The Tattoo Connection (1978) User Reviews

Jim Kelly Insurance Man!

[DasBobsWorld · 5/10 · 1 February 2019]

Although lightly touted as Black Belt Jones 2, The Tattoo Connection is the farthest thing from in most ways. Not that that is a bad thing, just a bit misleading. I grabbed this from a dollar bin a while ago and have finally thrown it in the ol'DVD warmer for watching. What I got was a crime drama with some martial arts action and some really awkward dialogue between the men and women of this movie.

The Tattoo Connection is about the theft of a very expensive diamond, and how the insurance company sends an ex-CIA operative with a martial arts background to retrieve it before they have to pay out on the money owed. That operative being Jim Kelly AKA Black Belt Jones...except not in this movie. He is either referred to as Lucas, or The Black Guy, which is a bit offputting. There is also a side story about the more honorable number one lackey of the thieves trying to make his life better for him and his woman. This same woman that his boss wants to own and push about.

For the most part, this has a spy movie feel to it, except really dull. It is a bit too mish-mashed together to flow well, and it never seems to want to pick who the main character is. Jim Kelly doesn't appear until 15 minutes in and then takes over from the lackey who was in charge for that time. Yet, by the end, we are jumping between both of them but never landing on anything interesting in their stories. I will say the last 25 minutes is pretty fun with non-stop action and hand to hand fighting, and when Jim Kelly takes off his shirt, the poop hits the fan, like his shirt was holding him back.

The Tattoo Connection gets fun. Yet, it starts a bit dull and never seems to gain momentum after that until the very end. Still, if you have to see everything Jim Kelly does then you should give this one a watch.

Disappointing Story, Good Fights.

[Space_Mafune · 5/10 · 24 June 2006]

After a diamond worth an estimated three million dollars American is stolen, the insurance company sends their top agent former CIA operative Lucas (Jim Kelly) to Hong Kong to find it. Meanwhile the gang that stole it, lead by one Mr. Lu (Sing Chen), is aware of Lucas and is determined to prevent anyone from interfering with their plans eliminating threats by any means necessary. Can Lucas survive long enough in such an hostile environment to locate the stolen diamond or will he become yet another victim?

The basic plot to this one is pretty straightforward but it hardly makes Jim Kelly's Lucas look all that bright especially given the fact the gang have to actually send Lucas an invite for a showdown before he even discovers their hideout. I did enjoy the subplot involving Nana as it gave way to some unexpected surprises. Overlooking its weak plot, where TATTOO CONNECTION delivers is in terms of its Martial Arts fighting action. Jim Kelly kicks some major butt and its fun to see him tangling once again with Bolo Yeung and with the likes of Sing Chen and Tao-liang Tan. Just good straight-forward action, no need for wire tricks and the like.

"Lucas is meeting Fat Dog at noon"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 17 May 2018]

A valuable jewel is stolen by a gang in Hong Kong and the insurance company in America sends a man called Lucas to recover the gem. Lots of action ensues as he takes on the gang led by the dreaded Boss Lu assisted by his old friend Inspector Lu (no relation). Lucas is helped by ex-gang member Fat Dog and eventually also by Tung Hao who is one of the gang after Boss Lu mistreats Tung Hao's inamorata Nana. A typical kung fu film of the 1970s with nothing new but the final action scene on the ship is pretty good. Sometimes called Black Belt Jones II though the main connection with that film is Jim Kelly but he plays Lucas not Jones.

It does have a good cast. Jim Kelly of course looking great, Tao-Liang Tan flashing his legs, Sing Chen as Boss Lu and the legendary Bolo Yeung playing Big Ox. Hoi Sang Lee appears but unfortunately only briefly in an early scene. The version I saw had the usual entertaining dubbing of the actors. In the end an elderly man swallows the jewel but its recovery is not portrayed, thankfully.

An ordinary movie perhaps but any film where Jim Kelly dances and Bolo Yeung sings can't be disliked.

Classic Kung-Fu Cinema Warning: Spoilers included.

[omygot · 10 December 2004]

Jim Kelly stars in this action packed kung fu extravaganza of a movie. In a time when kung fu cinema was more abundant in Hong Kong than rice, The Tattoo Connection was just another export of the time. The cinema in Hong Kong at the time did not even touch Hollywood, in terms of actual film quality, with a ten foot pole. However, the kung fu movies from Hong Kong had a big leg up over the States in terms of fight choreography. Under the fight choreography of Bruce Liang, The Tattoo Connection shone out like a bright beacon of Hong Kong cinema. Punch for kick, the fight sequences in this movie were absolutely awesome.

Back when the genre of kung fu movies was an accepted category, there were two basic kinds: those taking place in the 70's and 80's, and those taking place in feudal Japan and China. Every movie, regardless of when it took place has the same basic stereotypes and formulas. The bad guy boss, and his henchmen, the bad guy turned good, the hero, and the two faced 'good guy'. This movie was no exception, it filled all of these categories, however the main bad guy does not have any odd deformities like so many of them did (but he did wear sunglasses). However, unlike every other kung fu movie, this was not a revenge story. Most kung fu movies the protagonist is seeking revenge on the bad guy boss for something that happened during his childhood. This story stands alone in a very unique way, the protagonist (Jim Kelly, Enter The Dragon, The Black Samurai) is a hired man, seeking the return of some stolen diamonds for an American insurance company.

