While the whole thing is well executed, with a lot of novel touches and cool ideas, the story is poorly conceived. And for the majority of the piece, Wong Yu's character is sort of unlikable. But about midway through, the movie redeems itself. The last half is pretty much wall to wall action. And what beautiful action it is.

This is probably some of Wilson's tightest choreo from this period. The fights are fast, fierce, and just plain awesome. And, given the talent onhand here, that is not surprising. Chu Tiet Wo, Kong Do, Tsui Siu Keung, and of course Wong Yu and Wilson himself--they all bring the heat here. The end fight is simply a must-see. Wilson's insane footwork and serous sword skills vs. Wong Yu's rapid moves and shovel-fu. Classic old school goodness.

I guess this is sort of a hyped up HK version of "Charlie's Angels". And while I've always enjoyed the jiggly exploits of Farrah and co., those girls sure didn't get down like this.

Moon Lee and Elaine Lui are cute as always. But they don't come to play. They come to kick ass and bust caps, while Alex Fong and Hideki Saijo also bring their skills to the table. Throw in Yukari Oshima as the delightfully evil villain, and the mighty Hwang Jang Lee, with his deadly array of kicks, and you're set.

There is very little downtime here. It's pretty much wall to wall action. Tight fights from Tony Leung Siu-Hung, crazy gunplay and cool stunts. Even when there isn't any action onscreen, it is still highly entertaining, due to the high production value, campy characters, and good cast chemistry.

There is some discrepancy over who actually directed this. But to whomever the credit rightly befalls, they did a great job here. Most GWG flicks were, aside from the great action, fairly cheap and cheesy affairs. This movie looks great, has an excellent 80's synth score, and just has the feel of a big scale, high budget production, even if that was not the case.

Any fan of 80's HK action should have this in their collection.

As the 80's rolled around, the once mighty Shaw Bros. were steadily losing box office terrain to competitors like Golden Harvest and Cinema City. And this film is just one of several noble attempts to keep up with the changing times.

The movie is vintage Wong Jing: uneven, cheesy, trashy, and awesome, all at the same time. Plus, I'm a sucker for "men on a mission" flicks. And with this cast, you can't go totally wrong.

Ti Lung as a badass gun-for-hire, pumping iron in his undies, and rocking the meanest pornstar moustache this side of Ron Jeremy. Chan Wai Man, cool as always, playing a war veteran knife expert. Lo Lieh as a mild mannered sniper. And Wang Lung Wei in one of his rare good guy roles, as the brawling tough guy of the bunch. Wong Yu's and Nat Chan's characters I could have done without; but hey, this is a Wong Jing flick, and they supply the low brow comedy, sex jokes, and toilet humour, which is thankfully kept at a minimum. On the villain side, you have guys like Ko Fei, Lee Hoi San, and Yuen Wah. So no complaints there.

The action, courtesy of former Lau Kar Leung cohort Tong Gaai, is a mixed bag. The fights are kept in the brawler style, with some bats, pipes, and knives put to good use, while the gunplay feels a bit flat but ultimately satisfying. One issue I have with these latter day Shaw flicks is their insistence on using the old trademark "orange paint" blood. I mean, this was fine in the 70's kung fu flicks but looks horribly dated and out of place in these modern day movies.

On the whole, this film is a lot of fun. But it is also clear why the Shaw Bros. closed up shop a few years later. Their style of filmmaking belonged in a bygone era. And if not even Wong Jing could breathe life into the SB brand, then no one could.

Golden Harvest roped in Hark and a bunch of Hollywood effects guys to create this impressive spectacle of a fantasy flick, boasting a great cast and groundbreaking visuals for HK circa 1983. But somewhere between the flying fairies, fireballs, lightsabre duels, and all the other bells and whistles, the story and the characters got lost.

I mean, the actors are fine, and all do a good job--Yuen Biao, Meng Hoi, Moon Lee, etc.--but I feel that they are kinda' pushed into the background by all the special effects stuff, stifling their otherwise fine performances. And the already complicated story drowns in there as well. I've watched this movie a number of times and still have absolutely no idea what it's about. Sure, it keeps throwing crazy, flashy stuff at you, but it doesn't really go anywhere.

For the international version, a whole new plotline, involving Yuen Biao as a modern day fencing champion who goes into a coma and lands in an alternate reality, was shot and tacked on. The original fantasy stuff, being that reality, was recut, and the whole thing was sold as a slightly different movie. The modern day stuff is pretty fun. And I would like to see that full version some day.

I think the movie is a bit of a letdown in the action department as well. It is certainly competent. But I'm just not a big fan of fantastique wire fu. And the fact that there is so much visual effects stuff going on around it also distracts from the physical stuff.

In the end, I can enjoy this film as more of a curiosity than a fully fledged piece of cinema. To me, this is a good example of the dangers of big effects movies: if you lose the story and the characters, then all you are left with is bright lights and big bangs. And that in itself is not filmmaking.

This is a movie that only could have come out of HK. And only from the warped mind of Wong Jing. This thing is all over the place and tries so many things that, just by way of sheer statistics, it is bound to get at least some of them right. But as a whole, it is still a pretty surreal experience.

The whole thing with the kid and his alien friend, in the form of a fossilized piece of goo with magic powers, is just too ridiculous for words. This is Wong Jing at his unrestrained best--or worst, depending on your tolerance for his special brand of weirdness. The movie is poorly constructed, poorly paced, and never stops to check if it's actually making any sense. Why the film is partly set in Greece, of all places, is another headscratcher. And some of the characters are just too annoying for their own good, and yours. But despite all these flaws, it still somehow manages to end up as a strangely satisfying and thoroughly entertaining piece of cheesy 80's trash.

The main reason for that is the awesome action. Tony Leung Siu Hung's fight choreo is extremely tight. And you can't help but think that action this good deserved to be in a better movie. An excellent mix of the usual hyped up kickboxing stuff and classic kung fu styles. Andy Lau never looked better in action than he does here. And when Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton start throwing down, it's happy hour for fight fans everywhere.

If you can take the good with the bad, then you should definitely check this movie out. Because, good taste aside, this kind of cinematic HK craziness is now a thing of the past.

By the mid 70's, Golden Harvest was still reeling from the death of their number one star, Bruce Lee. While scrambling to beat the mighty Shaw Bros. at the box office, with new ideas like rebooting the Wong Fei Hung series with "The Skyhawk", or trying to make a halfway decent martial arts star out of George Lazenby in flicks like "Stoner" and "The Man From Hong Kong". For this one, they pulled out their female ace, Angie Mao, teamed her up with kicking genius Tan Tao Liang, and went on the road--more specifically, to Nepal and Tibet.

