The story is fairly decent, but has a lot of problems. First off, I got the impression this wanted to be more of an epic martial arts film, incorporating historical political issues on a more grand scale, but this goal fizzled out quickly, which may or may not be the fault of a limited budget. Another problem is that the filmmakers tried to add an element of intrigue which completely fell flat. We are introduced to a female ninja (Fanny Wang) that is an agent of the Ching Emperor, wearing a pendant around her neck. In a better film, the viewer would be left guessing who this individual was, resulting in her showing up at an opportune time. Instead, we get a female (the only female in the film) that shows up immediately after that scene whom we are told has Japanese ties, with tattoos reminiscent of Yakuza artwork. If that doesn't make it obvious, killing the element of intrigue, she drops her top in a gambling hall, revealing her pendant, among other things. I'm all for adding female nudity in kung fu films, so that scene does get a star or two out of me.

The acting was mediocre at best, but the action scenes were pretty strong. I'm not a huge fan of Wang Tao, although he seems to be in the best shape that I can remember and his martial arts skills are very solid here. The problem with him as the leading man is that he has the charisma of a Buddhist statue, breathing no life into his character. John Liu is impressive as always and probably does the best acting work in the film, accurately portraying a smart-ass loner. Liu's kicking skills are very good in "The Death Duel Of Kung Fu", as he even manages to avoid his tendency to completely miss his opponents, which can be seen quite a bit in his other films. Eagle Han Ying did a decent job as the lead villain, but in my opinion he is nowhere near the elite class of kung fu baddies. His hair is ridiculous, which didn't bother me that much in the dialogue scenes but became a real distraction in the battles where he is extensively doubled.

"The Death Duel Of Kung Fu" has its pros and cons, but I believe it is not John Liu's or Wang Tao's best film, let alone a kung fu classic worthy of mention or a rating comparable to all the great Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest films of the era.

With that said, "The Death Duel Of Kung Fu" is a solid bargain basement addition to any collection.

He becomes a fugitive, and along his journeys, he meets a mysterious wanderer played by John Liu, as well as a beautiful woman with a deadly secret.

Liu's character is a northern leg fighter, but his allegiance is initially unclear. He seeks out Sheng for a duel, but it turns out he is merely seeking a worthy challenger and he is also an anti-Ching fighter.

Sheng winds up being captured, then released through the woman's intercession. It becomes quite clear that the woman aiding him is actually a secret agent for the Chings. Her goal is gain Sheng's confidence, so he will take her to Taiwan with him, and thus enable her to assassinate General Cheng, the leader of the resistance. It's northerner who unravels this plot, and he and Sheng reunite in time for a final showdown with the lead villain.

The training sequences and the fights are mostly very good, with John Liu showing off that's always a joy to watch.

However, a few of the fights drag on a little too long. It becomes a bit tiring to watch the heroes brush away a villain with a single slap, punch, or a kick, only to see that same opponent get up and return into the fray for another five or six rounds. Gee whiz, those moments I wanted to shout, "Just kick his damn butt and make him stay down!"

None the less, overall it's a solid "old school" martial arts movie, and for a price cheaper than an average movie ticket, it's well worth adding to your collection.