively low budget.
In "Five Superfighters", a wandering kung fu master (Kuang) with a huge ego comes to a Chinese town, goes to the local monkey kung fu school, and gives the sifu (Hau) and his students a pretty bad beating as a way to "correct their bad kung fu."
The sifu, feeling humiliated and worthless, quickly takes to the bottle. One night his students quietly leave him to learn better kung fu skills from other masters and promise to return after six months to defeat the wandering master.
One student goes to a poor crippled old man, the other a widow (Wong), and the third student a fisherman. All three are kung fu experts, but can they teach the young men the skills they will need to restore honor to their school and redeem themselves and their master?
This movie has some awesome, high-octane kung fu action throughout that will blow you away! The scenes with Wong Mei-Mei and Jamie Luk (the fisherman) are particularly amazing to watch and of course, the movie's main protagonist is every bit as good as he says.
If you can find a copy of this movie, this is a minor Shaw Bros. classic that you won't want to miss!
Also known as: Tong San ng foo (original Cantonese title-HK), Tang shan wu hu (original Mandarin title-HK), The Drunken Fighter/Superfighters (unknown English titles), Das Schlitzohr mit dem Dampfhammer (West Germany), Los cinco superluchadores (Spain), Bruce Lee lotta di titani/I maestri del kung-fu (Italy)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Prodigal Son (1981, HK)
Starring: Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-ying, Sammo Hung, Frankie Chan. Directed by: Sammo Hung
This movie is one of Sammo Hung's most popular films, and one that scooped up the awards for Best Director, Picture, and Action Choreography at the 1983 Hong Kong Film Awards. It's also largely based on some real-life Chinese historical figures of the same names as the main characters of this movie.
"The Prodigal Son" is about a spoiled young man in the city of Fatshan (Foshan, located in central Guangdong province, China) named Leung Chan (Yuen). He thinks he is a kung fu master, but he is unaware that his powerful rich father is paying fighters to lose fights to him in order to keep him from being hurt.
One day the Lok Fung Lin opera troupe starring the beautiful Leung Yee-tai (Lam) arrives in town and Leung attends the performance. He sees Yee-tai perform and is immediately lovestruck. When he goes backstage to get to know her better, he finds out that Yee-tai is a man....and a true master of the Wing Chun style to boot. Yee-tai then proceeds to beat up Chan and all his friends, and only when Chan's servant tries to bribe Yee-tai into losing the fight that Chan learn the harsh truth about his so-called martial arts skills.
Chan then begs Yee-tai to teach him kung fu, but he refuses. The opera troupe packs up and moves on to their next performance in Canton (Guangzhou), but Chan is determined to learn kung fu no matter what the cost. He manages to convince his dad to buy out Lok Fung Lin and make himself Yee-tai's personal assistant!
When a local lord named Ngai Fai (Chan) finds out about Yee-tai's martial arts skills, he challenges him to a fight, and doesn't give Yee-tai a chance to say no. However, he doesn't know that Lord Ngai Fai is the "prodigal son" of a powerful Manchu lord and one who is determined to protect him from any threat, including Yee-tai.
What happens next is something you'll have to watch and find out!
Sammo Hung plays Yee-tai's Wing Chun brother and "scholar" Wong Wah-bo who tries to learn a little something everyday, including calligraphy and the art of using kung fu to relieve constipation!
This movie is a true Hong Kong classic and the stars of the movie have some very memorable performances! Of course, the fight scenes will blow you away and the usage of the Wing Chun style in this movie is breathtaking.This truly is one of Sammo Hung's best movies and one that you won't want to miss!
Also known as: 敗家仔/Bai ga jai (Original Cantonese title-HK), Bai jia zi (original Mandarin title-HK), Son Ruining the Family (literal title-HK), Pull No Punches (unknown English title), El hijo prodigo (Spain)
This movie is one of Sammo Hung's most popular films, and one that scooped up the awards for Best Director, Picture, and Action Choreography at the 1983 Hong Kong Film Awards. It's also largely based on some real-life Chinese historical figures of the same names as the main characters of this movie.
"The Prodigal Son" is about a spoiled young man in the city of Fatshan (Foshan, located in central Guangdong province, China) named Leung Chan (Yuen). He thinks he is a kung fu master, but he is unaware that his powerful rich father is paying fighters to lose fights to him in order to keep him from being hurt.
One day the Lok Fung Lin opera troupe starring the beautiful Leung Yee-tai (Lam) arrives in town and Leung attends the performance. He sees Yee-tai perform and is immediately lovestruck. When he goes backstage to get to know her better, he finds out that Yee-tai is a man....and a true master of the Wing Chun style to boot. Yee-tai then proceeds to beat up Chan and all his friends, and only when Chan's servant tries to bribe Yee-tai into losing the fight that Chan learn the harsh truth about his so-called martial arts skills.
Chan then begs Yee-tai to teach him kung fu, but he refuses. The opera troupe packs up and moves on to their next performance in Canton (Guangzhou), but Chan is determined to learn kung fu no matter what the cost. He manages to convince his dad to buy out Lok Fung Lin and make himself Yee-tai's personal assistant!
When a local lord named Ngai Fai (Chan) finds out about Yee-tai's martial arts skills, he challenges him to a fight, and doesn't give Yee-tai a chance to say no. However, he doesn't know that Lord Ngai Fai is the "prodigal son" of a powerful Manchu lord and one who is determined to protect him from any threat, including Yee-tai.
What happens next is something you'll have to watch and find out!
Sammo Hung plays Yee-tai's Wing Chun brother and "scholar" Wong Wah-bo who tries to learn a little something everyday, including calligraphy and the art of using kung fu to relieve constipation!
This movie is a true Hong Kong classic and the stars of the movie have some very memorable performances! Of course, the fight scenes will blow you away and the usage of the Wing Chun style in this movie is breathtaking.This truly is one of Sammo Hung's best movies and one that you won't want to miss!
Also known as: 敗家仔/Bai ga jai (Original Cantonese title-HK), Bai jia zi (original Mandarin title-HK), Son Ruining the Family (literal title-HK), Pull No Punches (unknown English title), El hijo prodigo (Spain)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Dragon on Fire (1981, HK)
Starring: John Liu, Philip Ko, Tino Wong, Dragon Lee, Bolo Yeung, Chan Lau. Directed by: Godfrey Ho
This is another one of Godfrey Ho's better movies, and one with a top-notch cast that pull off a fine job in this movie!
In "Dragon on Fire", a group of foreigners is seeking to buy rare Chinese antiquities from the rabid strongman (Chan) of a Chinese village. Two local men (Wong, Lee) object to the sale and decide to stop the sale of these priceless national treasures whatever the cost and bring down the strongman's business empire. These two men are also the only two fighters of the Stone Rock Fist style left in China and they must use their skills for the benefit of the nation.
However, this strongman isn't going to give up his empire without a fight and hires two powerful fighters (Ko, Liu) to defend his interests.
The fight scenes in this movie are just plain amazing. John Liu is at his best in this movie and it's jaw-dropping to watch him take down several men with one kick plus use his special fist and palm styles. Next to John would be Philip Ko in terms of awesomeness in this movie. He carries an hourglass with him in this movie and before the fight scenes begin, he says "When the sand stops running in this hourglass, you're dead!" He doesn't tell a word of a lie either because can give his opponents a good beating with his fancy kicks and Snake and Crane moves! Then there's Tino Wong and Dragon Lee. In terms of acting and fighting, both of them do a good job in this movie. Dragon Lee, who is in a relatively minor supporting role in this movie, pulls out his usual Bruce Lee mannerisms. Surprisingly enough, these work very well in this movie. Chiang Kam also has a good supporting role as the dishwasher who helps Dragon Lee and Tino Wong in their efforts to bring down the strongman.
This is also a very noteable movie for Chan Lau, who plays one of the most memorable characters you'll ever see in a kung fu movie! As the crazed strongman suffering from a bad case of rabies, you'll most certainly remember him panting like a dog, chasing his opponents down, and biting them long after this movie is over!
