These movies were made one year apart in 1976 & 1977. You will see John Liu as the leading actor with his exceptional kicking arsenal.

The Chinese titles for these 2 movies read like this: Southern fist and Northern kick. John Liu represents Nothern kick who with his ally, Southern fist confronts the legendary Hwang Jang Lee (the villain). They team up to represent the glory & magnificence of Southern Shaolin fist and Northern Shaolin kicks power.

Wang Tao plays Southern fist in the first episode, he is then replaced in the second episode by Wong Cheung, another Chinese actor who also played & fought with Jackie Chan in Snake in the eagle's shadow. Although there are some fights between John Liu & his Southern counterpart in both movies, the main fight is with both of them united againest legendary kicker Hwang Jang Lee, which makes the climax of the film!

Secret Rivals I & II are considered one of the collections of classic Hong Kong Martial Arts movies!

Review: Have legendary filmmaker Ng See-yuen bring together two unknown superkickers named John Liu and Hwang Jang-lee, together with the well-rounded and charismatic Don Wong Tao and you have something special. Add incredibly talented crew including master action directors Chan Chuen and Tommy Lee, and the dynamic acrobatics of Yuen Biao as stunt double and you have one of the greatest kung fu classics of all-time. Thanks to some truly inspired legwork, Secret Rivals is also the undisputed king of kicking!

At the time of its release, Secret Rivals could have been just another small wave in a sea of martial arts films produced in Hong Kong. Shaw Brothers films were masters of the box office and everyone was still obsessed with recreating the magic of Bruce Lee three years after his death. This upstart production was the creative genesis of an independent filmmaker named Ng See-yuen. His claim to fame was directing a series of solid, yet generally unremarkable films in the early '70's. His greatest gift as a kung fu filmmaker may have been an uncanny knack for surrounding himself with the most talented people. Early on, he worked alongside emerging choreographers like Yuen Wo Ping and Tommy Lee. He flirted with using quality stars like Yasuaki Kurata and Chan Sing, but Secret Rivals proved to be a major turning point.

Enter 'Silver Fox.' To this day, Korean Taekwondo master Hwang Jang-lee is still known by this name, or 'Northern Leg' as he was also called in the film. It was the screen debut for this already seasoned bootmaster, brawler, and one-time military combat trainer, and what an impression he makes. Don't let the goofy silver wig and headband fool you, this guy displays physical skills and natural charisma that most action stars would kill for. This was likely See-yuen's effort to find someone to match Bruce Lee, but he was smart enough not to attempt to replace him. Jang-lee doesn't use some of the trademark leg moves he would incorporate in later films such as the mounting aerial kicks and leg locks, and like most of his films he's used sparingly, but no matter. Kung fu fans know and love the real deal when they see it. Jang-lee's power, speed, and dexterity when kicking is immeasurable. His arm work, usually employing Tiger or Eagle Claw should not be overlooked either. Watch a brief exhibition sequence where he performs speedy hand work followed by a long series of spinning kicks and you will surely be amazed.

The heroes of the film are Don Wong Tao and John Liu, two more relative newcomers picked by See-yuen. After separately converging on a small Korean town to seek out and destroy Silver Fox, the two develop a nice little rivalry based on their shared interest in a local girl. John Liu is the more tortured of the two, having frequent flashbacks of his family murdered at the hands of Silver Fox. It's inevitable that these two cross fists and feet. When they face each other we are treated to another excellent exhibition as both fighters show off their strengths. John Liu's dexterity and jaw-dropping legwork are countered by Wong Tao's strength and form. Shame on the girl who disrupts their ensuing match before it really gets interesting. Thankfully, the two swap blows later before jointly facing Silver Fox. This film provides some of the best performances from both of these stars' careers.

The plot is very simple, but mostly works to the film's advantage. Like Sergio Leone's Westerns, See-yuen knows how to use his resources for maximum effect without dwelling on shortcomings such as a noticeable lack of extras and murky explanations for our heroes' motivations. The backdrop of a martial arts contest hosted by an official and friend of Silver Fox provides little distraction from the real confrontation, mostly because our heroes are not participating, that is until Don Wong Tao decides to impress the official in order to get close to Silver Fox. This provides the film's most colorful moments when a big, hairy caricature of a European fighter shows up to terrorize little children and hurl insults at everyone in sight. Don Wong knocks him down a peg and sends him running away like a scared rabbit. This would be the film's only diversion from the main action, but it is appropriately short and humorous.

The final pay off with Jang-lee versus Wong Tao and John Liu becomes a wonderful whirl of fast-moving limbs without any cheap gimmicks such as wire use or gratuitous camera tricks. But whenever Silver Fox flips head over heels, its more than likely Yuen Biao stepping in. Few kung fu stunt doubles in Hong Kong, save for Yuen Wah are capable of the gymnastics seen in this film. One scene in particular is guaranteed to be a rewind moment. Biao leaps over a railing in a single roll and lands on his feet. He then cartwheels once and launches impossibly high into another tucked roll just as John Liu slides underneath.

Secret Rivals is an amazing kung fu classic that firmly established the careers of its stars and began a stunning run of outstanding films from Ng See-yuen who went on to draw from the best emerging talent including Jackie Chan. The film also proved Taekwondo and all high-kicking arts to be some of the most exciting to watch on screen, especially when performed by true masters of the craft. With no reservations, this is a landmark title and a must see for any fan of the genre.

It's hard to appreciate the impact this 1976 production had on it's release. Put quite simply, it heralded in another dimension to the kung-fu genre. Ng See Yuen became known after this film for breaking new ground and he would go on to produce future classics such as 'Snake In The Eagle's Shadow' and 'Drunken Master'. A special mention deserves to go to Tommy Lee for his exceptional choreography, allowing the stars to really show what they can do and pushing back the boundries of the genre at that time. Although the film is nearly 25 years old, the action is not dated and serves as a breath of fresh air after a decade dominated by wirework. John Liu and Wong Tao are superb, both in terms of their physical prowess and thespian skills. However, it is probably Hwang Jang Lee as Silver Fox who really sticks in the memory; his abilty is simply breath-taking and he injects untold menace into his role. Highly recommended and much more than just a piece of history.