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greghulme
Reviews
Du ming zou tian ya (1978)
A nice twist on what is otherwise an exhausted idea.
This is quite an interesting independent kung fu film. For many of us who have watched countless numbers of kung fu movies with the same plot ideas, its nice to watch a film that tries to be a little different and play around with he plot. The idea of a hit man who gets payed for killing off criminals, and making sure he does so in under a minute, is an idea i have not seen before or since in a movie. The action is also quite original and entertaining as well. Wang Li Pang uses lots of different styles but his main styles are kick boxing and some of the more contemporary kung fu techniques. There is also a bit of weaponry towards the end but this is mainly an empty hands kung fu movie. The final battle where Wang Li Pang takes on the evil Leung Kar Yan, is vicious and very well executed.
One of the problems with the movie is that there are many cuts in the plot. As you think you're warming to a scene or a certain character it cuts to the next fight very abruptly. Also there are random scenes where the picture blacks out and then fades back into light again, mostly during a fight. However whether this is due to poor picture quality or simply bad editing.
All in all this a very enjoyable kung fu film. The ending alone is reason enough to watch it.
Bo ming dan dao duo ming qiang (1979)
Definitely one of Sammo's best performances!
I have to say that I have seen an awful lot of Sammo Hung movies and not only is this one of his best films, but it is probably the finest weapons movie in the history of kung fu movies, and there have been a lot. This film is not like many other kung fu films in the way that the fights start small and then get bigger and better as the film progresses. The fights in this film practically start from the word go, with the standard remaining high throughout the rest of the film. The first (and in my opinion the best) big fight in the movie starts about fifteen minutes into the film where the old Sammo and the old Lau do battle with their weapons. The fight is so well choreographed that you wish that it would never end. After this fight the fight scenes become shorter until Leung Kar Yan comes into the picture, then the fights turn violent. Leung is such a menacing villain that you really are rooting for the good guys to win. Once the young fighters have killed the villain its time for them to fulfil their masters wishes and fight each other until one of them wins. this culminates in a duel that is similar to the fight earlier in the film and is outstanding in its execution. This film is so great that no kung fu fan should be without it. Even if you hate weapons films this film may well change your mind, and if it doesn't there are a few open hand fights which are equally as fantastic. An absolute masterpiece, I can't recommend it enough!