Bolo Yeung has a very good cameo at the beginning of this movie as the strongman's fighter "Muscleman". The strongman holds a contest where the local fighters can win 50 taels of silver if they can defeat Muscleman, and our heroes take him on. Also in this contest is a very brief cameo by Bruce Lee's good friend and fellow kung fu star Mars, who plays a defeated contestant.
This is an excellent kung fu movie and one worth checking out for some top-notch actors and good old-fashioned chop socky fun!
Also known as: Guai quan guai zhao (original Mandarin title-HK, Taiwan?) The Dragon, the Hero (original English title-HK), Dragon, the Hero (international English title), Bruce Lee - Die Todesklaue des Tigers/Todesgrüße von Bruce Lee (West Germany), Dragon and the Hero (unknown English title), Dragón de fuego (VHS title-Spain). Released in the USA in 1982 and originally released in Taiwan in 1979?
This is another one of Godfrey Ho's better movies, and one with a top-notch cast that pull off a fine job in this movie!
In "Dragon on Fire", a group of foreigners is seeking to buy rare Chinese antiquities from the rabid strongman (Chan) of a Chinese village. Two local men (Wong, Lee) object to the sale and decide to stop the sale of these priceless national treasures whatever the cost and bring down the strongman's business empire. These two men are also the only two fighters of the Stone Rock Fist style left in China and they must use their skills for the benefit of the nation.
However, this strongman isn't going to give up his empire without a fight and hires two powerful fighters (Ko, Liu) to defend his interests.
The fight scenes in this movie are just plain amazing. John Liu is at his best in this movie and it's jaw-dropping to watch him take down several men with one kick plus use his special fist and palm styles. Next to John would be Philip Ko in terms of awesomeness in this movie. He carries an hourglass with him in this movie and before the fight scenes begin, he says "When the sand stops running in this hourglass, you're dead!" He doesn't tell a word of a lie either because can give his opponents a good beating with his fancy kicks and Snake and Crane moves! Then there's Tino Wong and Dragon Lee. In terms of acting and fighting, both of them do a good job in this movie. Dragon Lee, who is in a relatively minor supporting role in this movie, pulls out his usual Bruce Lee mannerisms. Surprisingly enough, these work very well in this movie. Chiang Kam also has a good supporting role as the dishwasher who helps Dragon Lee and Tino Wong in their efforts to bring down the strongman.
This is also a very noteable movie for Chan Lau, who plays one of the most memorable characters you'll ever see in a kung fu movie! As the crazed strongman suffering from a bad case of rabies, you'll most certainly remember him panting like a dog, chasing his opponents down, and biting them long after this movie is over!
Bolo Yeung has a very good cameo at the beginning of this movie as the strongman's fighter "Muscleman". The strongman holds a contest where the local fighters can win 50 taels of silver if they can defeat Muscleman, and our heroes take him on. Also in this contest is a very brief cameo by Bruce Lee's good friend and fellow kung fu star Mars, who plays a defeated contestant.
This is an excellent kung fu movie and one worth checking out for some top-notch actors and good old-fashioned chop socky fun!
Also known as: Guai quan guai zhao (original Mandarin title-HK, Taiwan?) The Dragon, the Hero (original English title-HK), Dragon, the Hero (international English title), Bruce Lee - Die Todesklaue des Tigers/Todesgrüße von Bruce Lee (West Germany), Dragon and the Hero (unknown English title), Dragón de fuego (VHS title-Spain). Released in the USA in 1982 and originally released in Taiwan in 1979?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Drunken Master (1978, HK)
Starring: Jackie Chan, Simon Yuen, Hwang Jang Lee. Directed by: Yuen Woo-Ping
This is without a doubt one of the most successful kung fu movies of all time and the movie that cemented Jackie Chan's reputation as the "king of kung fu comedy." It's also the first of several Drunken Master movies that Yuen Woo-Ping would direct and the movie that brought the Drunken Fist style of kung fu into the international spotlight.
In "Drunken Master", Jackie plays a young Wong Fei-hung who has mastered his dad Wong Kei-ying's kung fu techniques, but is getting into quite a bit of trouble both in his kung fu school and in town with some of the other local kids.
When Fei-hung tries to make time with a new girl in town (who turns out to be his own cousin) and beats up the son of a local bigshot, Kei-ying sends Fei-hung away to his uncle Beggar So (Yuen) for a year to learn his own style of kung fu....and undergo the rigorous training that Beggar So is notorious for.
Fei-hung gives Beggar So quite a bit of trouble, but he gradually accepts his lot and learns...and becomes a master of the Drunken Fist techniques.
When the kung fu master known as Thunderlegs (Hwang) comes to town, Wong Fei-hung must put all his training to the test. But is he ready for the challenge?
Apart from the three main characters, the supporting cast also did a very good job in this movie. Lam Kau played Wong Kei-ying very well and Dean Shek did a great job as Professor Kai-hsien. Lee Chun Wah did a fine Bolo Yeung-style performance as the waiter known as "Gorilla" and his beating heart was a nice touch! Also in this movie is a cameo by Yuen Woo-ping himself and supposedly cameos by Casanova Wong and Shih Kien, but I haven't been able to find out who they played or where they appear in the movie.
This movie is a classic kung fu comedy you can't miss and if you haven't seen it, find it and watch it now! It's definitely one of Jackie Chan's greatest early movies!
Also known as: 醉拳/Jui kuen (original Cantonese title-HK), Zui quan (original Mandarin title-HK), Drunken Fist (literal English title), Challenge (India), Drunk Monkey (Japan), Drunk Monkey in the Tiger's Eyes (alt. English title-HK), Cakar monyet dalam pandangam harimau (Malay title-Malaysia), The Drunken Master (English title-Philippines), Ein Halleluja für 2 Schlitzohren/Jackie Chan - Der Superbomber mit der schnellen Faust/Sie nannten ihn Knochenbrecher (West German titles), Pijany mistrz (Poland), Le maître chinois (France), El mono borracho en el ojo del tigre (Spain), Eagle Claw, Snake Fist, Cat's Paw, Part 2 (unknown English title), and others.
This is without a doubt one of the most successful kung fu movies of all time and the movie that cemented Jackie Chan's reputation as the "king of kung fu comedy." It's also the first of several Drunken Master movies that Yuen Woo-Ping would direct and the movie that brought the Drunken Fist style of kung fu into the international spotlight.
In "Drunken Master", Jackie plays a young Wong Fei-hung who has mastered his dad Wong Kei-ying's kung fu techniques, but is getting into quite a bit of trouble both in his kung fu school and in town with some of the other local kids.
When Fei-hung tries to make time with a new girl in town (who turns out to be his own cousin) and beats up the son of a local bigshot, Kei-ying sends Fei-hung away to his uncle Beggar So (Yuen) for a year to learn his own style of kung fu....and undergo the rigorous training that Beggar So is notorious for.
Fei-hung gives Beggar So quite a bit of trouble, but he gradually accepts his lot and learns...and becomes a master of the Drunken Fist techniques.
When the kung fu master known as Thunderlegs (Hwang) comes to town, Wong Fei-hung must put all his training to the test. But is he ready for the challenge?
Apart from the three main characters, the supporting cast also did a very good job in this movie. Lam Kau played Wong Kei-ying very well and Dean Shek did a great job as Professor Kai-hsien. Lee Chun Wah did a fine Bolo Yeung-style performance as the waiter known as "Gorilla" and his beating heart was a nice touch! Also in this movie is a cameo by Yuen Woo-ping himself and supposedly cameos by Casanova Wong and Shih Kien, but I haven't been able to find out who they played or where they appear in the movie.
This movie is a classic kung fu comedy you can't miss and if you haven't seen it, find it and watch it now! It's definitely one of Jackie Chan's greatest early movies!
Also known as: 醉拳/Jui kuen (original Cantonese title-HK), Zui quan (original Mandarin title-HK), Drunken Fist (literal English title), Challenge (India), Drunk Monkey (Japan), Drunk Monkey in the Tiger's Eyes (alt. English title-HK), Cakar monyet dalam pandangam harimau (Malay title-Malaysia), The Drunken Master (English title-Philippines), Ein Halleluja für 2 Schlitzohren/Jackie Chan - Der Superbomber mit der schnellen Faust/Sie nannten ihn Knochenbrecher (West German titles), Pijany mistrz (Poland), Le maître chinois (France), El mono borracho en el ojo del tigre (Spain), Eagle Claw, Snake Fist, Cat's Paw, Part 2 (unknown English title), and others.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The Bloody Fists (1972, HK)
Starring: Chen Sing, Chen Kuan Tai. Directed by: Ng See-Yuen
This is a very good old-school kung fu movie and one that features the Yuen brothers (Yuen Woo-Ping, Yuen Cheung-Yan) as action directors.
