Lu Ping (Robert Tai) is a ruthless Ming warlord who kidnaps a prominent Ching official and imprisons him inside his stockade. Mr. Lo, a friend of the official, hires martial arts mercenary Shu Shin Kang (John Liu) to rescue his associate from the Warlord’s well guarded prison camp. Mr. Lo informs Shu Shin Kang that he will need some back-up to take on Lu Ping’s private army. Mr. Lo introduces him to a squad of rag-tag renegades, who are brave enough, but lack sufficient martial arts skills. Knowing that his mission will depend on the abilities of those men, Shu Shin Kang decides to teach these reluctant pupils in the ways of war. The recruits each have their own inadequacies that prove to be a challenge for their new master. Each man has a special talent; for instance one is a brawny fighter, one is a juggler, one is a carpenter, and another one is a waiter who works at a brothel. The waiter and his comrades-in-training get into trouble with the unscrupulous types that hang around the brothel. The low lifes at the brothel mercilessly beat the tar out of Shu Shin Kang’s trainees. Hungry for revenge, each man now welcomes the teachings of Shu Shin Kang. Over time each man works hard and they soon transform into formidable fighters. When the time is right, they return to the brothel and like the old saying goes, "payback is a bitch". After the four fighters return the beating they received, Shu Shin Kang is confident they are ready to begin their secret mission. Lu Ping learns that the rebels are sending a cache of warriors against him, so he dispatches his soldiers into the surrounding territories to set traps for them. Shu Shin Kang and his team must travel through hostile territory, overcome the ambushes, and defeat Lu Ping’s soldiers if they are to accomplish their goal and rescue the Ching official.

After starting his career with some truly solid efforts (SECRET RIVALS, INVINCIBLE ARMOUR, SHAOLIN EX-MONK), John Liu’s once-promising career degenerated and he found himself working with hack directors like Godfrey Ho (DRAGON ON FIRE), and, Cheung Chi Chiu (FIGHTING ACE). Thankfully, one of his final martial arts movies, THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION returns John Liu to his former glory. Screenwriter/director Cheung San Yee knows how to tell a story and capture it on film. Though essentially a retread of the Hollywood favorite, THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967), Yee manipulates the plot, characterization, and action quite well. THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION has a trick ending that takes the viewer by surprise; just as you think you’ve witnessed the climactic confrontation, there is more revelations and more martial arts mayhem. This low, low budget affair has the appearance of a Shaw Brothers production (minus the studio interiors). Cheung San Yee initially plays the renegades (Alexander Lo Rei, Ricky Chen, Alan Chui, etc) as fools, inducing some comic moments. But once the recruits get serious about Kung Fu, the mood changes completely. John Liu plays it straight, of course, and commands respect with his performance. Robert Tai is equally effective as the baddie, and like the under-rated Tommy Lee, he proves that he can do more than just manage the choreography. The fights are very effective—natural and in realtime with no apparent speed-ups. The multiple fight scenes are filmed in full view of the camera, and not manipulated by heavy editing. Robert Tai also handled the choreography, so if you liked his work in THE CHINATOWN KID (1977), INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN (1978), SHAOLIN RESCUERS (1979), then you’ll dig what you see here.

The 'Dirty Dozen' plot of desperate men hired to perform a mission that is their last chance had apparently been very popular in the East. Hence it was inevitable that the late-70s kung fu boom would capitalise on this very open narrative. Pleasingly, 'Incredible Kung Fu Mission' is peppered with a decent mix of humour, sentimentality and superior fight action, creating a solid independent feature. John Liu was never the world's greatest actor, but his role here is good and acts as the perfect springboard for his wonderful physical skills. Backing Liu up is a supporting cast that, although not given a great chance to shine as fighters, seem quite at home as his assorted band. If there is one major flaw in the film it is the fact that classy screen presences like Robert Tai, Alan Hsu and the boisterous Kam Lung are underused; Liu tends to dominate the action, but little room is given for the aforementioned stars to shine. Nevertheless this is another enjoyable independent kung fu flick that, while not setting the world alight, is at least an entertaining film throughout.

