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.

Call it heroic bloodshed, call it bullet ballet, call it gun fu...call it whatever the fuck you want! As long as you acknowledge that "Hard Boiled" is king, and reigns supreme in said genre.

This one may not have as much heart as some of Woo's other movies. However, "Hard Boiled" does supersede them all in the action department. Actually, it supersedes pretty much any movie in the action department, in both quality and quantity. Just the sheer amount of firepower, squibs, stunts and pyrotechnics here is enough to put most other action flicks to shame. But it is far from mindless action. Woo makes sure to inject his usual trademark humanity into the characters, and have a tense, dramatic narrative backing up the awesome action.

Chow Yun Fat is actually cooler as a cop than he is as a gangster, if that is at all possible. He is so cool that he can break frame and look directly into the camera without losing authenticity. His name is Tequila, he drinks tequila slammers, yells at his boss, plays the sax, saves babies, and spits out his matchstick with unequalled contempt, before blowing someone's face off. Where else are you gonna' see a character like this but in a John Woo movie?

Tony Leung gives the best performance in the film as the conflicted and tortured undercover cop that can almost be seen as a precursor to the part he played in "Infernal Affairs". And if you wanna' see what real acting is, then watch the forced smile he gives Anthony Wong before blasting his "old gang" to bits with an Uzi. And speaking of Anthony Wong, well, he does what he does. He can play everything, and despicable villain is only one of many strings to his bow.

Final honorable mention goes to Kwok Choi. Philip, if you will. Yes, "The Lizard" himself, as uber badass henchman "Mad Dog". He is such a cool character here that he should have had his own movie. He also served as action director, much like he did on Woo's "Once A Thief", and is only one of three "Venoms" featured in this movie. Feel free to play "Where's Waldo" with the last two--"The Snake" is a bit tricky.

This is the kind of movie that makes you drop to your knees and thank Buddha for HK cinema. Like Mr. T, I pity the fools that haven't experienced the balls to the wall wonder that is "Hard Boiled". Just watch the damn movie if you haven't. And if you have, go watch it again.

I used to scower every dingy little video rental joint to find anything that had kung fu dudes, ninjas, samurais, triads and, well, Asian people on the cover. I went through piles of crappy Bruce clone flicks, IFD cut n' paste ninja trash and bad B-movies with deceptive box covers, tricking you into thinking that you were holding the greatest martial arts movie ever made in your hand--only to come home, and find yourself watching a blurry ass copy of "Bruce Li Goes To New Guinea".

I'm sure other people who sought out these movies in the 80's and early 90's can relate. But hey, we were young, and there was no Internet. How were we supposed to know what was crap and what was quality? Occasionally you'd strike gold. And picking up A BETTER TOMORROW on a rainy Sunday afternoon was one of those times.

I didn't know John Woo from Adam. But I liked the title, and it had a Chinese guy with a gun on the cover. How bad could it be?

This is my all-time favourite Woo flick. Yes, THE KILLER is cooler in style and visually slicker. And yes, HARD BOILED is ten times as action-packed, etc. But this was the first movie ever to really touch me on an emotional level, amidst all the badass gangsters and unlimited ammo. There was a gentle humanity to these characters that spoke to me, juxtaposed with the bloody gunplay and themes of brotherhood and betrayal, all presented with a whole new style of action I had never seen before.

To this day I still get goosebumps when Chow takes out the Taiwanese gangsters in the restaurant, set to "Birdy's Flight" by Peter Gabriel. Or feel a knot in my stomach when Waise Lee contemptuously throws the money on the ground in front of the crippled 'Mark Gor'.

In my eyes, this movie, along with THE KILLER and HARD BOILED, are masterpieces. Sure, BULLET IN THE HEAD is an awesome movie, ONCE A THIEF is a fun caper flick, A BETTER TOMORROW 2 has one of the coolest showdowns ever, and JUST HEROES is sort of a guilty pleasure. But the first three mentioned are the epitomy of heroic bloodshed.

This one will always be number one for me though. When I get tired of watching pop stars on wires, more busy trying to look cool than getting the moves right, I pop in this flick from the golden rea, and dream of a better tomorrow.

