After being abandoned as a child, street urchin Nobody (Liu Chia-Yung) turns to petty crime to support his meagre existence. As the years pass and the town bullies continue to target the helpless loner, he gradually uses his wiler skills to defend what little he has. The chance to earn a higher standard of living comes when he befriends a slick con-artist (Shek) who agrees to teach him the tricks of the trade. With a few modest cons under their belt, the duo are offered a chance to make some big money when the teacher's brother (Maka) turns up with a dangerous mission: the assassination of a vile hitman who is the scourge of the town. Using the brother's wife to lure him and an arsenal of weapons to achieve the task, the team carry out their plan. However, the killer, Dreg (Chong Fat), is not fooled and kills the wife while scaring the others off. Alone again, Nobody manages to be accepted by another master, this time a local fighter who teaches him kung-fu. Eventually a twist means that the various parties meet once more and the chance to defeat Dreg and gain revenge is on the horizon.

It's surprising to report that, although Yuen Biao and Lam Ching Ying are involved in the choreography, the action is good, but not great. Though looking great on paper, none of the fights could be described as spectacular and they mean that it will not really satisfy ardent kung-fu fans. However, 'His Name Is Nobody' is still a diverting production that manages to challenge a few of the cliches of the genre. Foremost among these is the teacher/student dynamic which is here given a slightly different slant by director Karl Maka. As a film-maker better known for comedy, Maka concentrates on creating an atmosphere on genuine fun. Even the usually annoying Dean Shek turns in a good performance; although he starts out as his trademark odd-ball, Shek is endearing by the end of the film. 'His Name Is Nobody' is not one of the best of the genre - it wouldn't really stand-out from a crowded field. Nevertheless it entertains throughout its duration and despite the usual kung-fu comedy conventions turning up (the usual moment where a local villager is harrassed by three bizarre bullies is played out three times!) it is a breath of fresh air.

PICTURE: It's good to report that this is a superb print of this older film. The colours are all sharp and remarkably deep while the fleshtones are better than expected from a Mei Ah disc. Excellent presentation.

REVIEW
Director Karl Maka's slapstick mayhem reigns in this somewhat entertaining kung fu flick filled with genre veterans.

The prolific star, director and action director, Lau Kar Wing stars as the naive Nobody who ends up encountering an odd assortment of villains, teachers, and misfits as he tries to make a living as a petty thief. In this world, even thieves must know kung fu as Lau soon learns, the hard way. Lau meets Dean Shek Tin who trains the young man in the basics of conning money out of people. Dean takes a break from his more common villainous roles to play a comical mentor, which suits his gangly physique. The key to this film's success are the supporting characters. Lau, whose more famous brother is Lau Kar Leung is a bit miscast in this role. His kung fu, which is quite good takes a back seat to the film's antics and his character is probably the least interesting part about the film. Leung Kar Yan, another terrific martial arts star, turns up later as Lau's second teacher. Usually seen in no-nonsense roles, Leung gets to have some fun as he also attempts to instruct Lau in the ways of stealing. Karl Maka, the director appears in a small role only to be killed off.

The humor is very much in the vain of Sammo Hung's or even Yuen Wo Ping's films, minus the high level of quality martial arts choreography. In fact, kung fu in this film really only refers to the thieving abilities of our heroes. Most of the action looks like a free-for-all. The jokes are low brow and move quickly. Some of it doesn't translate well to Western culture, but it should keep genre fans smiling. The story itself is run-of-the-mill with the revenge plot and lots of situational fluff.

If there was more of a compelling plot besides the tiresome revenge schtick or more creative action choreography, His Name is Nobody would be much better. As is, the film has an uneven mix of slapstick and black humor that manages to actually be funny at times and Dean Shek Tin adds his fair share, plus a bit of humanity.