Rating:

Starring: Hwang Jang Lee, Eddie Ko, Tino Wong, Fan Mei San

Director: Hwang Jang Lee

1980, Hong Kong, Hwang Jang Lee Film Prod. Co.

 

Wong (Hwang Jang Lee) moves to a village to work in a rice trading company with his sister’s husband. When the husband cheats some other traders he gets beaten up but Wong stops them. The trader’s hire Hsien (Tino Wong) to get rid of Wong but he beats him too. Hsien gets mad and contacts his master, "Uncle 33" (Eddie Ko), and Wong is beaten badly by his eagle claw and is forced to leave the town and never return or die. But a beggar named Fan (Fan Mei San) who knows Wong saves him and sends him to the high Abbot of the temple. After learning pole techniques and eagle claw he returns to find out that his sister has bean killed by Uncle 33.

 

Hwang is an excellent actor and here in the unusual role as a hero, he still impresses. I may even say he plays a better hero than many other stars that always do it. His Taekwondo kicks are very fast and precise, but that you allready know. His directing skills are such a surprise for me, and the fact that he could make such a great movie that ranks among the best kung fu movies ever, was never what I thought from him. But now I respect him for more than his abilities in the martial arts. The only thing he could've done better was putting some more training scenes and forms, I think it lacks a little of that (reason for not giving it a 5). Still this film has a cool soundtrack, one of the so many kung fu soundtracks I like.

Eddie Ko is really mean in this one as Uncle 33 for having killed 33 persons, still he wants to become Uncle 34 or even pass that number.

Tino Wong never disappoints as an actor; here he’s a mean snake stylist. The chopsticks fight between him and Hwang is a classic and a must see.

Fan Mei San in the role of a drunk beggar again does it almost as great and funny as in "Magnificent Buthcer".

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