Golden Harvest stalwart Huang Feng spins an interesting and original yarn here, full of all the components that make a good kung fu movie: great fights, evil villains, nice training scenes, good production value, and beautiful locations, all backed by an unusually involving story. Yes, it is at its core just another revenge flick. But then again, most kung fu films are. Though this movie takes its time setting up the events leading to the inevitable vengeance-fueled finale, it does so in a very competent manner.

Angie and ol' Flashlegs actually have character arcs here. Chen Sing is a real scheming bastard as the main villain, and the movie is packed with GH regulars, including the director himself as the wise old monk, teaching Angie and Tan the Mi School style of kung fu. Most everyone looks fierce in the excellent but sparse fight scenes, done by Sammo and Han Ying Chieh. But it is still clear to distinguish who did what. Sammo's choreo is exceptionally tight for 1975.

In my mind this should be considered a Golden Harvest classic on the same level as flicks like "Hapkido", "When Taekwondo Strikes", and "Broken Oath". A great movie, not to be missed by true disciples of the old school.

When reviewing "Game Of Death", you are really reviewing two movies: the 1972 Bruce Lee pagoda footage, and the awful, incoherent 1978 mess directed by Robert Clouse. Let's begin with the latter, shall we?

Well, it's bad, simple as that. It's bad, it's boring, it's freaking brutal. The scenes with the American actors are just a chore to sit through. And I truly believe that Gig Young committed suicide 'cause he couldn't live with the shame of having been in this movie. The rest of the cast should have taken a cue from him.

The "Billy Lo" scenes with Kim Tai Jung and the other Bruce clones are no better. I mean, the ham-handed way they try to make all the crumbling pieces of this utter disaster fit together is downright embarrassing. The awful disguises, the intercut footage of Bruce's other films, the cardboard cutout head...oh my word! What were these people thinking?

The only things that make this part of the movie remotely watchable are Sammo's choreo, Yuen Biao's nimble doubling, and John Barry's excellent "Bondian" score, that for all its effort deserved to be in a better movie. But even those things combined are not enough to save this stinking pile. I might not be the world's biggest Bruce Lee fan, but this is unworthy of any man's legacy. And I don't see homage here. I see shameless and disrespectful cash-in. This isn't Bruce Lee, this is Bruceplotation--of the worst kind.

Now, for the actual Bruce Lee part of the movie. Is this Bruce at the top of his game? Pretty close, I say. This is more what I wanted to see from him, had he lived on and continued to do movies. Here you really get to see Bruce applying the principles of Jeet Kune Do to his choreo. No fixed forms, adapting to your opponent's style, using their own strengths against them...all that good stuff. You saw some of that in the Coliseum showdown in "Way Of The Dragon". But it is more fully realized here. I mean, it's still just Bruce kicking ass with great superiority, but more complex and energetic.

To the filmmakers' credit, it is edited very well. All the rest of the so-called "long lost footage" is just lag and drag. They used just the best of the Bruce footage in the original release.

To be quite honest, I would rather have seen Bruce turn down "Enter The Dragon" to finish a fully realized "Game Of Death". But that was not to be. So what we are left with is this uneven mess of a movie. Do yourself a favor and watch "Game Of Death 2" instead.

This is like kung fu meets James Bond, with a dash of blaxploitation. And, due to the Hollywood influence, it's the most commercially appealing film Bruce ever did. That's not necessarily a good thing though. This is very much an American martial arts movie. More western than eastern. Which is not a crime in itself. But outside of Bruce's indomitable presence, this is really a western version of an Asian phenomenon. I'm just halfway surprised that there weren't more buckteeth and Fu Manchu moustaches present here. With that said, this is still one of the most successful attempts at an east meets west action extravaganza. So think of that what you will.

I think if Bruce had been the director, this would have been a better film. But in many respects this is Robert Clouse's vision more than Bruce's, although Bruce's influence on the production does not go unnoticed. In my opinion, Clouse is a talentless hack and, as bad directors go, up there with the worst of them. He would spend the rest of his dubious career trying to recapture the success of "Enter The Dragon". But without the magic touch of Bruce to carry his ass, he was soon exposed for what he was.

The obvious clash of styles is most evident in the fight scenes. The worst offense is the way it is shot. Lots of close-ups, tight shots, and just sloppy American camerawork when people are fighting. Some of it is fairly decent though. The big fight in the underground lab is pretty cool, but I still wish that Bruce would have had full control of the action in the movie.

I do however blame Bruce for, once again, not fighting a worthy opponent in the entire flick. Not even Shek Kien as the main villain poses any kind of real threat and just gets his ass handed to him, in of the most one-sided end fights of kung fu cinema. Like I've said in the past, no one else gets to shine in the Bruce Lee show. Case in point, John Saxon and Jim Kelly. They might have been real life martial artists in their own right, and students of Bruce himself. But they couldn't screen fight to save their lives. And since this is a movie, screen fighting is what counts. The only one aside from Bruce that looks even remotely capable here is Angela Mao, in her short stint as Bruce's sister.

I know it seems like I'm slamming this movie. But I actually like it. I will, however, not be blind to its shortcomings. And I probably view it more as a cheesy 70's exploitation flick than a kung fu classic. And in that respect, it gets the job done. But at the end of the day, I would rather have seen Bruce's fully realized version of "Game Of Death" than this.

The bad news: this movie is a big incoherent mess in every other way. The narrative is all over the place. The episodic nature of the story is vexing at best. And the comedy goes from sort of fun, to bad, to awful. But the worst offense has to be the rampant anachronisms. Seriously, I haven't seen it this bad since "Fantasy Mission Force".

Sammo is no dope, so this was obviously a conscious choice. Why? I have no idea, and no idea what to make of it this, really. First off all, WHERE is this supposed to take place? It was shot in Canada, Thailand, and HK but looks like some weird version of the old west.

Secondly, WHEN is this supposed to take place? There are people in cowboy gear, trenchcoats, and fedoras, classic Chinese garb, samurais, Russian soldiers...what the fuck!? Is this set in some kind of timewarp? Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton looks like American Civil War soldiers, Richard Ng looks like Sherlock Holmes, and people are driving 1930's cars and motorcycles! What in the name of Buddha's ballsack is going on here? Pick a style, a time, a place, and stick with it. This is ridiculous!

The cast is so impressive, and the action is so damn sweet, but everything else is on acid here. This was a real opportunity to make a great period spectacle, like "Project A" or "Pedicab Driver". But unless this is a time travel movie, you should stick to one period, and work your magic within that frame.

I don't know what Sammo was thinking with this misguided effort. I don't get it, nor do I like it. I'll give this pile of wasted potential a generous 2.5 stars for the cast and the action.

