This is an almost unique film in the kung fu genre, for it stars famed high-kicker Hwang Jang Lee in a role very different from the norm. Jang Lee is normally seen popping up as the master villain at the end of the movie in countless genre films, the most famous of which are the two featuring Jackie Chan, DRUNKEN MASTER and SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW. Anyone who watches the genre regularly will soon recognise the Korean expert thanks to his massively imposing nature and his incredible kicking abilities which are unmatched in cinema.
What a treat, then, for this film to feature Jang Lee as the hero rather than the antagonist. He rarely got the chance to play the good guy - you could count the times he did so on the fingers of one hand - so it's a delight to see him playing the protagonist for a change. Of course, this only happens because he's also directing and producing the picture. In this one, he plays a country bumpkin who arrives in town to meet his sister and her family, only to fall foul of a criminal organisation which makes short work of him. After some time spent training in the Shaolin temple, Jang Lee goes on a vengeful killing spree.
The story is fine and Jang Lee makes for an excellent hero; he's second only to Lo Lieh in terms of my favourite 'underrated bad guy' actors in action cinema. There's a multitude of fight scenes to enjoy and the film follows the usual template with light comedy giving way to much darker material as the running time progresses. Eddy Ko makes for a thoroughly imposing villain which is another plus, and the great Fan Mei Sheng is a perfect fit as the comedy beggar. As for the fights, Jang Lee absolutely kicks backside in the opening and closing sequences, although restrains it a little elsewhere for plot purposes. The fights are slower than those in modern day films, very focused on technique and style, but absolutely great too.
What a treat, then, for this film to feature Jang Lee as the hero rather than the antagonist. He rarely got the chance to play the good guy - you could count the times he did so on the fingers of one hand - so it's a delight to see him playing the protagonist for a change. Of course, this only happens because he's also directing and producing the picture. In this one, he plays a country bumpkin who arrives in town to meet his sister and her family, only to fall foul of a criminal organisation which makes short work of him. After some time spent training in the Shaolin temple, Jang Lee goes on a vengeful killing spree.
The story is fine and Jang Lee makes for an excellent hero; he's second only to Lo Lieh in terms of my favourite 'underrated bad guy' actors in action cinema. There's a multitude of fight scenes to enjoy and the film follows the usual template with light comedy giving way to much darker material as the running time progresses. Eddy Ko makes for a thoroughly imposing villain which is another plus, and the great Fan Mei Sheng is a perfect fit as the comedy beggar. As for the fights, Jang Lee absolutely kicks backside in the opening and closing sequences, although restrains it a little elsewhere for plot purposes. The fights are slower than those in modern day films, very focused on technique and style, but absolutely great too.