In "The Bloody Fists", a group of Japanese karate experts led by the long-haired, masked fighter Okagawa Takeo (Chen Kuan Tai) has been dispatched by the Emperor before or during (presumably) World War II to secure the world's only supply of the Dragon Herb, which is a powerful drug that can cure many ailments. The only place in the world where this herb grows is in a village in China and the Japanese must take it over and terrorize the villagers into submission.
Chen Sing plays Jang Wu-dip, an infamous outlaw and kung fu expert who is on the run and happens to hide out in this village after nearly wiping out a whole police squad single-handedly. After the local kung fu fighters have all been defeated or killed, it's up to Jang to take on the Japanese and keep the Dragon Herb out of their hands. But can he accomplish the task?
Also in this film is Henry Yu Yung, who does a very good job as Yu Yang, one of the village's Dragon Herb farmers/kung fu fighter, and Suen Lam as the Chinese Quisling Chen San who assists the Japanese in their mission. He is a truly despicable, nasty character who willingly hands over his own family and fellow villagers to the Japanese and even laughs as his own sister is brutalized by one of the Japanese thugs! Hon Kwok-Choi, who also appeared with Chen Sing in "Kung Fu: The Invicible Fist" the same year, does a great job as Ya Ba the mute villager, and Yuen Woo-Ping and his other brother Yuen Shun-Yi both have cameos. Woo-ping plays Chen San's brother who is handed over by Chen San and Shun-yi is an extra in this movie.
The only big flaw in this movie was the soundtrack. The original version uses "Nadia's Theme" (also the theme of the US soap opera "Young and the Restless") throughout the movie, as well as a few seconds of the Black Sabbath song "The Wizard". However, in the 2006 Warner Bros. DVD release, the whole soundtrack had to be replaced due to US copyright laws and the soundtrack used was a cheezy synth and breakbeat score that sounds much like the ones used by Dimension in their HK movie releases of some 10 years ago. There are many who will no doubt find either score to be distracting. Also, why did all the Japanese wear flannel pants in this movie???
All in all this is a great film from Ng See Yuen that is a must-see if you are a fan of old-school kung fu!
Also known as: Dang kou tan (original Mandarin title-HK), Dong kau taan (original Cantonese title-HK), Deadly Buddhist Raiders (original US title), Durs combats de karaté (France), Zakato - Die Faust des Todes (West Germany), The Bloody Fist (unknown English title #1), Death Beach (unknown English title #2)
This is a very good old-school kung fu movie and one that features the Yuen brothers (Yuen Woo-Ping, Yuen Cheung-Yan) as action directors.
In "The Bloody Fists", a group of Japanese karate experts led by the long-haired, masked fighter Okagawa Takeo (Chen Kuan Tai) has been dispatched by the Emperor before or during (presumably) World War II to secure the world's only supply of the Dragon Herb, which is a powerful drug that can cure many ailments. The only place in the world where this herb grows is in a village in China and the Japanese must take it over and terrorize the villagers into submission.
Chen Sing plays Jang Wu-dip, an infamous outlaw and kung fu expert who is on the run and happens to hide out in this village after nearly wiping out a whole police squad single-handedly. After the local kung fu fighters have all been defeated or killed, it's up to Jang to take on the Japanese and keep the Dragon Herb out of their hands. But can he accomplish the task?
Also in this film is Henry Yu Yung, who does a very good job as Yu Yang, one of the village's Dragon Herb farmers/kung fu fighter, and Suen Lam as the Chinese Quisling Chen San who assists the Japanese in their mission. He is a truly despicable, nasty character who willingly hands over his own family and fellow villagers to the Japanese and even laughs as his own sister is brutalized by one of the Japanese thugs! Hon Kwok-Choi, who also appeared with Chen Sing in "Kung Fu: The Invicible Fist" the same year, does a great job as Ya Ba the mute villager, and Yuen Woo-Ping and his other brother Yuen Shun-Yi both have cameos. Woo-ping plays Chen San's brother who is handed over by Chen San and Shun-yi is an extra in this movie.
The only big flaw in this movie was the soundtrack. The original version uses "Nadia's Theme" (also the theme of the US soap opera "Young and the Restless") throughout the movie, as well as a few seconds of the Black Sabbath song "The Wizard". However, in the 2006 Warner Bros. DVD release, the whole soundtrack had to be replaced due to US copyright laws and the soundtrack used was a cheezy synth and breakbeat score that sounds much like the ones used by Dimension in their HK movie releases of some 10 years ago. There are many who will no doubt find either score to be distracting. Also, why did all the Japanese wear flannel pants in this movie???
All in all this is a great film from Ng See Yuen that is a must-see if you are a fan of old-school kung fu!
Also known as: Dang kou tan (original Mandarin title-HK), Dong kau taan (original Cantonese title-HK), Deadly Buddhist Raiders (original US title), Durs combats de karaté (France), Zakato - Die Faust des Todes (West Germany), The Bloody Fist (unknown English title #1), Death Beach (unknown English title #2)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fist of Fury (1972, HK)
Starring: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, James Tien. Directed by: Lo Wei
This is Bruce Lee's most famous film and one that's based on the true story of Huo Yuanjia (Fok Yuen Gap in Cantonese). Furthermore, "Fist of Fury" is an enduring cinema classic that is widely regarded to be the movie that made the kung fu genre famous worldwide. The image of Bruce Lee with blood smeared on his face from this movie is one of cinema's most recognizable images and some of the scenes from this movie are some of the most famous in martial arts cinema history.
In "Fist of Fury", Bruce Lee plays Huo's fictional student Chen Zhen, who has come back to the Chingwu School in Shanghai to marry his fiancee Yuan Le-erh (Miao, in an equally powerful and memorable performance). He returns only to find his beloved sifu dead from poisoning. Rage and grief consume Chen day by day. Le-erh stands by her man and is there for him as much as she possibly can be, but he drifts further and further away.
When some Japanese karate students from the Bushido School start taunting the Chingwu students and bring a sign saying "Sick Men of Asia" to the school, Chen unleashes his anger. He returns the sign to the Bushido School and defeats the entire school single-handedly. Chen then proceeds to take a walk through Huangpu Park in Shanghai, where he smashes a sign saying "No Dogs or Chinese Allowed In" (a scene which famously caused the crowds to cheer at the movie's premiere in Hong Kong) and beats up a Japanese man who refuses him entry.
Unable to accept their humiliating defeats at the hands of Chen, the Japanese decide to take their revenge on the Chingwu school. They trash the school, beat up the students, and demand that the school hand Chen over or else they'll have the authorities close the school and arrest the students.
Reluctant to hand over their beloved brother Chen, he lays low and hides from the Japanese. However, after hearing a conversation between the Chingwu cook and caretaker about what really happened to Sifu Huo, Chen sets out to avenge his master, kill all those responsible. In addition, he must defend Chingwu and uphold the honor of the Chinese people.
Also appearing in "Fist of Fury" are a number of future Hong Kong stars, including Jackie Chan (as the Japanese master Hiroshi Suzuki when being kicked through some paper windows by Chen), Yuen Biao, Corey Yuen, Hon Kwok Choi, Yuen Wah (as Bruce Lee's double during the fight scene between Chen and Yoshida), Mars, Unicorn Chan, and Lam Ching Ying.
There's no doubt that this is a very dark movie, but it's one of the most famous kung fu movies of all time and Bruce Lee's most powerful perfomance in his very short career. This is an excellent movie and if you should only see one kung fu movie in your lifetime, this is the one.