Some people (wrongly) view them as exploitation films, and I just don't get that! It is probably due to the nudity and rape scenes. But all those scenes have meaning and lead to some plot point or twist. They serve the story and are not tacked on to sell tickets to pervs!

You could argue that the excessive blood spraying has an exploitive feel to it, but again, that was the style, and it's not like they go out of their way to make it look authentic!

I also think the series has a lot of heart and humanity, especially in the scenes with Ogami and Daigoro! He might slice twenty people up in front of his small son, but he also bathes him, keeps him warm, tucks him in, and finds some leaves for Daigoro to wipe his ass on when taking a dump in the woods! It is those little affectionate throw-away moments between father and son that make this more than hack and slash exploitation to me!

I also find the stories interesting, and every movie serves up some new colorful characters and villains. The sets and locations are beautiful. The costumes feel authentic, the music is just right, and the cinematography is innovative and way beyond what you find in so-called exploitation films. In short, these movies are must-haves.

It also does a hell of a job, grabbing you by the yam bags and putting you right into the world of the HK triads. You can actually feel the tension, sense the danger and the underlying, yet ever present, paranoia that these people live with constantly. Hell, you can almost smell the blood, the cigarette smoke and the aroma of the yum cha they are eating.

As far as the cast goes, it is really one powerhouse performance after another. Anthony Wong delivers the goods once again, with a more nuanced portrayal of a somewhat different Insp. Wong than we saw in the first one. Eric Tsang excels again in the role of the jovial but ruthless Sam. Carina Lau's stint as Sam's double dealing wife was probably the best I've ever seen from her. And Edison Chen and Shawn Yu do a remarkable job as well, playing the younger incarnations of Yan and Ming. However, the real honor goes to the always awesome Francis Ng, for his masterful performance as the complex and cold blooded Hau. Ng just has an inexplicable subtlety to his acting that allows him to convey so much with so little. And he dominates every scene he is in. I cannot put into words the respect I have for Francis' acting talent. He is my favorite actor, bar none.

Everything works in this movie. Directing, pacing, cinematography, the excellent score, etc. I don't see how you could improve on this masterpiece and cannot in good conscience give this movie any less than 5 out of 5.

The fighting is in the usual early 70's style. But it's for the most part done with such brutal intensity that you really feel the impact.

All the characters are memorable and more multilayered than you would normally expect from a film of this type and time.

And the images of Lo Lieh's glowing fists, the cut off head rolling down the dusty path, or the gouged eyeballs laying on the wooden floor, or many other cool-as-hell moments of this film will stay with you and ensure repeat viewings.

All of this old school splendor is set to one of the greatest and most recognizable scores of any kung fu movie. A nice mix of borrowed loops and original music that sets the tone just right. Simply a must have.

This movie still relies mainly on knife and axe fighting though, and what empty hand fighting there is, isn't as spectacular as the intricate and superbly choreographed fight action that was to come out of the Shaw Bros. studios in subsequent years.

But, weapons or not, the fights are intense, brutal and bloody, as David Chiang leaves a trail of dead bodies in his wake of vengeance.

Chiang's portrayal of the stoic Peking opera performer hell-bent on avenging his brother's murder is grim and chilling, yet underplayed with a subtle pathos as only he can do it. He really carries this film from start to finish, under the masterful guidance of director Chang Cheh (to whom you can attribute the rich color, texture and blood soaked imagery that makes this movie one of the best revenge flicks ever made). Only Chang Cheh can extract this much excitement and gut wrenching atmosphere out of a seemingly simple plot.

Although not a kung fu movie per se, I would still consider this required viewing for true connoisseurs of the genre.

This is one of my favourite hit man movies of all time. Chow Yun Fat is too cool for school here. He is like Edward Fox in "Day Of The Jackal" mixed with Alain Delon in "Le Samourai". Suave, cool, professional, but also lonely and disconnected. This is however a two header, with Danny Lee clocking in equal screentime as the hellbent cop--how novel. But in Woo's hands, old Danny boy is able to go beyond his usual screen persona and deliver a more nuanced and emotional cop character, not really seen since "Law With Two Phases". And the chemistry between him and Chow is unmistakable.