This movie is about as standard as it gets. It looks, feels, smells, and tastes like any other late 70's, low budget old schooler, with all the usual components present. Awful slapstick, fake beards, bad wigs, painted freckles, an old master, an evil villain, and so on.

Personally I don't think that the Jackie Chan-esque mischievous student character fits Bruce Leung very well. He's better as the cool and cocky ass-kicker we know and love from his earlier films. But luckily he never disappoints in the action department, which is also one of the only things keeping this flick afloat.

The fights are tight and the training scenes are fun, but there is really nothing new here. Bruce Leung's display of crane style is really good though. Lots of fast and furious handwork, mixed with his usual flashy kicks, here used against Bolo and Ko Fei as the villains of the piece. And they are both fine as always.

As a whole, this movie probably won't rock your world. But if you are a fan of Bruce Leung or indeed the crane style, then this film is a safe but ultimately uninspired bet.

Chow Yun-Fat has more cool characters to his credit than most actors this side of Clint Eastwood: Mark Gor, Jeff the bouncer, The Killer, Tequila Yuen, and so on. Here he adds another one to the list, with a brilliant performance as Ko Chun, the titular God of Gamblers. Chow oozes cool as the smooth, supernatural cardsharp but also gets to show his comedic side, as his character regresses into a chocolate-fueled, childlike savant following a serious head injury.

As is often the case, Wong Jing is on thin ice here. This concept could have been truly painful to watch. But for once, ol' Wong shows great restrain, as does the cast. And while the film might teeter on the brink here and there, it luckily never spills over into inane Canto-comedy mode, making it a really palatable and fun piece of entertainment.

Andy Lau also pulls his weight here, as the lovable, lowly scam artist and degenerate gambler, looking for the big win. And I have seldom seen him or Chow more charming and funny than they are here. They have great chemistry, and carry the film from start to finish. It helps that the supporting cast all comes through as well, with a myriad of fun and colorful side characters--like the late, great Shing Fui On as a lowlife gambling fixer; Ng Man Tat as a sleazy loan shark; and real life triad turned movie producer and actor Charles Heung as a badass bodyguard; plus a whole host of others, all adding to the proceedings.

The movie might be a little light in the action department, but it is not to the detriment of the film as a whole. And what action there is, is really good--most notably the big chase and shootout towards the end. The lack of action would have been less forgivable had it not been for all the other components working so well. The comedy is genuinely funny, and probably some of the most accessible I have come across in a HK flick of this type and time. The drama works on the strength of you caring for the likeable characters. And the gambling scenes are done in a slick and interesting manner, so that a knowledge of the games at hand are not required for you to enjoy them.

It is not a flawless movie. There are the usual plotholes, flawed logic, etc., and a wasted subplot involving Chow's wife and his valet. But personally it doesn't bother me in any great way.

This is just a fun, cool ride, a personal all-time favorite, and a true HK classic with wide appeal that you owe yourself to check out, if you have love for the genre.

Free from the constraints of Lo Wei's half-assed approach to filmmaking, and with his own Concord Productions set up under the Golden Harvest banner, Bruce was now in control, and decided to go big. Setting the story in Rome gave the movie its own distinct feel, a fresh look for its time, and a chance for Bruce to play another fish out of water, country bumpkin character, much like we saw in "The Big Boss". And to me, he was way more appealing as the reluctant hero than the hell-bent killing machine from "Fist Of Fury". This "stranger in a strange land" angle added a lot of well placed levity, and is one of the aspects of the film that works the best, in my opinion.

The characters are a fun assortment. Especially the badguys. They are a pretty non-threatening bunch, and you don't for one minute believe that they are any sort of match for Bruce. Which they aren't. He does his thing, and everyone drops like a sack of potatoes. This is nothing new. But at least there is a semi-comedic twist to it here, which makes it more fun to watch.

Finally, towards the end, the villains call in the big guns, in the form of Bob Wall, Whang In-Sik, and one disturbingly hairy Chuck Norris. I never thought much of Bob Wall, and this doesn't do much to change that. Whang In-Sik, however, was a human tornado. Look at him in "Hapkido" or "When Teakwondo Strikes" for proof of that. Yet here, he looks just as inept as the rest of the hapless buffoons. There was no room for others to shine in the Bruce Lee show.

The closest we probably come to Bruce fighting a worthy opponent ,in any of his movies, is the end fight here. You actually get a sense that at one point, Chuck poses an actual threat to Bruce--but only for a minute or two. After Bruce switches styles, it is clear that he has the upper hand (as the overt symbolism with the cat and the rock also suggests). But this is still a great fight for a number of reasons. The epic setting, a showdown at the coliseum (well, an interior set at Golden Harvest, but still...). Two modern day gladiators square off in the ancient arena of battle (well, at least in a hallway next to it). An Asian vs. a westerner, kung fu vs. karate, speed vs. power, Bruce in black, Chuck in white. A great setup. Also the pacing of the fight is good, great build up and nice pay off. The music is great, the editing is tight, and the choreography was fresh and fluent for its time. A classic showdown to a classic movie.

1972 was a big year for Japan-bashing in HK action flicks, with the "evil Japanese" being vilified to the utmost in movies like "Hapkido", "King Boxer", "Thunderbolt Fist", "The Angry Guest", "Bloody Fists", etc. "Fist Of Fury" was no exception. And I always wondered why a man of the world, like Bruce, would go along with this one-sided portrayal of the Japanese and foreigners as the end all, be all scum of the earth. This certainly didn't reflect his views in real life. But I guess he was just giving the Chinese audiences what they wanted.

While the story, the characters, and the movie as a whole are one-sided, so is the action. Bruce is once again the invincible hero, punching and kicking his way through hordes of hapless henchmen and assorted adversaries, with what seems like little to no effort at all. Don't get me wrong, he looks cool doing it. But when your protagonist is a superhero, it eliminates the element of danger. He just bulldozes through his opponents like a Tasmanian devil. And you never feel that any of these guys have any kind of shot at all.

I guess I wouldn't mind as much if his character was conflicted in some way. Some inner turmoil, to go along with his rampage of violence. But outside of some fairly misguided attempts at comedy, involving Bruce in various disguises, and some tacked on scenes of emotion, there is really no vulnerability to this one dimensional character.

Bruce was far from the only one guilty of that at this time. But look at a character like Lo Lieh's from the aforementioned "King Boxer". He is beaten down and crippled, both physically and emotionally throughout that movie. The villains are truly formidable foes, and you actually fear for his life as he goes into battle. Or Chen Kuan Tai's character from "Boxer From Shantung", also from '72. A righteous but flawed man, seduced by money and power to the point of no return. These are characters exhibiting strength, martial arts skills, AND vulnerability. You care for them, which I think is the most important thing about protagonists. If you don't care, then what's the point?

