I know the best martial arts movie ever made is "Magnificent Weapons of China" but this movie has the best title. I doubt "Nan quan bei tui zhan yan wang" actually translates into "The Hot, The Cool, and the Vicious", its something more like security - king - something - something. What a fabulous title. The story starts out with excellent pacing and intrigue and the fights are great simply because of the kicks. At the end the story falls apart because there is too much to resolve and circumstances have to be contrived for a final fight and resolution. Who cares, just great fights, above average stuff. Dorian and Don team up again and add Chang Yi and a bit of comedy in "Challenge of Death".
9 Reviews
Fairly complex story - OK kung fu
sillybuddha6 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
A fairly complex plot for a kung-fu movie involving the arrival in town of a wandering killer. Meanwhile all kinds of subplots are happening, from a counterfeiting gang, and the spoilt son of the local town boss killing an old woman. Top kicker Tan Tao Liang is the police chief and has to track down the young man, while his father tries to cause difficulties. All the characters have a nice little back-story. Top kicker Tan Tao Liang has a dark past, and owes his status as chief to the town boss, while smirking killer Don Wang is hired by the same boss to stop him - but does he have an ulterior motive? Special mention must be made to the albino 'hunchback' Tommy Lee (no, not THAT Tommy Lee) who has some cool jumping powers. The fight scenes are OK - top kicker Tan Tao Liang obviously has some great leg action. The end sequence fight between our 3 characters is very entertaining and well executed - with a vicious death for the loser! It also has some resolution at the end - usually kung fu films of this era stop dead after the last baddie dies.
Kung fu stars team up in a fight-filled spectacle
Leofwine_draca14 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
THE HOT, THE COOL AND THE VICIOUS is another workable kung fu film from director Lee Tso Nam, with plenty of action to see it through and a political back story that remains fast-paced and involving. The story sees Don Wong playing a killer who arrives in a town that's ruled by an iron fist. Of course, character motivations are kept secret and there are surprises in store throughout, along with a big helping of fight scenes. Flash Legs Tan plays an ally of Wong's while Tommy Lee is the outlandish villain of the piece complete with blue make-up, a scarred appearance, and fright wig. I found the female characters well served by the story as they're important in their own right rather than just being token villainess or damsel in distress type parts.
Above-average kung fu movie with good story and cast
BrianDanaCamp4 October 2001
THE HOT, THE COOL AND THE VICIOUS (1976) is a plot-packed kung fu movie, made in Taiwan, that pits some relatively unsung kung fu stars against a pair of formidable villains. It's got solid fight sequences, a fast-paced narrative and lots of attractive performers, including a trio of impressive leading ladies.
The main plot thread is actually less interesting than the subplots. Pai Yu Ching (Wong Tao/billed as Don Wang) plays a wandering `South Fist' fighter with a reputation as a killer who enters a town where the righteous Northern Leg fighter Captain Lu (Tan Tao Liang) runs the police force under the auspices of iron-fisted town boss Yuen (George Wang). We learn early on that Pai is actually an undercover agent seeking to root out a counterfeit ring run by Yuen. When Yuen's wastrel son causes the death of Lu's fiancee's mother, Captain Lu incurs Yuen's wrath by demanding he turn over his son. Meanwhile, a Miss Lee (Sun Chia Lin) dresses in a ninja outfit at night to try to kill Captain Lu to avenge the death of her brother, the former Captain, who was killed, through no fault of Lu's, while trying to arrest Lu for killing a man in self defense. There's also a very sexy landlady (Leu Shou Jen) with her sights set on Pai Yu Ching, but with a hidden agenda. Whew!
It's essentially a police drama with elements of the western (including a ghost town with weed-strewn streets) transposed to the kung fu film. It works because all the characters and their interactions are consistently interesting and the actors are very good. (It helps that the English dubbing is well above par for this kind of film.) Pai and Lu are seemingly on opposite sides but become solid allies once the various truths are known. Yuen is the tyrannical town boss and a worthy villain who lashes out at Lu once his son is in trouble. Yuen's partner in crime is the blond-wigged albino Mr. Lung, played by the film's fight choreographer Tommy Lee (no relationship to the rock star of that name!).