One of my favourite characters in this movie is actually that of Chu Kong, as Chow's handler, mentor, and friend. He has a quiet dignity about him but can also go into the melodramatic style without coming off as uneven. And while I loved him as a bad guy in "The Big Heat", I like that he gets to show more range here. Sally Yeh is undoubtedly the weak link. As with every other female character in a John Woo movie, I could never figure out if Woo was just bad at picking leading ladies, or if the poor girls just never had that much to work with. Considering the movies' focus was usually on the male bonding of the leading men.

While John Woo had been making movies since the 70's--comedies, kung fu flicks, etc.--he really found his style with "A Better Tomorrow", but cemented it with this one. The double guns, the white doves, the slo-mo, the Christian imagery, and so on. All of this seems cliché today, due to heavy copying in countless movies. And yet, when you see the real thing in Woo's work, you realize how badly all these subsequent copycats did it. This is where it's at. And sadly, it will never be like this again.

Watching this movie is always sort of a bittersweet experience for me. I love seeing Jackie, Sammo and Biao together. The energy, the creativity, the rhythm, the timing, and the unparalleled group dynamic that these guys had was a once in a lifetime phenomenon, which is also the reason why I feel a little sting every time--because I know that we will never see anything like this again, and certainly not with these three masters of the craft joining forces.

While not a bad movie by any means, this is probably my least favorite of their three great "triple act" adventures. It is hard to beat the period piece grandeur of "Project A" and the sun, fun and entertainment value of "Wheels On Meals". However, this one takes the gold in the end fight discipline.

You wouldn't think that they could actually top the awesome "castle showdown" from "Wheels On Meals". But Jackie and Benny Urquidez somehow up the ante from their previous encounter, while Yuen Biao flips all over the place and kicks the ever-loving shit out of Billy Chow in one of the best fight finales of any movie ever made. This mass throwdown is so damn good that it brings tears to my eyes.

Individually, these three guys were more talented, charming and energetic than most everyone else in the history of action cinema worldwide. But when they got together, it was magic time. They were a true force of nature. And between them, they left a legacy of films that will never be outdone. My hat is off to "the three dragons".

But seriously, this is in my opinion the best of the old school HK ninja movies, alongside FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS and DUEL TO THE DEATH. It has just the right amount of cheese and comedy, balanced well with the fairly serious storyline and awesome action. The choreography by director Yuen Kwai and Meng Hoi is super tight, and shows the various styles on display to their full extent. Conan Lee and Hiroyuki Sanada rarely looked better than they do here. Too bad that Sanada didn't do more HK movies, and that Conan turned out to be an egomaniacal ass, ruining his own career.

I'll admit that the whole thing kind of unravels towards the end. After the awesome pagoda showdown, there really wasn't anywhere for the movie to go. So what do you do? You bring out the big guns, in the form of grandmaster Hwang Jang Lee of course. He is sort of played for laughs here, but still brings the thunder and caps off the film nicely, despite his slightly cartoonish sendoff.

So, in closing, an all time favourite classic of mine that delivers the goods, as well as the bitter sweet sting of nostalgia, for me personally. So if you haven't seen it, and are going by this review, deduct that last half star, that is strictly for the memories.

You would think that, with two thirds of the movie being fights, there wouldn't be much room for a story. But leave it to old master Lau to keep a coherent and involving narrative running alongside the superbly choreographed martial arts action. This is not your run of the mill Chinese vs. Japanese kung fu flick. This is a story about pride, prejudice and mutual respect. And I also like to think that it is a nice reflection of Lau Kar Leung's views on cross cultural understanding and acceptance. As well as the true philosophy of martial arts.

Needles to say, the action kicks balls. Watching Gordon take on Yasuaki Kurata and his band of Bushido masters is nothing but pure joy and delight. It is a true duel of styles, in its purest form. Hand to hand, trickery and a crapload of cool and classic weapons. My personal favorite is the Qiang vs. Yari spear fight... damn that shit is tight. And of course the end fight, Kung Fu vs. Ninjitsu. That Japanese crab technique was of the hook. Hell, I could go on and on about this movie. And I have probably watched it well over a hundred times in the last twenty years in various forms.

But suffice to say that this is a must have. The respectful and non violent nature of the film, is a nice break, in between the usual gory sword slashers and bloody revenge tales of the genre.