There is none of that subtlety or texture here. And as much as I enjoy seeing Bruce plow through the endless stream of badguys with extreme prejudice, I frankly don't care about his character at all, or what happens to him in the final reel.

I am not saying that "Fist Of Fury" is a bad movie, not at all. It has a lot of iconic shots, classic scenes, beautiful sets, nice production values, and so on. But it is nonetheless pretty flawed, in my opinion, and doesn't deserve quite as much praise as it has garnered over the years. To each his own, I guess.

"Big Boss". Okay, first of all, why oh why would you choose to shoot a martial arts movie in Thailand, and not pay homage to, or at least include the native style of, Muay Thai in any way? The Thai badguys just flail their arms about and fall down when Bruce hits them. Chang Cheh shot the Shaw flick "Duel Of Fists" in Thailand that same year, using Muay Thai to great effect, and as part of the storyline. He also made great use of the beautiful Thai locations. This movie could really have been shot anywhere. It wouldn't affect the story one bit.

Bruce has charisma and screen presence up the ying yang. There is no getting around that. He is also a great martial artist. Is he a great screen fighter? Sure. But sadly he is the only one who gets to show his stuff here. It's a one man show. And this self serving approach to fight choreography is my main problem with him and his films. On the other hand, without Bruce, this would just have been another mediocre basher flick, which is evident from the fight scenes done by Hang Ying Chieh. And when you finally see the two men square off in the final showdown, you see an obvious clash of choreo styles, with Bruce, no doubt, coming off the best.

The movie as a whole is a pretty uneven affair. There are numerous instances of flawed logic, poor continuity, choppy editing, sloppy camerawork, and some of the most naive characters you'll ever come across. But these things are nothing that most movies of the genre weren't guilty of at this time. It's just that this movie is held in much higher regard than its contemporaries. And aside from Bruce Lee himself, there isn't really much here that warrants that kind of overhyped adulation. To be honest, I'd take "One Armed Boxer" or "Lady Whirlwind" over this one any day. But hey, that's just me.

Danny also wrote and directed this one himself, which he has done quite a few times in his career. But I don't think he ever matched this movie in any of his subsequent efforts.

This is a well written and poignant street level view of the volatile relationship between cops, criminals, and the general public. There are no real good guys or bad guys here, just people living with the choices they've made in life. And for a Danny Lee flick, that is really refreshing.

The two most prominent characters are Danny Lee, as the seasoned street cop who knows the game and is not above bending the law, but who soon discovers the weight of the responsibility that comes with carrying a badge and a gun. The other is Parkman Wong, as the low level triad who lives from day to day, hustling and street fighting, but wants to be a big shot, without really knowing what that entails before it's too late.

Both actors deliver some excellent performances, infusing a lot of humanity into these time-tested stereotypes. And while the acting itself is fairly broad, as it often was in this era, they both manage to move us with their portrayals. There is a wide array of good side characters as well, such as Tai Po, in a memorable stint as the beaten down neighborhood junkie, plus a great ensemble of people portraying the local residents, who seem to hate the cops more than the criminals.

There is not much action as such. But what there is, is well done and has impact. It is part of the drama, instead of being action for action's sake.

In my mind, Danny Lee crafted a nice little slice of 80's HK street life with this movie. That shouldn't be missed by any fan of the genre.

I somewhat enjoy all the magic stuff, hidden weapons, and ninjaesque trickery on display. But it just becomes too much. I mean, all the cloak and dagger, smoke and mirrors, secret identity, voodoo dolls stuff just becomes tiresome to me after a while. Some of it is of course needed in a movie about the boxer cults. But a little less David Copperfield and a little more straight up fu would have gone a long way.

Then there are the scenes with Fu Sheng. I am admittedly not his biggest fan, but have enjoyed his efforts in several films. I don't here. Every scene with him seems completely pointless and tacked on and is a real pain to get through. I could really have done without his character here. Also, the whole girl "disguised" as a guy gag, that is so prevalent, yet never believable, in so many kung fu flicks, is another annoyance of mine. Kara Hui as a man! What are these people, blind?

All the fights and weapons displays from the Lau brothers are of course a joy to watch, all culminating in a final showdown that can only be described as classic weapons galore. I realize that this is high level stuff, and the Laus' understanding of these weapons and proficiency with them is astounding. But I'm just not that into weapons fighting. So even though I appreciate the high skill level and fast, fluid choreo work, I'm just a little bored after a while.

I just have to face it. I have given this movie every chance in the book but always come to the same conclusion: this may be a great movie, it's just not for me.

In the grand tradition of weird and wonderful kung fu movie villains, of all shapes and sizes, this old broad takes the cake. You can punch her, kick her, beat her with a stick, or run her over with your cab--repeatedly. She won't go down. She is the saving grace here. And honestly one of the most fun and far out villains of the early 70's.

Her three students, played by the awesome Yasuaki Kurata, Taiwanese badguy actor Lung Fei, and Shaw Bros. veteran Shan Mao, get in on the action as well. The choreo is the typical basher style, with Jimmy swinging his arms around 'til he hits someone, and people just generally flailing about and falling over a lot.

It is a pretty straight up revenge story, involving the three Japanese students seeking vengeance for their dead parents. But quite why these three guys would go through decades of grueling karate training to kill one elderly man, whom they feel is responsible, and then just lead him through a sawmill, tripping him and trying to make his death look accidental, is beyond me. Doesn't really make a whole lot of sense.

There is also some subplot about Jimmy being a troublemaker, and a blind sister needing an eye operation. But who cares? The main reason, or dare I say the only reason, to watch this flick is Karate Grandma, or Lady With Ironfists, as she is billed here. Her performance alone earns my recommendation.

With "Miracles" Jackie had firmly put his detractors to shame, and shown that he was a fully fledged filmmaker, and not just a glorified stuntman churning out mindless action comedies on Golden Harvest's nickel. So with that in place, it was back to business as usual, this time revisiting his Asian Hawk character from "Armour Of God", and in my mind, improving the formula and fixing more or less all the problems from the first film.

First of all, just the sheer scale of the production, for an HK movie of this time, is quite something. Shot on several continents, sporting multiple big action sequences and some really impressive sets, it's easy to see where the big budget went.

With that said, the movie is not without its shortcomings. While I realize that this is essentially a comedy, I still find the bad guys a little too cartoonish, if not buffoonish, for their own good. The two Arabs chasing Jackie and the girls around are, in the words of Jim Kelly, straight out of a comic book. And the fact that the Nazi villain's name is Adolf doesn't make it any less ridiculous. I also found Jackie's three female companions something of a chore to watch. And some of the comedic scenes involving these three ditzy dames run on for a bit too long. In the end though, these are minor flaws, and not to the detriment of the movie in any great way.

