What I've always liked about this movie is that even though Tai plays the anti hero here, he still retains a shred of dignity and morality, as he rises from pauper to boss. He doesn't go all Tony Montana, even though he loses his way. You still care about the character and sense the good in him throughout.

The story is your typical gangster rise and fall tale. No big surprises here. It does have its slow spots, but it's all done well, with the usual Chang Cheh touch here and there. I actually liked Cheng Hong Yip's character the best. It is just one of maybe a thousand sidekick roles for him. But it was a little different than usual. He is sort of the moral compass to Tai's character, and they had great chemistry in this one.

The action is standard basher stuff: brutal, bloody and raw. A nice mix of hand to hand, blades and axes. No stylized shapes in sight. And the end fight is awesome: long and bloody as hell. It's just one protracted and escalating slaughter, reminiscent of the showdown in VENGEANCE, just not quite as good.

If you like movies like VENGEANCE, THE DUEL, KING BOXER, etc., you'll probably like this one.