Also known as: 精武門/Jing wu men (original Mandarin title-HK), 精武门 (Simplified Chinese characters), Jing mo mun (original Cantonese title-HK), The Chinese Connection (dubbed English version-USA), The Iron Hand (English title-Japan), School for Chivalry (literal English and Mandarin title-HK/China/Taiwan), Todesgrüße aus Shanghai (West Germany), Bruce Lee - Todesgrüße aus Shanghai (West German edited version), Bruce Lee - Die Faust des Rächers (German TV title), Öldüren karatecinin intikami (Turkey), Dalla Cina con furore (Italy), Tekken (Japan), and others.
This is Bruce Lee's most famous film and one that's based on the true story of Huo Yuanjia (Fok Yuen Gap in Cantonese). Furthermore, "Fist of Fury" is an enduring cinema classic that is widely regarded to be the movie that made the kung fu genre famous worldwide. The image of Bruce Lee with blood smeared on his face from this movie is one of cinema's most recognizable images and some of the scenes from this movie are some of the most famous in martial arts cinema history.
In "Fist of Fury", Bruce Lee plays Huo's fictional student Chen Zhen, who has come back to the Chingwu School in Shanghai to marry his fiancee Yuan Le-erh (Miao, in an equally powerful and memorable performance). He returns only to find his beloved sifu dead from poisoning. Rage and grief consume Chen day by day. Le-erh stands by her man and is there for him as much as she possibly can be, but he drifts further and further away.
When some Japanese karate students from the Bushido School start taunting the Chingwu students and bring a sign saying "Sick Men of Asia" to the school, Chen unleashes his anger. He returns the sign to the Bushido School and defeats the entire school single-handedly. Chen then proceeds to take a walk through Huangpu Park in Shanghai, where he smashes a sign saying "No Dogs or Chinese Allowed In" (a scene which famously caused the crowds to cheer at the movie's premiere in Hong Kong) and beats up a Japanese man who refuses him entry.
Unable to accept their humiliating defeats at the hands of Chen, the Japanese decide to take their revenge on the Chingwu school. They trash the school, beat up the students, and demand that the school hand Chen over or else they'll have the authorities close the school and arrest the students.
Reluctant to hand over their beloved brother Chen, he lays low and hides from the Japanese. However, after hearing a conversation between the Chingwu cook and caretaker about what really happened to Sifu Huo, Chen sets out to avenge his master, kill all those responsible. In addition, he must defend Chingwu and uphold the honor of the Chinese people.
Also appearing in "Fist of Fury" are a number of future Hong Kong stars, including Jackie Chan (as the Japanese master Hiroshi Suzuki when being kicked through some paper windows by Chen), Yuen Biao, Corey Yuen, Hon Kwok Choi, Yuen Wah (as Bruce Lee's double during the fight scene between Chen and Yoshida), Mars, Unicorn Chan, and Lam Ching Ying.
There's no doubt that this is a very dark movie, but it's one of the most famous kung fu movies of all time and Bruce Lee's most powerful perfomance in his very short career. This is an excellent movie and if you should only see one kung fu movie in your lifetime, this is the one.
Also known as: 精武門/Jing wu men (original Mandarin title-HK), 精武门 (Simplified Chinese characters), Jing mo mun (original Cantonese title-HK), The Chinese Connection (dubbed English version-USA), The Iron Hand (English title-Japan), School for Chivalry (literal English and Mandarin title-HK/China/Taiwan), Todesgrüße aus Shanghai (West Germany), Bruce Lee - Todesgrüße aus Shanghai (West German edited version), Bruce Lee - Die Faust des Rächers (German TV title), Öldüren karatecinin intikami (Turkey), Dalla Cina con furore (Italy), Tekken (Japan), and others.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Choy Lee Fat Kung Fu (1979, HK, Taiwan?)
Starring: Cliff Lok, Yeung Pan Pan, Phillip Ko, Chan Siu-Pang, Lam Kau, Chiang Kam. Directed by: Chan Siu-Pang
This is an excellent Jackie Chan/Sammo Hung-style feature that's been extremely hard to find until the past decade or so, when at least two companies released it on DVD. This movie stars Cliff Lok and was made when Jackie Chan's popularity was beginning to soar worldwide. As such it seems to draw a lot of inspiration from his movies. However, it is a very unique movie in its own right.
In CLF, Cliff Lok plays Ah Sing, a drifting young man wanting to learn kung fu who wanders into a village. He has some of the locals perform a black magic spell on him in front of the local kung fu school so he can "have his body possessed by the spirit of a kung fu master". The sifu at this school, Sifu Chan (Lam) brings him out of his trance and wants to teach him kung fu, but cannot due to local village laws prohibiting him from teaching kung fu to those from outside the village.
However, he hires Ah Sing to work at the school and, naturally, he watches and learns. Eventually Sifu Chan agrees to teach him in secret until the local village elders find out and force him to stop and make Ah Sing leave.
Fortunately for Ah Sing, Sifu Chan puts him in touch with Monk Grass (Chan, who also directed this movie), who continues to teach him kung fu and helps him become an expert in the Choy Lay Fut techniques. However, Monk Grass must leave due to "problems" with the Ching authorities and he sends Ah Sing down to Guangdong Province to get in touch with some anti-Ching fighters.
Unfortunately for Ah Sing, the Ching authorities have a problem with those who know just as much, if not more, kung fu than they do. And sooner or later, Ah Sing runs afoul of the Ching authorities and their fighters as well, and must put his kung fu skills to the ultimate test.
Cliff Lok's training scenes in this movie are amazing to watch, and can wear you out by just watching them! Of course, the fighting scenes are excellent and it's fascinating to watch the different Choy Lay Fut techniques (which are named in Chinese on the side of the screen) being used in this movie. The acting in this movie is very good, and Cliff and Chiang Kam do excellent jobs as two Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung-style characters. The bad guy, played by Phillip Ko in this movie, is the typical white-haired evil kung fu master, but Phillip plays the part well. It's also worth mentioning that many of the supporting actors were in fact from the real-life Choy Lay Fut Student's Association in either Hong Kong or Taiwan, but it's not clear from the credits which country.
Also of interest in this movie is the Chinese dragon dance scene, which is very interesting to watch!
This is a good old-school kung fu movie to watch, especially if you're a fan of Cliff Lok or are interested in the Choy Lay Fut style of kung fu.
Also known as: 無刀快斬/Xiong sheng Cai Li Fo (original Mandarin title-HK and Taiwan)
This is an excellent Jackie Chan/Sammo Hung-style feature that's been extremely hard to find until the past decade or so, when at least two companies released it on DVD. This movie stars Cliff Lok and was made when Jackie Chan's popularity was beginning to soar worldwide. As such it seems to draw a lot of inspiration from his movies. However, it is a very unique movie in its own right.
In CLF, Cliff Lok plays Ah Sing, a drifting young man wanting to learn kung fu who wanders into a village. He has some of the locals perform a black magic spell on him in front of the local kung fu school so he can "have his body possessed by the spirit of a kung fu master". The sifu at this school, Sifu Chan (Lam) brings him out of his trance and wants to teach him kung fu, but cannot due to local village laws prohibiting him from teaching kung fu to those from outside the village.
However, he hires Ah Sing to work at the school and, naturally, he watches and learns. Eventually Sifu Chan agrees to teach him in secret until the local village elders find out and force him to stop and make Ah Sing leave.
Fortunately for Ah Sing, Sifu Chan puts him in touch with Monk Grass (Chan, who also directed this movie), who continues to teach him kung fu and helps him become an expert in the Choy Lay Fut techniques. However, Monk Grass must leave due to "problems" with the Ching authorities and he sends Ah Sing down to Guangdong Province to get in touch with some anti-Ching fighters.
Unfortunately for Ah Sing, the Ching authorities have a problem with those who know just as much, if not more, kung fu than they do. And sooner or later, Ah Sing runs afoul of the Ching authorities and their fighters as well, and must put his kung fu skills to the ultimate test.
Cliff Lok's training scenes in this movie are amazing to watch, and can wear you out by just watching them! Of course, the fighting scenes are excellent and it's fascinating to watch the different Choy Lay Fut techniques (which are named in Chinese on the side of the screen) being used in this movie. The acting in this movie is very good, and Cliff and Chiang Kam do excellent jobs as two Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung-style characters. The bad guy, played by Phillip Ko in this movie, is the typical white-haired evil kung fu master, but Phillip plays the part well. It's also worth mentioning that many of the supporting actors were in fact from the real-life Choy Lay Fut Student's Association in either Hong Kong or Taiwan, but it's not clear from the credits which country.