Jackie puts so much energy and ingenuity into every scene that you can't help wonder how he could keep coming up with this stuff in film after film. And aside from a few of the comedic scenes that sort of overstay their welcome, it is pretty much wall to wall action. The big finish in the Nazi bunker alone has more action, excitement, and clever gags than most movies of this genre have in their entire running time.

When the dust settled, this movie was over budget and over schedule. And as a result, Golden Harvest sort of revoked the carte blanche that Jackie had been riding all through the 80's. It also more or less ended his career as a director. But I think the final result is almost worth that. This is a thoroughly fun and enjoyable thrill ride of action, comedy, and great adventure that shouldn't be missed by anyone.

To get any kind of enjoyment out of this maniacal mess of a movie, I would put forth that you either have to be a huge fan of Jackie, the original manga, or Wong Jing's style of infantile comedy. Now, I'm not familiar with the source material. But I love Jackie, and have been known to enjoy a Wong Jing movie or two. I do, however, have a really hard time getting into the wackiness on display here. The comedy is just too Looney Tunes for my taste. All the manga references are lost on me, and even the fights and the action are played for laughs, and not up to Jackie's usual standard, if you ask me.

So who can you blame for this misguided effort? Jackie or Wong Jing? Well, even though this is very much a Wong Jing movie, I think it's safe to assume that Jackie was somewhat on board with the weird and wacky style. It's not like him to bite his tongue if he's unsatisfied. Hell, he more or less booted none other than Lau Kar Leung off "Drunken Master 2", when he didn't like the way things were going. So I place the blame for this bastard child of a movie squarely on both Jackie and Wong, in equal measure.

It is not totally without merit though. The scene where Jackie fights the two towering black dudes, and takes them down by mimicking Bruce Lee's techniques against Kareem Abdul Jabbar from "Game Of Death", playing on a screen next to them, is kind of funny. As is the "Street Fighter" game parody, and a couple of other gags. Plus, there is the high babe factor to consider. But it is just not enough to save what is, in my mind, a pretty dire work of unrestrained silliness.

Jackie was not overly pleased with the finished result himself. And I think it's safe to say that there was no love lost between him and Wong Jing after this. Solid proof of that would be Wong Jing's 1995 Jet Li movie "High Risk", where Jackie, his manager, and father were lampooned in a rather unflattering manner.

In any event, "City Hunter" is probably one of Jackie's least appealing films of the 90's. And given his rather lackluster output in the latter half of that decade, that is saying a lot.

The story here is full of more gaping plotholes, flawed logic, ridiculously convenient set ups, and more lame excuses for random fights to break out than I care to count. Rosamund Kwan is really testing my nerves here, and the futile attempts at comedy are just distracting. Donnie is a hell of a screen fighter, there's no doubt about it, but comedy was never his forté. Plus, his character is sort of a douche, so there is little sympathy to be had for him, or any of the other characters for that matter.

At least the action is good--well, sort of. Donnie is gracious with his mean kicks and punches, but he doesn't really fight a worthy foe until the last two bouts, which I have to say are pretty damn awesome. Robin Shou and gwailo mainstays Michael Woods and John Salvitti all bring their A game against the Don here. Gunplay, swordfighting, and some serious hand to hand. Man, I wish the rest of the film was like this.

Outside of the fight finalé and a couple of the other melees, there is not much of value here. This movie is pretty damn dire, even for HK B-movie stuff.

Yuen Wo Ping had started out his protégé, Donnie Yen, in a couple of rather forgettable films but upped his profile here, alongside Canto crooner Jacky Cheung, Simon Yam, Dodo Cheng, and others, all cranking up the hammy acting between shootouts and asswhoopings.

The story is as simple as they come, but with action of this caliber, I don't really care. And I have to admit, I'm a sucker for 80's HK melodrama style. So personally, I'm rarely bored when watching these type of movies, even when there is no action on screen. Although I could have done without the ill fitting yet sparse comedy bits here. But hey, that's HK cinema for ya'.

The action is a nice brutal blend of bloody gunplay and fierce fight action, done by the Yuen Clan, whose transition from old school to modern day action can only be described as smooth and satisfying. Not all of the old masters of the craft got through the inevitable style change with such ease.

This movie is no masterpiece, but classic HK action. With despicable villains, gwailo henchmen, righteous and not so righteous cops, hardcore action, and over the top acting, just like it should be. A nice companion piece to this one would be the Lau Bros. excellent "Dragon Family", proving that they too were hip to the new style as much as the Yuens.

It is no secret that a lot of HK movies of this era were made on the fly, with little to no script as such. On some movies you can't tell, on some you can. Here it's fairly evident. Characters come and go, the story seems to go nowhere for long periods of time and is actually pretty boring when there is no action happening. There are too many main players to keep track of, or care about, and none of them are especially fleshed out.

Dick Wei is the one with the most interesting character arc, and I would have liked the movie to be more about him. It is also fun to see Benny Lai in a more prominent role, but he more or less disappears in the last half of the movie, only to briefly appear again towards the end. And some more of his awesome kicking skills would have been welcomed. I guess Mark Cheng is the leading man of sorts, and he and Yukari Oshima look pretty good in the fight scenes, but it's not exactly earth shattering stuff.

As is so often the case, the final showdown is the best part of the movie. And this one is pretty damn cool at that. I felt that the mighty Ken Lo was wasted for the majority of the movie. However, he brought the heat in the finalé for sure. It just wasn't enough to save the movie as a whole. Too bad.

I've watched this movie a dozen or so times over the years, and I still have no idea what it's about, really. The story is boring and convoluted. The characters are uninteresting and/or annoying. And even the action isn't that great. There are a few cool fights, sure. But for the most part, the choreo feels stiff and uninspired, as does the gunplay and stuntwork. I would have expected more from Chris Li.

Cynthia Khan is cute as always, and proficient in the action scenes--and was doubled less and less as the series progressed. But with little to work with here, even she couldn't have saved this movie.

David Ng annoyed me in "Tiger Cage 2" and he annoys me here. There are a few of my favorite gwailos on hand as well, like Steve Tartalia, Vincent Lyn, and old timer John Ladalski. But they are not given much to do either, so what's the point? The one westerner that does get to let loose is the always entertaining Kim Maree Penn, who squares off with Cynthia in the final showdown. A decent bout, but sadly not enough to end this clunker on a high note.

Overall, this movie is a subpar effort with mediocre action. Not much to get excited about actually.