Even though this a Yuen Biao vehicle, and he truly shines in this. The standout performance really comes from Lam Ching Ying in my opinion. Just watching this guy move is a pleasure.

All the fights are 100% on point. And Yuen Biao, besides playing the lead character, is once again doubling left and right.

Sammo, true to form, takes a backseat to his co-stars as the comedic relief. But he also gets to show some of his stuff in the very enjoyable training sequences. And as per usual in a Sammo movie, you learn a little something in between fights. In this case, about Wing Chun and Peking opera.

If I must point out a flaw. It would be the abundance of goofy characters dispersed throughout the first half of the movie. And, although nothing out of the ordinary for a movie of this type and era, it is still, in my mind, what keeps the film from truly reaching the legendary status bestowed upon it by fans and critics alike.

But still a classic and a definite must have.

The idea of the hero or heroes being crippled, overcoming it by rigorous training, and coming back for revenge was hardly fresh at the time. But the Venoms do it well, and with nice little touches here and there. I also loved the concept of them training specifically to counter the disabilities bestowed upon them by the villains: Kuo Chui with his supersonic hearing compensating for his blindness, Lo Mang sporting some serious mirror bling to give him a heads-up on the bad guys he can no longer hear, Sun Chien showing off his formidable kicking skills courtesy of his new ironfeet, and the retarded Chiang Sheng jumping around like a little tenacious monkey...great stuff.

The villains also leave nothing to be desired, and man are there a lot of them. Most prominently Chen Kuan Tai as the bitter tigerstyle master and the scowling Lu Feng as his son with ironhands that shoot darts...gotta love that.

Another Venom classic not to be missed.

This movie really blew me away as a kid, as it did with so many others. I suppose that my great love for it can partly be chalked up to nostalgic value and that I didn't know the actors beforehand, which is key to fully enjoying this great classic, since it's sort of a whodunit type flick.

Although there isn't that much fighting, what there is, is really cool and stylized to display the special skills of the poison clan.

The movie's momentum is really in the tension building of the story, and you will most likely find yourself guessing along with the characters as to who is who and why. Kung fu mystery at its best.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is probably Woo's most personal film, set in the time of his own youth, and using the Vietnam war and political turmoil of the late 60's as a backdrop for a story about brotherhood, sacrifice, redemption, and all the usual themes of Woo's cinematic universe. Here he reaches new emotional heights, through the tragic characters, the dark storyline, and the powerful recreations of iconic images from the era. All this, along with big action set pieces, tons of extras, excellent production design, and a personal knowledge of the period setting, helps give the film its overwhelming epic feel and authenticity--even if it does fall into the traps of anachronism and shoddy editing now and again.

The headlining trio of Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung, and Waise Lee all deliver great performances, especially Tony Leung, who can convey more with a look than most actors can with ten pages of dialogue. Cheung and Lee tend to go overboard on occassion, but considering the over the top nature of the film, it is excusable. The prize for coolest character has to go to Simon Yam, though. A lot of his backstory ended up on the cutting room floor, but he still managed to flesh out the character and provide it with enough style and depth to make an impact. And come on, what would a John Woo movie be without a cool hit man character?

The action is a blend of the usual operatic Woo style shootouts, and some pretty grim violence that adds a lot of emotional weight to the tragic story. And while the car jousting finalé may seem a bit tacked on, I think a movie of this scope and magnitude deserves a strong finish. And I actually prefer this action packed showdown to the more subdued alternate ending.

This movie originally started as a proposed prequel for "A Better Tomorrow", but when Woo and Tsui Hark went their seperate ways, Woo decided to run with the Vietnam template for this movie, and Hark did the "A Better Tomorrow 3" prequel, as first intended, on his own. I think Woo drew the longest straw, even if the HK audiences and critics weren't really up for a dark and gritty tale like this at the time.

For all its minor flaws, this is still an awesome classic of the genre and a must-have for HK action fans.

This movie distinguishes itself in several ways. First off, the story is actually sort of interesting and exciting. You will most likely be racking your brain trying to figure out the true identity of "the spider", when you're not marvelling at the flashy fights or laughing at David Chiang's antics. Because yes--brace yourself--the comedy is actually pretty funny. Chiang and Tsui Siu Keung have great chemistry and timing, choreo-wise as well as comedically. The scene with them trying to get information from a dying man always makes me laugh.