There are lots of fights, most highlighting Tan Tao Liang's phenomenal high kicking. Few of the fights, however, are extended ones, until the last two bouts in which Tommy Lee opposes first Tan and then both Tan and Wong Tao.
A number of cast members are worth singling out. Tan Tao Liang (aka Delon Tam) is tall and long-limbed and executes some amazing kicking and leg power. Wong Tao is only a competent fighter but has classical movie star looks and a winning smile. (Think Tyrone Power doing kung fu rather than swashbuckling.) Tommy Lee is a flamboyant villain and a good fighter. The three lead actresses are all quite beautiful, especially Leu Shou Jen (also in SECRET RIVALS), who plays the landlady. Sun Chia Lin, as Miss Lee, gets to do some fighting.
The overall plot is not the most compelling but it does make for a thoroughly enjoyable kung fu film, maybe not one of the greatest, but certainly above average. A follow-up of sorts can be found in CHALLENGE OF DEATH (1978) with several of the same cast members and the same director (Lee Tso Nam).
The main plot thread is actually less interesting than the subplots. Pai Yu Ching (Wong Tao/billed as Don Wang) plays a wandering `South Fist' fighter with a reputation as a killer who enters a town where the righteous Northern Leg fighter Captain Lu (Tan Tao Liang) runs the police force under the auspices of iron-fisted town boss Yuen (George Wang). We learn early on that Pai is actually an undercover agent seeking to root out a counterfeit ring run by Yuen. When Yuen's wastrel son causes the death of Lu's fiancee's mother, Captain Lu incurs Yuen's wrath by demanding he turn over his son. Meanwhile, a Miss Lee (Sun Chia Lin) dresses in a ninja outfit at night to try to kill Captain Lu to avenge the death of her brother, the former Captain, who was killed, through no fault of Lu's, while trying to arrest Lu for killing a man in self defense. There's also a very sexy landlady (Leu Shou Jen) with her sights set on Pai Yu Ching, but with a hidden agenda. Whew!
It's essentially a police drama with elements of the western (including a ghost town with weed-strewn streets) transposed to the kung fu film. It works because all the characters and their interactions are consistently interesting and the actors are very good. (It helps that the English dubbing is well above par for this kind of film.) Pai and Lu are seemingly on opposite sides but become solid allies once the various truths are known. Yuen is the tyrannical town boss and a worthy villain who lashes out at Lu once his son is in trouble. Yuen's partner in crime is the blond-wigged albino Mr. Lung, played by the film's fight choreographer Tommy Lee (no relationship to the rock star of that name!).
There are lots of fights, most highlighting Tan Tao Liang's phenomenal high kicking. Few of the fights, however, are extended ones, until the last two bouts in which Tommy Lee opposes first Tan and then both Tan and Wong Tao.
A number of cast members are worth singling out. Tan Tao Liang (aka Delon Tam) is tall and long-limbed and executes some amazing kicking and leg power. Wong Tao is only a competent fighter but has classical movie star looks and a winning smile. (Think Tyrone Power doing kung fu rather than swashbuckling.) Tommy Lee is a flamboyant villain and a good fighter. The three lead actresses are all quite beautiful, especially Leu Shou Jen (also in SECRET RIVALS), who plays the landlady. Sun Chia Lin, as Miss Lee, gets to do some fighting.
The overall plot is not the most compelling but it does make for a thoroughly enjoyable kung fu film, maybe not one of the greatest, but certainly above average. A follow-up of sorts can be found in CHALLENGE OF DEATH (1978) with several of the same cast members and the same director (Lee Tso Nam).
Cold, Dumb, & Boring
Oslo_Jargo30 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
*Plot and ending analyzed*
If your idea of a good kung fu movie is having a bunch of boring people sit around a restaurant and yap, then this might hit the spot for you.
The movie has a couple of kung fu actors that are clearly recognizable, and an absolutely fabulous introductory segment, but of course, as usual with these obscure, low budget Chinese kung fu movies, the cool music was stolen outright from a 1970s French movie.