Some of the plot points here are very similar to those of "Royal Warriors". Crime is botched, bad guys want revenge on the cops. Hell-bent Japanese cop out for vigilante style vengeance and so on. But with the inclusion of Cynthia as the new lady cop on the beat, and the lovely and lethal Michiko Nishiwaki as one of the villains, it is still very much its own movie.

Being that this was Cynthia's first time as an action lead, she is quite obviously doubled for some of the more tricky moves and hard hitting stunts. But that's to be expected and doesn't really take away from the great action scenes. Michiko is, as always, fierce and fearsome as the fanatic, Japanese terrorist; and when the two ladies clash, it's magic time.

Another notable performance is that of Hiroshi Fujioka as the Japanese cop looking for payback. He's no Hiroyuki Sanada in the screen fighting department, but he has about him a brutish Sonny Chiba vibe that goes a long way. And his fight with Stuart Ong is some seriously violent shit. Throw Dick Wei into the proceedings, and you're set for some hardcore ass kicking.

The movie is also elevated by the dual directing team of ace cinematographer Arthur Wong and action director and Yuen Clan brother Brandy Yuen. A nice mix of talent, if you ask me, showing that solid action, filmed well, goes a long way.

In short, if you like bloody violence, kick-ass fights, and bone crunching stunts, then you can't go wrong with this one.

It really pains me that the once mighty Philip Ko Fei, a name that to me use to meant quality, chose this path for himself. I also feel bad for poor Yukari Oshima, who he dragged through more B-movie schlock than I care to remember. And I doubt this would have happened had the two not been an item at this time. But I guess "the Osh" was just standing by her man, and I admire that.

This movie is as about as cheap as it gets. Well, maybe not, but it's pretty damn cheap. Philip, Yukari, and Sharon Kwok are the only known actors in the entire movie. The rest (including the male lead) are just Filipino no-names who look like they just stepped on the set in whatever clothes they were wearing, and whose sole motivation seems to be the paycheck at the end of the day. Forget the story, forget the characters. At this point, Philip had just stopped caring, so you don't have to either.

But at least the action delivers, right? Wrong! Yukari was one of the best female screen fighters of all time, and I love that little snaggletoothed Japanese tomboy to death. But not even she could save this clunker. There are odd moments of halfway-decent choreo. But for the most part, it is just a messy mix of awkward, acrobatic gunplay, retarded use of slo-mo, poorly edited fight scenes, and wonky wirework. What a waste.

But the silver lining here is the final showdown, which is pretty damn awesome! Actually, no, it's not, I'm lying. It's just more of the same crap, set to the theme from "The Terminator" and complete with a blatant rip-off of the car jousting battle from "Bullet In The Head". And they couldn't even get that right.

To sum up, this movie is piss poor, and a complete and utter waste of time. I wouldn't even recommend this for Yukari completists, 'cause this would be a shitstain on any movie collection; and I will in fact go and throw out my copy right now.

There were already traces of it in earlier flicks like "Dance Of The Drunk Mantis", and again with this one. The comedy here is nothing that a lot of other kung fu comedies of the day weren't guilty of. But it is still a chore to sit through. Furthermore, it doesn't really fit with the more serious tone of the story. I mean, the ridiculous barber shop scene juxtaposed with the eerie and disturbing scene in the basement is an example. Also, weird stuff like San Kuai's ghostly hunchback character seems like he wandered in from a "Mr. Vampire" movie or something. I had the same problem with the sickly guy in the coffin in "Dance Of The Drunk Mantis". It just feels out of place, and unnecessary.

I never bought Yuen Shun Yee as a leading man. But he is one hell of a screen fighter, as is Tsui Siu Ming. And the choreo is of the usual high Yuen Clan standard. Too bad that all this awesome action has to be dispersed between all the lame gags and general weirdness that plagues the rest of the film. The end fight is so super tight, that it deserved to be in a better movie.

It sports an impressive cast, where old meets new, in the form of dynamic duo Ti Lung and David Chiang teaming up with Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun, and the always lackluster Meng Fei--all playing Shaolin secular pupils on the run from the evil Chings. On the bad guys' side you have an equally impressive line up. It is a veritable Villains'R'Us with Fung Hak On, Kong Do, Choi Wang, the always conniving Wang Lung Wei, and Beardy, back in his bad guy days. Based on the cast alone, you know that this will at least be decent, and it is.

The choreo is courtesy of the Lau brothers. Moving from basher style to stylized shapes in what can almost be seen as an onscreen transition. This is one of those benchmark movies in terms of choreo evolvement, and it is fun to watch the evolution happen right before your eyes.

If viewed with critical glasses, the movie is little more than a bunch of guys running around the countryside beating each other up. But the somber mood, melancholic score, and the dusty and desolate planes of Taiwan give the whole thing a special and almost Spaghetti Western vibe that goes a long way.

This and "Shaolin Martial Arts" are probably my favorites of the Taiwan-based Chang's Film Co. movies of Chang Cheh. Recommended.

Director Kirk Wong, known for such classics as "The Club", "Organized Crime And Triad Bureau", and others, was at the helm for this rather dark and edgy crime drama based on the real life kidnapping of HK businessman Teddy Wang. And due to the serious source material, Jackie's trademark physical comedy and general sunny disposition is nowhere to be found here. And the film is all the better for it.

I like that it is played very straight, giving Jackie ample opportunity to show that he is a much better actor than his usual mugging and goofing around would have us believe. He has of course done more serious roles before and after this one, but I think that this is his finest performance in terms of dramatic acting.

It is really nice to see him as more of a thinking man, doing some actual police work instead of just stumbling into the bad guys at random. Of course Jackie can't help being Jackie, and there are traces of his usual style in some of the fight and action scenes. But not to the point where it feels out of place.

The other great performance of the film is that of Kent Cheng. He manages to find humanity, desperation, and a certain sadness in what could have been a garden variety bad guy. I really sympathize with this guy, to a point, and think that his character brings the movie up quite a few notches. Plus, the interplay between him and Jackie is really good, especially in the scenes where there is no dialogue, just looks of suspicion and contempt.

Just because this is a "serious" movie doesn't mean that it is void of action. There is plenty: all high caliber stuff that puts Jackie and his stunt team through the wringer, again and again. The intense car chase, the Taiwan raid, the underwater escape, and nothing less than the total destruction of the Kowloon walled city for the big finale.

A different but excellent effort from the Chanster. Highly recommended to those that slept on this classic.

It is another one, shot entirely on the magnificent Shaw Bros. interior sets, which can sometimes seem sort of claustrophobic. But here (as was the case with "Five Venoms") it works to the film's advantage. The people are trapped in the confines of the city. And when the heroes have to navigate through the streets at night, dodging brutal militia groups with cool sounding names, your mind (or at least mine) sort of drifts to the awesome Walter Hill classic, "The Warriors", which had a similar setup--although in 70's gangland New York.

