After Hsiun Chin Kwai (Wong Tao) kills a high ranking Manchu official, he flees across China to meet up with his fellow Ming patriots in Taiwan. To Ku Yun (Han Ying) is assigned to find Hsiun and kill him, not only for revenge but also to hurt the morale of the Ching's soldiers, as he is considered one of the Ching's greatest fighters. On his travels to Taiwan, Hsiun also encounters a Japanese, lady con-artist (Fanny Wang) who cares for him after he's injured in a fight and Sun Shan (John Liu), a wandering kung fu fighter whose allegiance is unknown.

The above synopsis may make the story sound interesting, but unfortunately, it isn't. There's probably more plot detail in an average Tom and Jerry cartoon. There are 'twists' and an attempt at intrigue but everything is too obvious to generate any interest. The main double cross is given away so early and easily that no suspense can be derived from it. We're shown the main villain, in several scenes, talking to a shadowy figure plotting Hsiun's downfall. The fact that there are only really 4 main characters in the film means it doesn't take a NASA engineer to work out who the 'snake in the grass' is. As with many low budget kung fu films the story ends up being there to link the many fight scenes together.

The acting isn't likely to 'wow' you either. John Liu comes away from the film with the most credit in this department. This is due to his cocky, laid-back, wandering kung fu master being the most entertaining character in the film rather than Mr Liu's dramatic skills shining through. Wong Tao brings no life to his earnest and in the end rather dull lead character, Fanny Wang smiles her way through the entire film (nice teeth) and Han Ying makes for a serviceable villain.

The only time any excitement is generated is during the action scenes. These fight scenes are all of a very high standard. Wong Tao fights with power and authority and John Liu is, as usual, a one-man kicking festival. Han Ying is certainly a match for the two stars and really shines in the final fight of the film. Everyone performs the excellent choreography with speed, precision and plenty of style. The many fights will leave any old school kung fu fan happy.

Thankfully, you're never too far away from a spot of fisticuffs, which is a very good thing because you're not likely to gain much enjoyment from any other part of this film. Worth a rental.

When Wong Tao kills a high ranking Manchu official he becomes an outlaw and goes into hiding until he can find safe passage to Taiwan. Meanwhile the Emperor sends his best fighter, Han Ying, to capture him. John Liu makes an appearance as a lone stranger who's allegiance is ambiguous and who neither side trust. It isn't until the end that John Liu's character's objectives become clear.

Despite the rather straight forward story (there is an attempt at intrigue with mention of an undercover spy but the identity is given away rather early on) the film is still highly enjoyable as it is packed full of well choreographed martial arts. John Liu steals the show with some impressive leg work although the standards from all involved is very high. Han Ying is also good as the villain. All fights are imaginative and fast paced throughout. The film climaxes with an excellent two on one finale with John Liu and Wong Tao taking on Han Ying together.

For a film like this you really cant expect too much in the way of acting and, especially as this version has been dubbed into English (or German), if you take that view you shouldn't be too disappointed.

Throughout all of the Ming dynasty, the Ching took over China. The Ming general Ching Cheng Kung fled to Taiwan where he carried on the battle, nurturing an army to lead against the Ching. In retaliation, the Ching sent out troops to capture him, dead or alive. Hsiun Chin Kwai (Wang Tao) is a Ming patriot working undercover among the Ching. He gains the trust of a Manchu official, then decapitates him right before the eyes of the Ching soldiers. The Ching Emperor assigns To Ku Yun (Han Ying) to oversee the Ching troops. The successor quickly deigns that Hsiun Chin Kwai be assassinated. To Ku Yun believes the troops are demoralized that an intruder could get to such a high ranking official, and orders the Ching forces to hunt down Hsiun Chin Kwai. So he goes on the run, turning back assassins and soldiers at every step. He is faithful to the Ming underground, whose goal it is to stop the Chings from crossing over the Formosa Straight. The Chings have established a presence in Taiwan, and the Ming underground are hoping to stop the invaders before they can reach the capital. The Chings have a spy in place to relay information back to the Emperor.

The Emperor gives the unknown spy a special pendant, so they can be identified by other Chings. While trying to stay alive in the Taiwanese countryside, Hsiun Chin Kwai meets a beautiful young con artist, Yi Ki. As the two spend some time on the road together, they begin to fall in love. But mysterious stranger Sun Shan (John Lu) enters the picture and makes accusations to Yi Ki. Meanwhile, To Ku Yun comes one step closer to his goal of eradicating Hsiun Chin Kwai. They meet on the grounds of a sacred temple, and begin to duel. Despite the unbelievable Praying Mantis techniques of Hsiun Chin Kwai, Tu Ku Yun’s Crane Fist helps him win the fight, and his men take Hsiun Chin Kwai captive. Sun Shan grills Yi Ki about her allegiances, and about her love with Hsiun Chin Kwai. She cannot hide the fact that she is indeed the spy; and rather than face the shame of returning to her superiors or facing her lover, she takes the easy way out—suicide. With Hsiun Chin Kwai defeated and in custody, Tu Ku Yun turns his attentions to Sun Shan, who has not committed to either the Ming or Ching causes. Sun Shan allows himself to get captured by the Ching, so he can challenge To Ku Yun to a Death Duel of Kung Fu!

DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU is easily as good as SECRET RIVALS. Although he loses a fight, Wang Tao is in perfect form here. I’ve seen all his films and he is clearly at the peak of his physical condition in DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU. He looks rather skinny and unthreatening in his other roles, but here he looks totally massive and intimidating. John Liu is perfect as the mysterious lone wolf fighter who is not afraid to voice his opinion. See John Liu perform his high kick style, and deliver some truly beautiful roundhouses to the faces of his opponents. John Liu learned his leg skills from "Flash Legs" Delon Tan. Legend has it that John Liu cooked and cleaned Delon Tan’s apartment for two years for free lessons. All the while, Tan forced Liu to undergo painful and rigorous leg training. I would say it paid off, however, judging by the way John Liu uses his legs in DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU. The high-kicking Han Ying steals the show as the evil leader of the Ching troops. Even the combined fighting skills of Wang Tao and John Liu can’t stop him. In the final climatic fight scene, it takes both fighters forever to even slow him down.

Besides the talents of the stars and the quality fight choreography, DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU has a lot going for it. First of all, the screenplay is by I. Kuang, the Shaw Brothers writer who penned several Venoms classics such as FIVE DEADLY VENOMS, KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM , and CHINESE SUPER NINJAS. Kuang’s script is full of political intrigue and historical relevance. If there is one flaw to the script, it’s that many of the fights have little or no motivation—the characters just fight at the drop of a hat. Cheung Kay’s assured direction gives DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU a very Spaghetti Western feel (complete with Morricone sounding music). Cheung Kay delivers a confident narrative flow, that in less capable hands would surely come across as just another low-budget independent quickie. Instead DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU is intelligent, mature, and well-paced. The director knows when to push the story elements and characters aside to let the creative fight choreographers do their thing. This film is violent with impalements, decapitations, and suicide (but no where near as bloody as the Venoms films). The make-up effects are not convincing by today’s standards, but keeping mind the 1979 vintage of the film, the make-ups are effective. DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU also features some welcome female nudity, so don’t expect Jackie Chan-style kid friendly material here.

SIGHT
DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU was originally released in widescreen 2.35.1. Tai Seng’s DVD transfer is cropped to full frame. The limited real estate doesn’t effect Meng Hoi and Chien Yuet San’s fight choreography. The beautiful Korean countryside is truncated, however. I would not say the source print is immaculate, but it is in as good condition as a 1979 Kung Fu film can get. There are a few moments when things get unnaturally dark, with minor speckling occurs. The colors are surprisingly rich, especially on the Korean landscape. The black level is rock solid, which makes the film grain all the more noticeable. The detail level is also surprisingly good. The ancient temples, statues, and costuming are bursting with intricate details. The opening title sequence contains the original English release title, slightly truncated. Then the Ocean Shores copyright information shows up after the title sequence. Thankfully, the Ocean Shores logo does not appear. There was no pixelation, shimmering, or compression errors visible in the image. Though the lack of proper framing is a disappointment, the full frame transfer is quite satisfactory.

SOUND
The audio is Dolby Digital Mono 2.0. DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU relies heavily on the audio, and Tai Seng’s two channel mono mix does not disappoint, except for one small detail. The audio is free from hiss, background noise, or other anomalies. Sound effects are clear and natural—you can hear every little nuance from the foley artists (and believe me, Kung Fu pictures are a foley artist’s worst nightmare). The exaggerated kicks, punches, and flips are perfectly captured. DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU has a totally unique musical score. I cannot imagine another piece of music attached to this film. Composer Chen Shien Chi combines traditional Taiwanese melodies with classic Spaghetti Western themes. The music exhibits some solid high and low frequencies without any distortion. The dialog emanates from the center channel and has a slightly muffled sound. But the fights are so long and intense in this film, that it goes for long periods of time without any spoken dialog at all. Except for the clipped dialog issue, the soundtrack gets the job done nicely.

FEATURES
The only extra is a trailer compilation for Tai Seng’s Martial Arts Theater series. The trailer is Full Frame, Dolby Digital 1.0, and runs 33 seconds. The main menu navigation is pleasing, with animated loops that depict John Liu and Han Ying sparring.

CONCLUSION
DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU not only features some great performances and Kung Fu, but also has historical value and explores political motivations. John Liu, Han Ying, and especially Wang Tao help make DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU rise above it’s low budget independent roots. I can safely say that this is Wang Tao’s best martial arts performance, even superior to THE HOT, THE COOL, AND THE VICIOUS. Tai Seng’s bare bones disc won’t overwhelm you with features, menu design, or flamboyant packaging, but the bottom line is that DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU has never looked this good on home video.