Now, for all the people that have their doubts about David Chiang's screen fighting skills, I urge you to watch this movie (along with THE CHALLENGER). He never looks this good in any of his Shaw flicks, and neither did the lovely Lily Li for that matter. They both truly shine under the guidance of fight choreographers Chik Ngai Hung and Ho Chi Wai. Tsui Siu Keung always brings the heat, so does Philip Ko--DUUUH!! Plus Kwan Yung Moon and Jacky Chen Shao Lung.

Despite a little of the usual undercranking and doubling, the end fight in the treasure chamber is a hall of famer for sure. There are fights aplenty in here, but the final showdown is so damn awesome that it alone is worth watching the movie for.

The movie has excellent production value. Beautiful sets, nice costumes, and some interesting locations that haven't been seen in thousands of other movies. All of these things combined amount to a genuine indie classic that shouldn't be missed by any kung fu fan.

The cast is an eclectic bunch. Angela Mao always deliver the goods. I love that girl, from her warm smile to her icy stare, and everything in between. Carter Wong looks about as good as he did in HAPKIDO, which isn't bad at all. Jhoon Ree might not be much of an actor, but with those skills, who cares? The one who really threw me for a loop upon first viewing though was Anne Winston. For a western girl in 1973, she sure could move and was, as far as I could tell, only doubled for a few flips, falls and tricky moves--the rest was her. Never heard of her before or since. But she really impressed me.

The bad guy roster is nothing to scoff at either. Tons of familiar faces, like Chin Yuet Sang, Alan Chui, Gam Kei Chu, and so on. Sammo is once again a vile Japanese henchman, which is always fun. But the real bastards are Kenji Kazuma and Whang In Sik: these guys are just mean, and when everybody clashes in the final fight, you wouldn't think you were watching a movie from 1973. The choreo and techniques are super tight, and way above the rest of the herd.

All of this awesome action is brilliantly framed by director Huang Feng, who creates great atmospheric tension, and plays around with some really interesting Leone and Kurosawa-like cinematography here. It all flows well together, spawning a true Golden Harvest classic. Definitely a must-have in my book.

Sammo's portrayal of real-life rice husker, Shaolin secular pupil, and Kwangtung tiger, Cheung Mai Lo (or however the hell you spell that), is sweet, funny and fearsome. He goes from bumbling runaway student to anger driven-avenger. It is really great to see Sammo so youthful and brimming with energy, and he gives a lot of humanity to a time-tested kung fu movie stereotype here. He shares the screen with the Charles Bronson of Asia, karate expert and all around badass, Chen Sing (playing the Gordon Liu signature character, monk San Te in this one). They make a great team and have a fun junior/senior chemistry going throughout the film, that works both in the comedic scenes, as well as the fights.

It is clear that Sammo was just starting to find his style here, in terms of fight choreography, as well as striking that all-important balance between action, drama, and comedy. He doesn't totally pull it off here, but close enough, and it is a noble effort and a good directorial debut from the old chubby maestro.

For a '77 movie, the fights are tight as hell, and with players like Chen Sing, Fung Hak-On (mysteriously sporting the Han people's horse ass hairstyle, despite the fact that he plays a Manchu???) and Chiu Hung, you know that an ass-kicking treat is guaranteed.

The movie is far from perfect. I hate Dean Shek's wiley creepo characters, even though they were a genre stable at this time. And disturbing rape scenes mixed with comedy is not really my bag either. But despite these minor gripes, this movie is a must-have in my book.

It's also nice too see Chang Yi, in a more meaty role, displaying some emotion, instead of having to scowl through fake white beard and bushy eyebrows every time.

The story is pretty engaging, throwing you a curveball now and then. The fights are of the usual high Sammo Hung movie standard, superbly choreographed by Sammo himself, Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-Ying, and Billy Chan.

My gripes with the movie would be some unnecessary use of red tinted flashbacks, a stupid gag involving Sammo dressed as Dracula, and a weird twist at the end. But those things combined aren't enough to really detract any enjoyment from this old school classic. A must-have for Sammo and Leung Kar Yan fans.