The guys fall into their usual characters here. Kwok Choi is the lovable rogue. Chiang Sheng is the wiley, playful one. Lo Meng the slightly naive strongman, and so on. As always, their chemistry is undeniable. And while there is not much comedy as such, the guys are fun to watch, fighting, talking or just goofing around.

The choreo is tight as ever, with a nice mix of fisticuffs and truly brilliant weapons work, done true to form by Choi, Sheng, and Feng, the three opera school boys of the group. The end fight is quite a spectacle. There is so much stuff to marvel at here: a multitude of cool weaponry, handled with the utmost expertise, all shot on the beautiful Shaw sets, giving it that classic stage play vibe that I consider a big part of the overall vibe of these films.

This may not be one of the most well known Venom efforts but is definitely a solid yarn nonetheless and deserves to stand tall with the rest of them.

Outside of these, and a couple of decent training scenes, the movie is just slapstick, stupid comedy and boring story, which is really a shame.

Peter Chen is not the most charismatic leading man ever. But he is a great acrobat and a good screen fighter. However, he is just wasted here. Actually the whole movie stinks of wasted opportunity. You have all this talent onhand, and still you waste 90% of the movie on insipid comedy and pointless plot, that nobody cares about. Had the rest of the movie been up to the standards of the three aforementioned fights, then you would really have something here. But that is sadly not the case.

I guess this was sort of an attempt on GH's part to bring the black and white Wong Fei Hung series into the new era of HK action filmmaking. And you would think that now shooting in color, stuffing it with the studio's stars, putting Sammo in charge of the action, and letting "King Boxer" director Cheng Chang Ho take the reins would do the trick. But that is not quite the case. It is a noble effort for sure. But stacked against other GH movies like "Hapkido" or "When Taekwondo Strikes", this one comes off a little uninspired and lacklustre.

Bringing back Kwan Tak Hing was a nice touch. And the movie follows more or less the same template as the old series. Wong Fei Hung stays largely in the background--his students get into trouble, Wong Fei Hung returns to make things right in the final reel. This worked well in later efforts such as "Magnificent Butcher" and "Dreadnaught". But the problem here is a loosely structured and uninteresting story, and the action.

This is sadly one of Sammo's weaker choreo efforts from this period. He obviously upped the ante, actionwise, from "Lady Whirlwind" and on but somehow hit a wall with this and a few other mid-70's GH films. I don't know the reason for this. I only know that the fights are kind of slow and clunky compared to earlier efforts. It is not bad per se. And the end fight with Hwang In Sik is pretty decent. But, in my mind, it's still not up to the standard that Sammo had already set for himself.

On the whole, the movie is acceptable. But keep your expectations in check.

In my mind, an underrated gem from the early days of Golden Harvest. It has everything a good kung fu movie needs: a decent story, righteous heroes, despicable villains, and good action. The story might be typical Chinese melodrama, but there are some twists and turns to keep it involving. And what also makes it worthwhile is the great characters. The ever lovely Angela Mao tears up the screen with her piercing eyes and cool demeanor as the titular Lady Whirlwind. Sultry as ever, she beats the crapola out of any man that steps to her and shows these sorry bastards who's boss.

The great Chang Yi, who spent a good deal of his later career playing white-haired villains, is great as the male protagonist here. He could and should have played more good guys. He's a good emotive actor, but admittedly, his rugged features lend themselves more to bad guy parts. Throw in the likes of Pai Ying, Chin Yuet Sang, and Sammo himself as the villains and you have yourself a well rounded cast more than capable of delivering the goods in the action department.

And speaking of the action, it might be in the early 70's basher style, swingy arms and all, but if you look closer, you will see more refined movements, techniques and other intricacies in terms of choreography and editing that differs significantly from what else was coming out at this time. Look at Angie's first casino fight, and Chang Yi's first fight, when he and his Tai Chi master are attacked. Sammo and the gang at GH were changing HK action choreo forever here. Most people were just too busy marveling at Bruce Lee to notice.

Classic Golden Harvest stuff. And especially interesting for those who like to study the progression of HK choreo. Well recommended.

I don't know whether Sammo was aiming for something a little higher than just best action awards here. Or just wanted to try something different. But while I enjoy the dramatic storyline, I really wish they had kept the two omitted fight scenes in the movie that were cut from the HK version: a great car park mass rumble between Jackie, his cop buddies, and a bunch of veteran bad guys; and a super tight Jackie vs. Lau Kar Wing fight in a rehab clinic. I don't think that these scenes would have taken anything away from the serious tone of the film; but apparantly Sammo did, and thus they are missing in a lot of versions of the movie.

With that aside, it is still a fine film, with Jackie and Sammo both sharpening their acting tools in some very different roles than what they usually do. Jackie is a cop, nothing new there. But he plays it very straight and comes across as sort of selfish and embarrassed about his brother's mental disability, far removed from his usual, lovable good guy persona. Sammo gives a great performance as his retarded brother. I think this is actually one of the most touching portrayals I have seen of a mentally challenged person. And the scenes with him and the child actors are especially sweet and moving.

Sometimes the drama does spill over into sappy melodrama, but it is rare. And the chemistry between Jackie and Sammo is undeniable, and goes a long way. I find most of their scenes here quite heartfelt. And the love they have for each other offscreen shines through in these characters and definitely warms this old, jaded reviewer's heart every time.

What action there is, is of course great, especially the end fight, which is some of the most energetic, hard edged stuff the brothers did at this time. And personally I never tire of watching Jackie and Dick Wei beat the livin' piss out of each other.

This movie is not for action junkies. Bif you like the actors onhand and wanna' try something different, then give it a whirl. You may be surprised.

As good as "Mad Monkey Kung Fu" was, traces of cheap, slapsticky humour was creeping its way into pop's flicks. And this movie is another example of that. It is, admittedly, not as inane as most other kung fu comedies of this era. But I really didn't need the whole middle part of the movie, turning in to some kind of misguided musical. I find the long stretches of comedy sort of a chore to sit through, and the image of Gordon Liu with a moustache and a blond girlie wig still haunts me to this day.

Luckily, the action is tight as ever. And the movie always wins me back with the protracted and jaw-dropping final fight fest, packing some of the fastest, fiercest choreo of any Lau Kar Leung flick. The Pops vs. Wang Lung Wei fight alone is enough to warrant repeat viewings and definitely belongs in the end fight hall of fame. If the rest of the movie had been up to the standards of the last half hour, this would have been an all time classic instead of a mediocre comedy with great action.