Lu Ping (Robert Tai) is a ruthless Ming warlord who kidnaps a prominent Ching official and imprisons him inside his stockade. Mr. Lo, a friend of the official, hires martial arts mercenary Shu Shin Kang (John Liu) to rescue his associate from the Warlord’s well guarded prison camp. Mr. Lo informs Shu Shin Kang that he will need some back-up to take on Lu Ping’s private army. Mr. Lo introduces him to a squad of rag-tag renegades, who are brave enough, but lack sufficient martial arts skills. Knowing that his mission will depend on the abilities of those men, Shu Shin Kang decides to teach these reluctant pupils in the ways of war. The recruits each have their own inadequacies that prove to be a challenge for their new master. Each man has a special talent; for instance one is a brawny fighter, one is a juggler, one is a carpenter, and another one is a waiter who works at a brothel. The waiter and his comrades-in-training get into trouble with the unscrupulous types that hang around the brothel. The low lifes at the brothel mercilessly beat the tar out of Shu Shin Kang’s trainees. Hungry for revenge, each man now welcomes the teachings of Shu Shin Kang. Over time each man works hard and they soon transform into formidable fighters. When the time is right, they return to the brothel and like the old saying goes, "payback is a bitch". After the four fighters return the beating they received, Shu Shin Kang is confident they are ready to begin their secret mission. Lu Ping learns that the rebels are sending a cache of warriors against him, so he dispatches his soldiers into the surrounding territories to set traps for them. Shu Shin Kang and his team must travel through hostile territory, overcome the ambushes, and defeat Lu Ping’s soldiers if they are to accomplish their goal and rescue the Ching official.

After starting his career with some truly solid efforts (SECRET RIVALS, INVINCIBLE ARMOUR, SHAOLIN EX-MONK), John Liu’s once-promising career degenerated and he found himself working with hack directors like Godfrey Ho (DRAGON ON FIRE), and, Cheung Chi Chiu (FIGHTING ACE). Thankfully, one of his final martial arts movies, THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION returns John Liu to his former glory. Screenwriter/director Cheung San Yee knows how to tell a story and capture it on film. Though essentially a retread of the Hollywood favorite, THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967), Yee manipulates the plot, characterization, and action quite well. THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION has a trick ending that takes the viewer by surprise; just as you think you’ve witnessed the climactic confrontation, there is more revelations and more martial arts mayhem. This low, low budget affair has the appearance of a Shaw Brothers production (minus the studio interiors). Cheung San Yee initially plays the renegades (Alexander Lo Rei, Ricky Chen, Alan Chui, etc) as fools, inducing some comic moments. But once the recruits get serious about Kung Fu, the mood changes completely. John Liu plays it straight, of course, and commands respect with his performance. Robert Tai is equally effective as the baddie, and like the under-rated Tommy Lee, he proves that he can do more than just manage the choreography. The fights are very effective—natural and in realtime with no apparent speed-ups. The multiple fight scenes are filmed in full view of the camera, and not manipulated by heavy editing. Robert Tai also handled the choreography, so if you liked his work in THE CHINATOWN KID (1977), INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN (1978), SHAOLIN RESCUERS (1979), then you’ll dig what you see here.

SIGHT
THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION is presented in the film’s original aspect ratio of 2.35.1. Contrary to prerelease information, the DVD does not feature 16x9 enhancement. But this is still a killer transfer, as far as old school standards go. The source material is so good that you have to wonder what sort of treasure trove Crash Cinema stumbled onto here. Its a major revelation that prints of this quality still exist. The image is perfectly delineated with utmost clarity and depth. The print exhibits no dirt, scratches, or other blemishes. Grain, which is a major issue with old school releases is barely noticeable here. Colors are rich and bright, with a full range of hues (greens, browns, blues, olives, etc.) that never bleed into one another. The black levels are calibrated to absolute perfection. There are no DVD authoring or compression errors in sight. The intricate battle scenes are presented fully intact with no zooming or scanning. You get the full impact of Robert Tai’s busy fight choreography. Even though the promised 16x9 enhancement is not present, our hat goes off to Crash Cinema for releasing their best looking transfer yet. I imagine the other releases in the Pagoda Films Collection look just as good.

SOUND
Crash Cinema presents THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION in Dolby Digital Mono 2.0. This is a superior mono sound mix with none of the problems that plague VHS tape--no crackles, pops, or background noise. The highs and lows span the frequency range for a crisp and clear presentation. The martial arts sound effects exhibit depth and clarity, just don’t expect true stereo fidelity (because this is still just mono). The true weak spot of THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION is the weak English dubbing. Though synched fairly well and easily audible in the soundtrack, the Australian and UK accents are sometimes ridiculous. Like almost all of John Liu’s films, the score sounds like a rehash of an old Spaghetti Western film. The sound effects, dialog, and music are seamlessly integrated for a superior Dolby Digital Mono 2.0 mix.

FEATURES
When I write reviews, I can usually skip right over the Extras section, because no companies include any worthy extras beyond a trailer, a Rap video, or an off-the-mark commentary track. Crash Cinema’s Pagoda Films Collection challenges me to explore their disc, and here is what I discovered:

The Extras menu contains a Photo Gallery with 14 color captures from the film. Another menu option here is Production Notes, a brief textual presentation about the filming of THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION. There is a Trailer menu with two slickly-edited homemade trailers for THE INCREDIBLE KUNG FU MISSION, and Crash Cinema’s other Pagoda Films release, CANTONEN IRON KUNG FU (both trailers are shown in widescreen). From the Extra Fight Scenes menu, you can view a long fight scene from the Angela Mao vehicle, MOONLIGHT SWORD AND JADE LION. The other bonus fight is from the early Shaw Brothers epic, KING BOXER. Both clips are presented in widescreen as well. And finally, there is a well-researched Biography and Filmography section, that covers the careers of the higher profile stars like John Liu, Alexander Lo Rei, and Robert Tai. So while the extras are not overwhelming, they are well done and certainly more pleasing than DVDs from other companies.