Also of interest in this movie is the Chinese dragon dance scene, which is very interesting to watch!
This is a good old-school kung fu movie to watch, especially if you're a fan of Cliff Lok or are interested in the Choy Lay Fut style of kung fu.
Also known as: 無刀快斬/Xiong sheng Cai Li Fo (original Mandarin title-HK and Taiwan)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Face Behind the Mask (1974, Taiwan)
Starring: Lo Lieh, Yueh Hua, Hsu Feng. Directed by: Chen Chi-hua
Until it was released in 2006 or so by Rarescope, this wuxia movie was a movie that was extremely hard to find and seemed to be forgotten. Now that it's available on the market again, we can enjoy this awesome wuxia movie/costume epic, which was directed by Chen Chi-hua (who directed several of Jackie Chan's early movies).
In this movie, a famous martial artist and swordsman named Chi Tien-Wei has been elected "Chief of the Martial World" after the other challengers were eliminated by some of his fighters.
However, a group of martial artists and wizards are not happy with the outcome of the elections. So much so that they try to kill Chi Tien-Wei by sending various fighters and wizards after him and setting some very interesting booby traps both in his household and at various ambush sites.
The most lethal of the whole group is known as the "Mystical Fighter" who wears a mask and is skilled in both kung fu and the art of poison and he uses both skills to his advantage. Also, there is a deadly traitor in the Chi household who is helping Szu Tu-Ming and the Mystical Fighter. The identity of this traitor is something Tien-Wei must find out before it's too late.
According to the Rarescope DVD cover and some Internet forums, the face behind the mask is widely speculated to be none other than Jackie Chan in an early cameo role! While the role has never officially been listed as a Jackie cameo, the moves of the Mystical Fighter are pure Jackie. Also, at the time this movie came out, Jackie was doing a lot of stunt work and making minor movie appearances and he and Chen Chi-hua were friends in the mid-1970s when his career was just starting. So it's quite possible that this is indeed an early Jackie Chan cameo!
The English subtitles are horrible and can make the storyline confusing, but all in all this is a very good wuxia movie with fast-paced swordplay and kung fu as well as lavish, high-quality production. In fact, some of the sets they used in this movie were beautiful and gave a unique backdrop to some of the fight scenes! If you're looking for a good wuxia flick, be sure to check this one out!
Also known as: Long she xia ying (original Mandarin title-Taiwan)
Until it was released in 2006 or so by Rarescope, this wuxia movie was a movie that was extremely hard to find and seemed to be forgotten. Now that it's available on the market again, we can enjoy this awesome wuxia movie/costume epic, which was directed by Chen Chi-hua (who directed several of Jackie Chan's early movies).
In this movie, a famous martial artist and swordsman named Chi Tien-Wei has been elected "Chief of the Martial World" after the other challengers were eliminated by some of his fighters.
However, a group of martial artists and wizards are not happy with the outcome of the elections. So much so that they try to kill Chi Tien-Wei by sending various fighters and wizards after him and setting some very interesting booby traps both in his household and at various ambush sites.
The most lethal of the whole group is known as the "Mystical Fighter" who wears a mask and is skilled in both kung fu and the art of poison and he uses both skills to his advantage. Also, there is a deadly traitor in the Chi household who is helping Szu Tu-Ming and the Mystical Fighter. The identity of this traitor is something Tien-Wei must find out before it's too late.
According to the Rarescope DVD cover and some Internet forums, the face behind the mask is widely speculated to be none other than Jackie Chan in an early cameo role! While the role has never officially been listed as a Jackie cameo, the moves of the Mystical Fighter are pure Jackie. Also, at the time this movie came out, Jackie was doing a lot of stunt work and making minor movie appearances and he and Chen Chi-hua were friends in the mid-1970s when his career was just starting. So it's quite possible that this is indeed an early Jackie Chan cameo!
The English subtitles are horrible and can make the storyline confusing, but all in all this is a very good wuxia movie with fast-paced swordplay and kung fu as well as lavish, high-quality production. In fact, some of the sets they used in this movie were beautiful and gave a unique backdrop to some of the fight scenes! If you're looking for a good wuxia flick, be sure to check this one out!
Also known as: Long she xia ying (original Mandarin title-Taiwan)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Kung Fu Zombie (1982, HK)
Starring: Billy Chong, Chan Lau, Kwan Young Moon, Cheng Kang-Yeh, Wang Yu. Directed by: Hua Yi-Jung
"Kung Fu Zombie" is one of the most noteworthy flicks to come out of the "supernatural kung fu" craze of the 1980s/early 1990s in Hong Kong. While it lacks the big budget of Sammo Hung's classic "Encounter of the Spooky Kind" or Ricky Lau's "Mr. Vampire", it more than makes up for it in the relentless humor that will have you rolling on the floor laughing throughout all the movie and of course, through the awesome kung fu scenes.
In "Kung Fu Zombie", Billy Chong plays Pang, a young man who has foiled the attempts of a local criminal's attempts at a robbery. This criminal attempts to get his payback on Pang by hiring a priest to raise a group of zombies to kill him after challenging him to a fight at a local cemetery. However, the plan goes horribly wrong and the criminal is killed instead!
The criminal's ghost tries desperately to find a new body and come back to life...and wreaks havoc with the bumbling priest while looking!
Meanwhile, Pang has problems with his own starting with his dad. When a family with a vendetta comes to town looking for dear old Dad, Pang's problems only get worse.
"Kung Fu Zombie" is a hilarious "geung si movie" (meaning "stiff corpse movie", or a zombie movie in Cantonese) that only gets better every time you watch it. If you're lucky enough to find a copy, watch it ASAP!
Also known as: Woo lung tin see chiu chik gwai (original Cantonese title-HK), Wu long tian shi zhao ji gui (original Mandarin title-HK), Wu long tian shi zgui da gui (Mandarin poster title-HK)
"Kung Fu Zombie" is one of the most noteworthy flicks to come out of the "supernatural kung fu" craze of the 1980s/early 1990s in Hong Kong. While it lacks the big budget of Sammo Hung's classic "Encounter of the Spooky Kind" or Ricky Lau's "Mr. Vampire", it more than makes up for it in the relentless humor that will have you rolling on the floor laughing throughout all the movie and of course, through the awesome kung fu scenes.
In "Kung Fu Zombie", Billy Chong plays Pang, a young man who has foiled the attempts of a local criminal's attempts at a robbery. This criminal attempts to get his payback on Pang by hiring a priest to raise a group of zombies to kill him after challenging him to a fight at a local cemetery. However, the plan goes horribly wrong and the criminal is killed instead!
The criminal's ghost tries desperately to find a new body and come back to life...and wreaks havoc with the bumbling priest while looking!
Meanwhile, Pang has problems with his own starting with his dad. When a family with a vendetta comes to town looking for dear old Dad, Pang's problems only get worse.
"Kung Fu Zombie" is a hilarious "geung si movie" (meaning "stiff corpse movie", or a zombie movie in Cantonese) that only gets better every time you watch it. If you're lucky enough to find a copy, watch it ASAP!
Also known as: Woo lung tin see chiu chik gwai (original Cantonese title-HK), Wu long tian shi zhao ji gui (original Mandarin title-HK), Wu long tian shi zgui da gui (Mandarin poster title-HK)
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Breakout From Oppression (1973, HK)
Starring: Liu Chia Hui (Gordon Liu),Paul Chun, Dean Shek, Fung Hak-On, Li Lin-Lin. Directed by: Liu Chia Hui (Gordon Liu), Liu Chia-Liang, Yang Fan
This is one of Gordon Liu's earliest movies, and one that was directed by Gordon, his brother Liu Chia-Liang, and Yang Fan.
In "Breakout...", Gordon plays Tsao Chan, a postman who, at the beginning of the movie, is captured by several (presumably) Japanese policemen and is rounded up with some other people for execution. Without blinking an eye he kills all 3-4 of these policemen and escapes with all the other captives.