After you get past the hip intro, the movie goes unquestionably into the garbage can. How quick is that for you? Right from the get go. The small amount of fighting is tedious, has annoying angles that make the audience dizzy, and the story is absent. It is just another kung fu movie that the director and producers did not bother to invest with anything interesting.
One idiotic scene has two guys fighting, and one guy sees a snake in the tree, and wants to save the other guy (why are they fighting in the first place then?), but gets bitten instead. Who wrote this nonsense?
Avoid at all costs. Your time may be better spent practicing with nunchucks, or cooking a noodle dinner.
*Plot and ending analyzed*
If your idea of a good kung fu movie is having a bunch of boring people sit around a restaurant and yap, then this might hit the spot for you.
The movie has a couple of kung fu actors that are clearly recognizable, and an absolutely fabulous introductory segment, but of course, as usual with these obscure, low budget Chinese kung fu movies, the cool music was stolen outright from a 1970s French movie.
After you get past the hip intro, the movie goes unquestionably into the garbage can. How quick is that for you? Right from the get go. The small amount of fighting is tedious, has annoying angles that make the audience dizzy, and the story is absent. It is just another kung fu movie that the director and producers did not bother to invest with anything interesting.
One idiotic scene has two guys fighting, and one guy sees a snake in the tree, and wants to save the other guy (why are they fighting in the first place then?), but gets bitten instead. Who wrote this nonsense?
Avoid at all costs. Your time may be better spent practicing with nunchucks, or cooking a noodle dinner.
No wire fu, and it is better than it's peers
bletcherstonerson11 September 2015
Listen, if you are looking for "Enter the Dragon" or "Lone Wolf" , or any film that you would find in the Criterion Collection, this is definitely not the celluloid artistic experience you are seeking. However, if you are looking for a great B Kung Fu movie which has all the right elements that make it subversively cool, then this is a movie that fits those proportions. No wire fu and some great kata choreography. There are three main players, the Cool, the Hot and the Vicious, the latter being a pasty hunchback that smokes a lot of opium. Well, anyway....it is predictable, all are enemies, but two team up to take out our hunchbacked master of Kung Fu. What is great, is that Super kicks is in this film and he is awesome, not only that, but no wires. I hate wire fu and I am a purist, I would rather watch a martial artist that can't act that are great at fight choreography, than good actors who can't fight utilizing the wire harness and cgi to make them look better than their predecessors in the industry. Take it for what it is, mindless fun entertainment, and you won't be let down.
Strong kung fu action and a duly enjoyable story
I_Ailurophile29 July 2023
If we're being honest, the dialogue is merely serviceable at best, and at no few points altogether hackneyed. In fairness this might reflect less on Hsin-Yi Chang's screenplay than it does on the language of the available dubbed version, and the dubbing itself isn't all that great. More certain is that while Yan-Chien Chuang's cinematography is dynamic and broadly admirable, there are some stylistic choices here that are needlessly over the top. In a similar vein, I don't agree that all the decisions of direction or editing were the best ones. The good news, however, is that setting these matters aside, this 1977 martial arts flick is suitably well made and duly entertaining. The story is nothing remarkable but is nonetheless enjoyable, an ably compelling tale of corrupt individuals ruling over a town and complicated characters with closely-held secrets; it could just as easily be reimagined as a western. The scene writing is terrific in the wide strokes - and anyway, as much as it advances the plot, it primarily serves as a vehicle for the action sequences that dominate these ninety minutes. That's why we're really here, after all, and if it's high-flying stunts and fancy fight choreography that you want, then 'The hot, the cool, and the vicious' absolutely delivers. Embellished with the anticipated sound effects and destruction of set pieces, all the glorious kung fu one could ask for is served well by the cinematography and editing that lets most every strike and blow be concretely visualized (in contrast with the all too common modern method of substituting swift shots and hard cuts for coordinated melee combat). Genuinely, if one is looking for a martial arts flick, there's no going wrong here.