CONCLUSION
Crash Cinema kicks off their Pagoda Films Collection with the perfect blend of characterization, intrigue, and superb martial arts action. The DVD gets a huge thumbs up just for the transfer alone, and the addition of the thoroughly entertaining extras put this one in a class by itself. This is just the first Pagoda Films release from Crash Cinema, and quality-wise and quantity of extras is even ahead of their usual high standards. This makes for exciting speculation for future Pagoda releases, which are bound to even get better over time. This initial wave of Crash Cinema’s Pagoda Films Collection are not perfect, but right now they set the standard.

REVIEW:
Ever wondered what The Dirty Dozen would have been like if they all knew kung fu? Incredible Kung Fu Mission comes pretty darn close by giving us five hard luck fighters who get a swift kick in the pants from the equally incredible kicker John Liu.

It may not involve a wild grab for gold during a world war, but their mission is just as deadly. A powerful fighter named Cheh Tin Kang (John Liu) is hired by Lo Tung (Wong Chi Sang) to break into a well guarded fortress to release a revolutionary held captive there. Its a near impossible mission and the only help Cheh gets is five sorry fighters who spend more time beating each other than anything else. This motley band of "heroes" includes a coffin maker who's labeled a coward and bad luck, pretty boy Chow Ta Chi who's a male gigolo by profession, a scruffy-looking juggler, a quiet carpenter, and a bald-headed professional fighter who can't seem to win a fight. Cheh assumes the role of sergeant and makes it his goal to whip these losers into shape or else. A steady regimen of running with weighted jackets, crawling under pointed sticks, wailing on wooden dummies, and the constant threat of Cheh's boot in their ass eventually provides results and they head to the local brothel for a little R&R. But this turns into an educational lesson when they end up on the losing end of a brawl instigated by a wealthy patron played by Ngai Ping Ngo (Fist of Fury).

After more training, the crew prove their metal in another brothel brawl and the mission finally begins. Unfortunately, Lu Ping (Robert Tai), the white-haired warlord who holds the revolutionary captive has been notified of Cheh's plan and he sends out men to ambush the fighters at various points on their journey. They're forced to assume the identity of wandering acrobats, but this fails to dupe a local commander and his army of spear-wielding lackeys. One by one, the party is slowly cut down as they assault the fortress. They manage to nab the revolutionary and escape before Lu Ping and his flesh-impaling fingers catch up with them. And after this confrontation a plot twist rears it's traitorous head, forcing Cheh to fight for his own life.

This is one "incredible" kung fu film that is clearly inspired by Western action films of the '70's. Its set up much like The Dirty Dozen and it even has the feel of a '70's era war movie with John Liu berating his men and having them march and go through nasty obstacle courses. Initially they have no respect for him or themselves it seems, but Liu's kicking skills and tenacity change all that. For genre comparisons, this film is much like Blooded Treasury Fight (1979) starring another fabulous kicker named Dorian Tan. Both films include a dangerous mission with ambushes and double-crosses. Its all high adventure and knockout combat Eastern style from start to finish.

The film is helped alone greatly by the talents of several fine performers and filmmakers. Director Cheung San Yee is a longtime collaborator with Taiwan's greatest director, Lee Tso Nam, having written some of the best independent films such as Eagle's Claw (1977) and Boxer's Adventure (1979). He deftly takes the helm of this picturesque film that actually looks more authentic and expensive than most Shaw Brothers films from the same era thanks to lots of interesting location shoots. The uiltra-versatile Robert Tai is infamous for his latter ninja flicks with co-star Alexander Lo and low budget international efforts with one time collaborator, Godfrey Ho. He provides solid choreography on this film and plays the flashy villain with campy gusto. He wears this Cheng Cheh style cape and has this odd little finishing move where he rams his fingers into the chest of unsuspecting adversaries. A couple of the fights midway through may lack the creativity seen in Sammo Hung's work from this period, but Liu's legwork will keep you glued to the screen.

John Liu is absolutely outstanding in this film. I've never seen his unique kicking skills highlighted better and he's in the perfect role as a tough-as-nails fighter. Maybe its bit strange to comment on this, but he has one of the best hair styles of any kung fu celebrity. Its this wild growth of an Asian mullet that spikes out at either side. Add to that his chiseled and weathered facial features and he's easily one of the baddest-looking kung fu stars around.

I can sum up this review in two words. Own it! This is the Guinness of kung fu films, thick and rich with frothy martial arts goodness. Its also a great film for fledgling kung fu fans to wet their appetite with.