He then makes his way to East Village, where he has to break the bad news to the villagers that their mail is lost due to his capture. He makes his way to a local house where a murder of several family members has just taken place and the "killers" are fleeing the scene.
Tsao Chan takes the task of tracking these killers down and bringing them to justice all by himself. He traces them to a neighboring village, where they are working for a local packing/shipping company that's managed by a heavy-handed boss and his son. During their spare time the workers all practice kung fu and are very efficient fighters. Tsao must infiltrate the company by becoming the boss's top enforcer while gradually exposing the killers and waiting for the right moment to enforce justice on them. However, are they the true killers? Furthermore, is Tsao Chan's kung fu a match for the workers at this factory?
This movie was obviously shot on an extremely low budget and suffers from some horrible film quality in places, as well as a storyline that can be confusing at times. Also, did the Liu brothers have permission to use the themes from "The Big Boss" and Sergio Leone's "Man With No Name" trilogy in this movie??
Despite these flaws, "Breakout From Oppression" is a notch above most other low-budget kung fu movies from the '70s. The storyline seems to be inspired by, but does not directly use the "Yojimbo" storyline. The fight scenes are excellent, particularly the scene where Gordon Liu covers himself in oil and proceeds to whip the factory's fighters. Also, there are some creative uses of dynamite in two of the movie's big fight scenes! This movie also has the main characters thinking aloud to themselves at times, a couple of creative camera angles, and flashbacks with red camera filters used to enhance the flashback. These are somewhat unusual for martial arts movies of that time.
If you're a fan of Gordon Liu or want to see some of his early stuff, be sure to check this movie out! Also, if you just want to see a good old kung fu movie or one that runs under 80 minutes, you might want to give this one a watch!
Also known as: 最佳搏殺/Sha chu chong wei (Original Mandarin title-HK)
This is one of Gordon Liu's earliest movies, and one that was directed by Gordon, his brother Liu Chia-Liang, and Yang Fan.
In "Breakout...", Gordon plays Tsao Chan, a postman who, at the beginning of the movie, is captured by several (presumably) Japanese policemen and is rounded up with some other people for execution. Without blinking an eye he kills all 3-4 of these policemen and escapes with all the other captives.
He then makes his way to East Village, where he has to break the bad news to the villagers that their mail is lost due to his capture. He makes his way to a local house where a murder of several family members has just taken place and the "killers" are fleeing the scene.
Tsao Chan takes the task of tracking these killers down and bringing them to justice all by himself. He traces them to a neighboring village, where they are working for a local packing/shipping company that's managed by a heavy-handed boss and his son. During their spare time the workers all practice kung fu and are very efficient fighters. Tsao must infiltrate the company by becoming the boss's top enforcer while gradually exposing the killers and waiting for the right moment to enforce justice on them. However, are they the true killers? Furthermore, is Tsao Chan's kung fu a match for the workers at this factory?
This movie was obviously shot on an extremely low budget and suffers from some horrible film quality in places, as well as a storyline that can be confusing at times. Also, did the Liu brothers have permission to use the themes from "The Big Boss" and Sergio Leone's "Man With No Name" trilogy in this movie??
Despite these flaws, "Breakout From Oppression" is a notch above most other low-budget kung fu movies from the '70s. The storyline seems to be inspired by, but does not directly use the "Yojimbo" storyline. The fight scenes are excellent, particularly the scene where Gordon Liu covers himself in oil and proceeds to whip the factory's fighters. Also, there are some creative uses of dynamite in two of the movie's big fight scenes! This movie also has the main characters thinking aloud to themselves at times, a couple of creative camera angles, and flashbacks with red camera filters used to enhance the flashback. These are somewhat unusual for martial arts movies of that time.
If you're a fan of Gordon Liu or want to see some of his early stuff, be sure to check this movie out! Also, if you just want to see a good old kung fu movie or one that runs under 80 minutes, you might want to give this one a watch!
Also known as: 最佳搏殺/Sha chu chong wei (Original Mandarin title-HK)
Friday, May 27, 2011
Kung Fu: The Invincible Fist (1972, HK)
Starring: Chen Sing, Yasuaki Kurata, Irene Ryder, Wong Yuen-San (as Huang Yuan-sheng), Hon Kwok-Choi. Directed by: Ng See-Yuen
"In Japan, they call me the 'Hungry Tiger'. Oh really? Is that so? Well in China, they call me the 'Crazy Dragon'." With a quote like that, you know the movie has to be good! This one is a martial arts classic.
"Kung Fu: The Invincible Fist" stars early kung fu star Chen Sing in one of his best and most memorable movies as Chinese soldier/policeman Cpt. Li Chang, who is sent to Shanghai to infiltrate a smuggling ring in the days prior to Japan's invasion of China in 1933. Accompaning him is his lieutenant Su Tung (Wong). Yasuaki Kurata plays Cpt. Jai Tai, a Japanese military officer who is sent as Japan's liaison to the "shipping company" to help smuggle the cargo (which includes drugs and women). Unofficially he is in China to rendezvous with some spies to pass on secret information about Chinese military installations to Tokyo. Information that will be extremely vital to Japan's imminent invasion of China.
Unfortunately for Jai Tai, a shoeshine man/pickpocket (Hon) just happens to steal the wallet of one of the spies containing one of the maps of the Chinese military installations. He passes this info on to Li Chang and Su Tung. Can they stop the two Japanese agents before they return to Japan with the vital information? Furthermore, can they stop the smuggling syndicate?
This movie is worth watching for the final fight scene alone, which is an electrifying half-hour duel between Chen Sing and Yasuaki Kurata, or the Japanese Tiger vs. the Chinese Dragon. This fight scene is just plain amazing!
There are also some recognizable faces from other old-school kung fu movies in "Kung Fu...", including Chan Wai-Man as one of the syndicate boss's subordinates. Chiang Nan played the boss himself, and Bruce Leung played a soldier who is defeated by Li in a demonstration fight at the beginning of the movie. Irene Ryder, who was a pop star in Hong Kong at the time this movie was made, played a Russian orphan who is trying to dodge the syndicate and falls for Su Tung. Hon Kwok-Choi (the shoeshine man) went on to play in a few more kung fu movies besides this one, including "Master With Cracked Fingers" starring Jackie Chan.
The only low points of this movie are the film and sound quality, which seem to have greatly deteriorated over time.
In the duel between the Tiger and the Dragon, kung fu vs. karate, and China vs. Japan, who will win? Watch and find out!
Also known as: E hu kuang long (original Mandarin title-HK), Ngo fu wong lung (original Cantonese title-HK), Tiger vs. Dragon (original English title-HK), The Good and the Bad (alternate HK English title), Kung Fu: The Invisible Fist (unknown English title), Dragon and Tiger Ways (Phillippines English title), Der Schlaghammer aus Shanghai (West Germany)
"In Japan, they call me the 'Hungry Tiger'. Oh really? Is that so? Well in China, they call me the 'Crazy Dragon'." With a quote like that, you know the movie has to be good! This one is a martial arts classic.
"Kung Fu: The Invincible Fist" stars early kung fu star Chen Sing in one of his best and most memorable movies as Chinese soldier/policeman Cpt. Li Chang, who is sent to Shanghai to infiltrate a smuggling ring in the days prior to Japan's invasion of China in 1933. Accompaning him is his lieutenant Su Tung (Wong). Yasuaki Kurata plays Cpt. Jai Tai, a Japanese military officer who is sent as Japan's liaison to the "shipping company" to help smuggle the cargo (which includes drugs and women). Unofficially he is in China to rendezvous with some spies to pass on secret information about Chinese military installations to Tokyo. Information that will be extremely vital to Japan's imminent invasion of China.
Unfortunately for Jai Tai, a shoeshine man/pickpocket (Hon) just happens to steal the wallet of one of the spies containing one of the maps of the Chinese military installations. He passes this info on to Li Chang and Su Tung. Can they stop the two Japanese agents before they return to Japan with the vital information? Furthermore, can they stop the smuggling syndicate?
This movie is worth watching for the final fight scene alone, which is an electrifying half-hour duel between Chen Sing and Yasuaki Kurata, or the Japanese Tiger vs. the Chinese Dragon. This fight scene is just plain amazing!