Though the writing ranges from sufficient to modest, all the action more than makes up for any perceived deficiencies, and in every other regard this is splendidly well done. The sets look fantastic, not to mention costume design, hair, and makeup. The acting kind of just mostly fills the gaps between fight scenes, but the cast are capable enough to sell it. The filming locations are simply gorgeous, and Tso Nam Lee's direction is solid as it ties all the disparate pieces together. The end result is pretty much just what one would expect from most titles coming out of Hong Kong: not necessarily super special as to stand out in a crowd, but benefiting from strong, invigorating martial arts that outweigh weaknesses in what is generally appreciable craftsmanship. I don't think this is anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but if you're looking for just such a title, then it's definitely worth taking a look. 'The hot, the cool, and the vicious' may not be a singular exemplar, but it certainly illustrates the high level of quality we assume from like fare, and I'm happy to give it my hearty recommendation.
Though the writing ranges from sufficient to modest, all the action more than makes up for any perceived deficiencies, and in every other regard this is splendidly well done. The sets look fantastic, not to mention costume design, hair, and makeup. The acting kind of just mostly fills the gaps between fight scenes, but the cast are capable enough to sell it. The filming locations are simply gorgeous, and Tso Nam Lee's direction is solid as it ties all the disparate pieces together. The end result is pretty much just what one would expect from most titles coming out of Hong Kong: not necessarily super special as to stand out in a crowd, but benefiting from strong, invigorating martial arts that outweigh weaknesses in what is generally appreciable craftsmanship. I don't think this is anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but if you're looking for just such a title, then it's definitely worth taking a look. 'The hot, the cool, and the vicious' may not be a singular exemplar, but it certainly illustrates the high level of quality we assume from like fare, and I'm happy to give it my hearty recommendation.
Dynamic Duo...
poe4263 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Tan's fan-friendly kicking style is on display as soon as the opening credits get out of the way. As Captain Lu of The Security Corps, he has to round up local ne'er-do-wells. Meanwhile, Bai Yu Ching (Don Wong), an "infamous killer," gets out of jail, defends himself in a tavern, and is warned by Lu to stick to the straight and narrow- or else. The tavern brawl, it turns out, was staged by Ching and friends. (Ching is secretly an undercover agent.) Lu's fiancé and her mother are attacked by Nan Shan and his men and the older woman is killed. Lu then asks his boss, Yuen- who also happens to be Nan Shan's father- to turn Nan over to him. Yuen agrees, but is, of course, lying. Meanwhile, Ching's partner, Tae, "tortures" a prisoner to get information from him by TICKLING HIS FEET; the man talks... Enter Mr. Loong (Tommy Lee, the fight choreographer for the movie), an albino hunchback with golden hair who limps around looking like a Tom Savini zombie from George Romero's 1978 classic, DAWN OF THE DEAD. Loong's voice reverberates eerily, further adding to his overall creepiness. Wong says of Loong: "He's a gold-haired gorilla." The comparison is apt: the limping gait and hunched back DO lend Loong an ape-like aspect. He's also as STRONG as a gorilla... and almost as smart. Director Lee Tso Nam has crafted another martial arts masterpiece- a very solid ten.
want to waste your life away? watch this.
rightwingisevil10 February 2013
horrible screenplay, terrible acting, almost non-exist directing; if it had been directed, might be directed by a minor. my lord, how bad this movie is? those horrible fighting scenes in between the terrible acting by all the so-called actors and actresses were some of the worst ones i've ever seen. the fighting were like people dancing around with their fists waving all over the places, nobody touched nobody but all opponents fell back like been kicked by a mules. all the martial arts/Chinese kung fu movies produced in that era, either in hong kong or in taiwan, were nothing but child plays, so primitive and so childish. funny thing is that during the same era, the Japanese samurai movies or movies in other genres were the best ever since movie was invented. when looking at those funny Chinese martial arts/kung fu movies released by shaw brothers or the golden harvest, every movie just looked so childish, pretentious, and phony. the settings all looked indoor with primitive lighting technique, the dialog were all so poorly scripted, the costumes and the make-up, nothing but laughable. only a few of those actors could barely called actors, most of them just looked like clowns.
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