With that said, the film is far from flawless. Thankfully, Gordon is back, reprising the role of monk San Te. Now a stern sage, trying to guide the young troublemaker Fong Sai Yuk, played by the nimble Hsiao Hou. But while Hou is more than capable in the action department, and not without charisma, his portrayal of the young Shaolin student is rather nerve grating. He is rash, brash, annoying, incredibly naive, and just not a very likeable main character. Had they dialed it down, and tweaked it a bit, this would be a better movie.

But it is what it is. And at least the action is on point, featuring super tight choreo from pops, and the expected, dazzling acrobatics from Hou. The temple training scenes are more enjoyable than the ones in part two, but nowhere near those of the first movie. The climactic finalé is a grand spectacle, involving tons of people, weapons, stunts, etc. But personally, I would have preferred a good old one on one, or something more akin to the end fights in the two previous films. But that's really a matter of taste.

As a whole the movie is definitely watchable, even enjoyable at times. But Hou's extremely annoying Fong Sai Yuk character just drags the entire production down. The saving grace here is the tight action and Gordon back as San Te.

First of all, the decision to make it just another bumbling kung fu comedy, in a market that had too many of those to begin, boggles the mind--especially when the original was this brilliant, philosphical masterpiece. Second of all, to replace the already iconic character of San Te with a character pretending to be San Te, but played by the same actor, is another headscratcher. There are so many ways you could have gone with this sequel. San Te could have mentored a new pupil, like in "Disciples Of The 36th Chamber". San Te could have fought the Manchu dye mill bullies on his own. San Te could go to outer space, like James Bond in "Moonraker" for all I care. Just keep the character in the movie! Well, he actually is in the movie, just played by another actor, which I am not even gonna' go into. But the choice of having Gordon come back as another character was just a poor one. And I can't for the life of me figure out what pops was smoking when he came up with that.

With that out of the way, the movie still does have some merit. Some of the training scenes in the temple are actually pretty enjoyable. And the scaffolding kung fu is a cool idea. In the second half, the movie sort of redeems itself. And the protracted end fight is definitely something to see. Yet I'm always left rather dissatisfied and filled with thoughts of what could have been.

Gordon has stated that he, himself, regards the 1983 indie flick "Shaolin vs. Wu Tang" as the true sequel to "36th Chamber". And while I am not a huge fan of that movie myself, I can kind of see what he means. This movie could and should have been better. So pending the invention of the time machine, I guess I'm stuck watching it as is.

Lau Kar Leung really puts his adoptive brother through the wringer here. Gordon Liu (or Lau Kar Fai, if you wanna' get technical) completely embodies the character of San Te, with just the right amount of youthful naiveté and determination. You really learn to care for this guy, as you join him on his transforming journey through the 35 chambers. And for a kung fu movie that has virtually no action for the entire middle part, it is strangely captivating. Watching San Te advance through the different levels is a real joy--hell, it's downright uplifting, thanks to pops' direction and knowledge of the subject at hand.

But this is not just a story about a guy training in a temple to become a kung fu master. It is more multi-layered than that. It is a story about a boy becoming a man. A story about virtues such as patience and perseverence. About losing yourself and finding yourself. And ultimately a story about the true philosophies behind martial arts.

Now, I like a good throwdown as much as the next guy. But for me personally, the pay off here is not San Te emerging from the temple to take revenge on the evil manchus. It is about San Te emerging from the temple an enlightened man, and what he went through to achieve that. It is about the journey, not the destinaion.

I think this is Lau Kar Leung's crowning achievement as a filmmaker. And I would dare say that if you call yourself a kung fu film fan, and don't have this classic masterpiece in your collection, you need to pick it up and school yourself.

What I really like about this movie is its positive anti-violence message, an idea Lau would later use again in the classic "Heroes Of The East". The concept of anti-violent fight flicks seems like sort of an oxymoron, but Lau's deep understanding of martial arts philosophy always shines through in his movies and raises them to a higher level, without them ever getting preachy or boring. When watching his films, I always feel like I've been taken to school by a true master whose messages might be very matter of fact and simple but still, on occassion, make me contemplate and reflect on my own life.

This isn't the most fight-filled of pop's flicks. And some might say that the whole "Pao" competition is the weak link here. But I kind of like it. It's different, and something you haven't seen before. Besides, what actual kung fu action there is, is pretty damn sweet. Gordon and pops matching skills in the moonlit bamboo grove...come on, that's classic stuff. And the training scenes are also really enjoyable.

I sometimes think that this movie gets a bum rap. And I would urge all old school fans who haven't seen it to check it out.

I think the comedy in this one took a step down, in terms of quality, from "Winners And Sinners". There are still funny bits here and there, but stuff like the gang's juvenile attempts to grope Sibelle Hu just goes on for way too long. And outside of the opening sequence, it is a full hour of pointless goofing around 'til the story gets going and the action starts rolling.

But when it finally does, it is well worth the wait. Ninjas, spooky samurai killers, gangsters and a crazy funhouse is all part of the excellent showdown. And any chance to see Jackie vs. Dick Wei and Sammo vs. Lau Kar Wing is a welcome one.

As a whole, this movie is not bad at all. And if you liked the other "Lucky Stars" flicks, you will most likely enjoy this one.

This is just an awesome movie. There are no two ways about it. Sammo might "borrow" an idea or two from other movies of the genre, but he in turn injects so many brilliant and innovative touches into the action scenes here that most of those other flicks look stale and sluggish in comparison. Stuff like the stealth kill sequence, where Sammo and Biao take out their Vietcong pursuers with the aid of vines, coconuts, and "deadly leaves" , is truly inspired. You never saw anything as cool and clever in the Hollywood Nam flicks of that time. The movie is pretty much geared towards action and drama. Of course, this being a Sammo film, a few bits of HK comedy do sneak their way into the story but are rightfully kept at a minimum.

The cast is a vast and eclectic bunch, for sure. Everyone who was anyone at this time is in the movie. They even roped in Dr. Haing S. Ngoor, of "Killing Fields" fame, for a supporting role. And the villain line-up is a regular smorgasbord of badasses: Ko Fei, Dick Wei, Billy Chow, Yasuaki Kurata, and so on, all lead by a manic and twitchy Yuen Wah, in one of his most memorable bad-guy roles to date.

With all that talent on hand, you're pretty much guaranteed a jaw-dropping end fight. And the movie does deliver. The final showdown in the underground ammo dump is so good it makes your mouth water. Sammo dropped a ton of weight for this one and is a lean, mean fighting machine, playing it straight and giving a 100% all the way.

HK Nam flicks are almost a sub genre on their own. And while there have been a number of good ones, I dare say that this is the most entertaining, based on the cast, the crisp choreo, and just the sheer ingenuity of the action. This is a must-have in my book.