There are also some recognizable faces from other old-school kung fu movies in "Kung Fu...", including Chan Wai-Man as one of the syndicate boss's subordinates. Chiang Nan played the boss himself, and Bruce Leung played a soldier who is defeated by Li in a demonstration fight at the beginning of the movie. Irene Ryder, who was a pop star in Hong Kong at the time this movie was made, played a Russian orphan who is trying to dodge the syndicate and falls for Su Tung. Hon Kwok-Choi (the shoeshine man) went on to play in a few more kung fu movies besides this one, including "Master With Cracked Fingers" starring Jackie Chan.
The only low points of this movie are the film and sound quality, which seem to have greatly deteriorated over time.
In the duel between the Tiger and the Dragon, kung fu vs. karate, and China vs. Japan, who will win? Watch and find out!
Also known as: E hu kuang long (original Mandarin title-HK), Ngo fu wong lung (original Cantonese title-HK), Tiger vs. Dragon (original English title-HK), The Good and the Bad (alternate HK English title), Kung Fu: The Invisible Fist (unknown English title), Dragon and Tiger Ways (Phillippines English title), Der Schlaghammer aus Shanghai (West Germany)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Crippled Masters (1979, Taiwan)
Starring: Chen Mu Chuan, Jackie Conn (Thomas Hong Chiu-Ming), Frankie Shum (Sam Chung-Chuen). Directed by: Joe Law (Kei Law)
If there was ever a kung fu movie that could be called inspirational, it would have to be this one. This is a movie that can give you inspiration to overcome your odds, no matter what problems you may be facing.
In "The Crippled Masters", Jackie Conn plays Lee Ho, a bodyguard/escort for the Pulaichi organization who is punished by the sadistic boss Lin Chang Cao for "betrayal". Lin's number 2 Tang orders the henchmen to cut off Lee's arms as a punishment. Instead of killing him, Tang lets him live. Lee Ho has a very difficult life ahead of him without arms, but nevertheless he leaves town, heads into the countryside, and makes a living by helping a farmer.
Meanwhile, Lin decides Tang knows too much about his organization and orders acid poured all over Tang's legs. As a result, Tang's legs are badly deformed and he cannot use them anymore. As was the case for Lee Ho, Lin's men leave Tang in the countryside.
Not long afterwards, Lee Ho and Tang cross paths again and Lee starts to kill Tang. However, just before Lee finishes him off, an old kung fu master intervenes and saves Tang's life. He drives the point home that the two are brothers now and must work together as a whole to defeat Lin Chang Cao and the Pulaichi organization.
Together they overcome their odds and learn kung fu. But can they defeat Lin Chang Cao, who is a kung fu master himself? Also, can they bring down the entire Pulaichi organization?
If you're looking for a kung fu movie to inspire you or give you motivation, this is the one for you. Both of the leading stars do an excellent job in this movie and of course the kung fu is very good. Also, look for some veterans from other old-school kung fu movies in this one, who are not credited in the New Line Cinema version of this movie that's available in the US.
Also known as: 天殘地缺/Tian can di que(original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Can que shuang xiong (alternate Mandarin title?), Crippled Heroes (international English title), Two Crippled Heroes (HK VHS title). Released in the USA by New Line Cinema in 1982.
If there was ever a kung fu movie that could be called inspirational, it would have to be this one. This is a movie that can give you inspiration to overcome your odds, no matter what problems you may be facing.
In "The Crippled Masters", Jackie Conn plays Lee Ho, a bodyguard/escort for the Pulaichi organization who is punished by the sadistic boss Lin Chang Cao for "betrayal". Lin's number 2 Tang orders the henchmen to cut off Lee's arms as a punishment. Instead of killing him, Tang lets him live. Lee Ho has a very difficult life ahead of him without arms, but nevertheless he leaves town, heads into the countryside, and makes a living by helping a farmer.
Meanwhile, Lin decides Tang knows too much about his organization and orders acid poured all over Tang's legs. As a result, Tang's legs are badly deformed and he cannot use them anymore. As was the case for Lee Ho, Lin's men leave Tang in the countryside.
Not long afterwards, Lee Ho and Tang cross paths again and Lee starts to kill Tang. However, just before Lee finishes him off, an old kung fu master intervenes and saves Tang's life. He drives the point home that the two are brothers now and must work together as a whole to defeat Lin Chang Cao and the Pulaichi organization.
Together they overcome their odds and learn kung fu. But can they defeat Lin Chang Cao, who is a kung fu master himself? Also, can they bring down the entire Pulaichi organization?
If you're looking for a kung fu movie to inspire you or give you motivation, this is the one for you. Both of the leading stars do an excellent job in this movie and of course the kung fu is very good. Also, look for some veterans from other old-school kung fu movies in this one, who are not credited in the New Line Cinema version of this movie that's available in the US.
Also known as: 天殘地缺/Tian can di que(original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Can que shuang xiong (alternate Mandarin title?), Crippled Heroes (international English title), Two Crippled Heroes (HK VHS title). Released in the USA by New Line Cinema in 1982.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Have Sword, Will Travel (1969, HK)
Starring: Lee Ching, Ti Lung, David Chiang. Directed by: Chang Cheh
This is an excellent very entertaining costume piece/swordplay fu movie from Chang Cheh and Shaw Bros.
In this movie, Ying Ke-Fing, a swordsman, is in charge of an escort business that escorts 200,000 taels of silver to the capital every year. Unfortunately, he has come down with an arm afffliction that will force him to take a little time off. Since he doesn't want to close shop, he finds two knights named Yun Piao-Piao and Hsiang Ting (Lee Ching and David Chiang) who are expert swordsmen/women and who he can trust that can do the job for him. As it so happens, these two knights are male and female, and deeply in love.
Their swordfighting skills will be much needed as a group of bandits known as the Flying Tigers is desperate to get their hands on the silver. Also, a lone swordsman named Le I comes along for the journey. But is he helping the bandits? Furthermore, will he steal Piao-Piao's heart?
HSWT is an excellent swordplay and kung fu movie that doesn't use the romance as an unnecessary plot distraction and is one of those rare martial arts movies where the male and female characters are actually sidekicks. Also, there's plenty of action for everyone and a well-written storyline played well by some of Shaw Bros' biggest stars! A must see if you are a fan of martial arts movies, swordplay movies, or Shaw Bros. movies in general.
Also known as: Bao biao (original Mandarin title-HK), Bo biu (original Cantonese title-HK), and others.
This is an excellent very entertaining costume piece/swordplay fu movie from Chang Cheh and Shaw Bros.
In this movie, Ying Ke-Fing, a swordsman, is in charge of an escort business that escorts 200,000 taels of silver to the capital every year. Unfortunately, he has come down with an arm afffliction that will force him to take a little time off. Since he doesn't want to close shop, he finds two knights named Yun Piao-Piao and Hsiang Ting (Lee Ching and David Chiang) who are expert swordsmen/women and who he can trust that can do the job for him. As it so happens, these two knights are male and female, and deeply in love.
Their swordfighting skills will be much needed as a group of bandits known as the Flying Tigers is desperate to get their hands on the silver. Also, a lone swordsman named Le I comes along for the journey. But is he helping the bandits? Furthermore, will he steal Piao-Piao's heart?
HSWT is an excellent swordplay and kung fu movie that doesn't use the romance as an unnecessary plot distraction and is one of those rare martial arts movies where the male and female characters are actually sidekicks. Also, there's plenty of action for everyone and a well-written storyline played well by some of Shaw Bros' biggest stars! A must see if you are a fan of martial arts movies, swordplay movies, or Shaw Bros. movies in general.
Also known as: Bao biao (original Mandarin title-HK), Bo biu (original Cantonese title-HK), and others.
Snake in the Monkey's Shadow (1980, HK)
Starring: John Cheung, Wilson Tong Wai-shing, Charlie Chan Yiu-lam. Directed by: Cheung Sum
Simply put, this one of the most amazing kung fu movies ever made. In this movie, you have two of the most unique forms of kung-fu go head to head: The Monkey kung-fu style and the Snake style of kung fu.
In "Snake...", John Cheung plays Lung, a boy in a small village in China who delivers fish for a living. One day after a late delivery to the wealthy Yan famil, he gets beaten up pretty badly by the family's two sons. Afterwards Lung goes to Teacher Ho, the local kung fu master, to learn Drunken kung fu. Ho insists there is no room in the school for him. Lung begs Ho to teach him, but he decides he's had enough of Lung. One night Ho decides to get Lung drunk and leaves him in the countryside.
When Lung comes to the next morning he finds himself face-to-face with a cobra. A man passing by named Koo Ting-sang (who also happens to be an expert in Monkey kung fu) takes care of the snake and saves Lung's life. Lung then returns to the village and, after a bad run-in with some of his students, finally convinces Master Ho to take him as a student.
After Lung masters the Drunken kung fu techniques, he takes his revenge on the Yan brothers. The outraged Yan family do some scouting around and figure out that Master Ho has been teaching Lung kung fu and both are to be held responsible for the beating the two brothers suffered at the hands of Lung.
They hire two assassins trained in the Snake style to kill Lung and Master Ho. From there on the movie becomes a colossal showdown between drunken kung fu, snake kung fu, and Koo Ting-sang's Monkey kung fu. Who will win?
The explosive fight scene at the beginning of the movie between a snake fighter and a monkey fighter in some treetops is possibly one of the most memorable ever made in kung fu cinema. Also, there is a scene in the original version of this movie of a real-life fight between a monkey and a snake. This scene was left intact in the VHS versions of this movie, but has been cut in some Western DVD versions.
"Snake in the Monkey's Shadow" is a great kung fu movie you won't want to miss!
Also known as: Hou hsing kou shou (original title-HK), Snake Fist vs. the Dragon (unknown English title), La serpiente a la sombra del mono/La serpiente en la sombra del mono (Spain), Cuore di leone, palma d'acciaio (Italy), and others.
Simply put, this one of the most amazing kung fu movies ever made. In this movie, you have two of the most unique forms of kung-fu go head to head: The Monkey kung-fu style and the Snake style of kung fu.
In "Snake...", John Cheung plays Lung, a boy in a small village in China who delivers fish for a living. One day after a late delivery to the wealthy Yan famil, he gets beaten up pretty badly by the family's two sons. Afterwards Lung goes to Teacher Ho, the local kung fu master, to learn Drunken kung fu. Ho insists there is no room in the school for him. Lung begs Ho to teach him, but he decides he's had enough of Lung. One night Ho decides to get Lung drunk and leaves him in the countryside.
When Lung comes to the next morning he finds himself face-to-face with a cobra. A man passing by named Koo Ting-sang (who also happens to be an expert in Monkey kung fu) takes care of the snake and saves Lung's life. Lung then returns to the village and, after a bad run-in with some of his students, finally convinces Master Ho to take him as a student.
After Lung masters the Drunken kung fu techniques, he takes his revenge on the Yan brothers. The outraged Yan family do some scouting around and figure out that Master Ho has been teaching Lung kung fu and both are to be held responsible for the beating the two brothers suffered at the hands of Lung.
They hire two assassins trained in the Snake style to kill Lung and Master Ho. From there on the movie becomes a colossal showdown between drunken kung fu, snake kung fu, and Koo Ting-sang's Monkey kung fu. Who will win?
The explosive fight scene at the beginning of the movie between a snake fighter and a monkey fighter in some treetops is possibly one of the most memorable ever made in kung fu cinema. Also, there is a scene in the original version of this movie of a real-life fight between a monkey and a snake. This scene was left intact in the VHS versions of this movie, but has been cut in some Western DVD versions.
"Snake in the Monkey's Shadow" is a great kung fu movie you won't want to miss!
Also known as: Hou hsing kou shou (original title-HK), Snake Fist vs. the Dragon (unknown English title), La serpiente a la sombra del mono/La serpiente en la sombra del mono (Spain), Cuore di leone, palma d'acciaio (Italy), and others.
Showdown at the Cotton Mill (1978, Taiwan/HK)
Starring: Chi Kuan-Chun, Tan Tao-liang, Peng Chang, Ching Kuo Chung. Directed by: Wu Ma
This movie is the sequel to the Shaw Bros. classic "Shaolin Avengers" and was believed to be long lost, until it was found by Rarescope in a Taiwanese movie vault sometime in the mid-2000s.
In "Showdown...", Chi Kuan-Chun reprises his role as Shaolin hero and anti-Qing rebel Hu Hui-Chien. At the beginning we see Hu wipe out the entire local affiliate of the Wu Tang school in Canton (modern-day Guangzhou, China) over the death of his father. This prompts a manhunt from the Qing authorities and Wu Tang. The first place they look is the Shaolin monastery but no luck there. They also harass and keep Hu's family under guard, as well as deploy a network of informers throughout the city and at the Shaolin monastery to report Hu's whereabouts and the latest info about Shaolin.
In the meantime, Hu gradually takes out the Wu Tang fighters and Qing authorities searching for him. He enjoys support from Shaolin (as always) and hides out at secret locations in Canton.
After suffering numerous casualties at the hands of Hu, Wu Tang deploys their most feared fighter from Fukien (modern-day Fujian province), Master Kao Chin Chung. But who exactly is Kao? And is his Northern Kick style as good as Hu's Southern Fist?
This movie has a very interesting history behind it. It was directed by famous martial arts director/actor Wu Ma and produced by legendary Shaw Bros. director Chang Cheh, who also directed the first "Shaolin Avengers" movie. However, Chang was contracted to Shaw Bros. at the time and was forced to remain uncredited. The movie itself was outsourced by Shaw Bros. to Long Year Film Company Production, which was a Shaw Bros. subsidary based in Taiwan and run by Chang Cheh and Wu Ma.
Since this movie was long lost for decades, the film has faded in places and the quality is not so great. Also, it is in Mandarin, but has English subtitles that are iffy in places but mostly accurate.
All in all this is an excellent kung fu movie and a worthy sequel to "Shaolin Avengers"!
Also known as: Hu Hui Chien xue zhan xi dan si (original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Woo Wai Kin huet jung sai dan ji/Woo wai gon huet chin sai chi (HK Cantonese titles), Cold Face, Heart and Blood (original English title-HK)
This movie is the sequel to the Shaw Bros. classic "Shaolin Avengers" and was believed to be long lost, until it was found by Rarescope in a Taiwanese movie vault sometime in the mid-2000s.
In "Showdown...", Chi Kuan-Chun reprises his role as Shaolin hero and anti-Qing rebel Hu Hui-Chien. At the beginning we see Hu wipe out the entire local affiliate of the Wu Tang school in Canton (modern-day Guangzhou, China) over the death of his father. This prompts a manhunt from the Qing authorities and Wu Tang. The first place they look is the Shaolin monastery but no luck there. They also harass and keep Hu's family under guard, as well as deploy a network of informers throughout the city and at the Shaolin monastery to report Hu's whereabouts and the latest info about Shaolin.
In the meantime, Hu gradually takes out the Wu Tang fighters and Qing authorities searching for him. He enjoys support from Shaolin (as always) and hides out at secret locations in Canton.
After suffering numerous casualties at the hands of Hu, Wu Tang deploys their most feared fighter from Fukien (modern-day Fujian province), Master Kao Chin Chung. But who exactly is Kao? And is his Northern Kick style as good as Hu's Southern Fist?
This movie has a very interesting history behind it. It was directed by famous martial arts director/actor Wu Ma and produced by legendary Shaw Bros. director Chang Cheh, who also directed the first "Shaolin Avengers" movie. However, Chang was contracted to Shaw Bros. at the time and was forced to remain uncredited. The movie itself was outsourced by Shaw Bros. to Long Year Film Company Production, which was a Shaw Bros. subsidary based in Taiwan and run by Chang Cheh and Wu Ma.
Since this movie was long lost for decades, the film has faded in places and the quality is not so great. Also, it is in Mandarin, but has English subtitles that are iffy in places but mostly accurate.
All in all this is an excellent kung fu movie and a worthy sequel to "Shaolin Avengers"!
Also known as: Hu Hui Chien xue zhan xi dan si (original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Woo Wai Kin huet jung sai dan ji/Woo wai gon huet chin sai chi (HK Cantonese titles), Cold Face, Heart and Blood (original English title-HK)
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