From a technical aspect, the movie does not offer much. There are bright colours, usually lacking in Kung Fu movies, and the uses of extreme close ups are way overdone. The sound in the movie was, well, less than par is a nice way of putting it. It was poorly dubbed, and Jim Kelly's character's voice is dubbed by another man, not the same, compared to the cool and calm voice of Enter The Dragon ('When it comes I wouldn't have to worry about it… I'll be busy lookin' good'). They did, however, manage to get the timing of the dubbing relatively well but, the fact that the people selected to dub the movie, save Kelly's dubber, all had British accents did not help the believability of the movie, although the story was not too believable either. On the box it says something along the lines of, watch Jim Kelly get sucked into a world of hookers and prostitutes because of a stolen diamond. Although, during the movie, Kelly is seeking it out, going to strip clubs and inviting the dancers back to his hotel room. Well, what can you expect from a 70s action, kung fu, drama, blaxploytation movie? The music, however, was totally cool, the wet funky theme music brought the movie to a level of cool unequaled by any other Hong Kong cinema production.

It is still no Shaft theme, but cool none the less. Sound effects in kung fu movies are usually limited to the whacks and thunks of punching and kicking. This movie, along with every other kung fu flick, could not get the timing down. There would be a foonk with no punch thrown, and a whap with no kick, and the same the other way, a kick and punch with no sound. Overall though, much like another huge Chinese export, the sound quality was grainy, and I found myself straining to hear what was being said in some instances.

The true great quality of this movie is the level of 'coolness' emanating from the movie. It really achieved a 'wow, I want to be as cool as him' feel, which few other movies can broadcast. Aside from the cheesy antics, and less than perfect acting, this is one gem of Hong Kong cinema that should be on everybody's too watch list. 'That's why they call me the six million dollar man.'

I couldn't give a sh*t who this area belongs to, where I walk is mine

[[e-mail] · 4/10 · 27 October 2005]

A friend of mine picked up this "gem" from one of those $2 DVD bins at the local supermarket. I was somewhat interested in seeing it, after all I did enjoy "Enter the Dragon" and wanted to see some more of Jim Kelly and Bolo Yeung. This flick falls short of the mark, but I can't quite put my finger on why. The dubbing is bad, the camera work is poor, and the script is extremely predictable (all of these things I expect from a cheesy kung fu movie), but there seems to be something missing from this piece of celluloid. It may be that between the ass beatings, utterly pointless nudity, and wah-a-chicka music there's not much substance.

The plot is that there's a diamond heist in Hong Kong by a gang (they all have the same tattoo, hence the title). Lucas (Jim Kelly) is called in by the insurance company to track down the diamond. Lucas seems to keep finding that his leads are killed off before he can get all the information that he needs. The other aspect of the story revolves around one of the gang members and his internal struggle with his loyalty to his boss and escaping the gangster life with his girlfriend.

Still the whole thing seemed to be thrown together kind of haphazardly. There are some good lines, decent kung fu action, and naked girls, but it still seems to lack something. The times between the action are really boring.

Disappointing, yet Entertaining

[magdav19 · 2/10 · 16 May 2000]

I was looking forward to seeing this movie after seeing Jim Kelly in 'Black Belt Jones' and 'Enter the Dragon' but I was disappointed with the fact that Jim Kelly's voice was dubbed over by someone else. Nonetheless, 'Tattoo Connection' remained entertaining. The fight scenes towards the end were long and tedious at times yet at other times were trying new things by adding weapons and such. Kelly's acting was as bad as ever and shows little facial expression while the plot itself is just awful. This is the kind of movie you can't stop laughing at because it's so bad.

After "Enter The Dragon", Jim Kelly starred in this uninspired movie

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 12 May 2023]

(1978) Tattoo Connection DUBBED MARTIAL ARTS ACTION

Because actor, Jim Kelly starred in one of the most successful martial art movies in the 1970's called "Enter the Dragon" starring Bruce Lee, Chinese producers thought they can capitalize on this Bruce Lee phenomenon by incorporating the Jim Kelly name to star in this low budget martial arts flick that looked like that it was made in a week. And after Bruce Lee's death, Chinese producers wanted to also appeal of the American film market by casting Jim Kelly his own movie( sort of), since viewers initially didn't know he's the star until the movie is progressing. The set up starts off with a Chinese guy I think his name is Lu ordered by his triad boss to pick up an overweight guy for losing a portion of their money as a result of gambling. And right away Lu seems to have some principles as he promises him that he won't be killed if he agrees to come along with him. Meanwhile, after this triad gang successfully intercept some very expensive diamonds while being delivered from the Hong Kong airport. American gov't agents hire Lucas (Jim Kelly) to retrieve the diamonds and give him full pardons to do whatever it takes. Him and Lu are eventually going to cross heads. By judging by the fights alone, they're just as mediocre as ever, since some of them hardly were touched and that they pretend to get hit anyway even though they're swinging in the air. A great portion of those fight scenes looked like people pretended to get hit.

JIM KELLY IS AWESOME!!

[czar-10 · 7/10 · 12 October 2000]

Jim Kelly is awesome Kung Fu martial artist, he is fast and can move like the wind, and is cut like a ninja to boot. He is one Badassmofo!! In this film he is hired by an insurance company to find a stolen diamond. One of the persons he has to go up against is Bolo Yeung, who worked with Jim in Enter the Dragon. The movie is dubbed and cheesy but I loved anyway cause the first time I saw it I was a kid. There is jumpsuit/tracksuits with the flared bell bottoms galore in this one too, just so you won't be disappointed!! All of it was filmed in Hong Kong, with tons of familiar Hong Kong actors.

Retrieving Some Stolen Diamonds

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 20 March 2017]

After one of the members of a Chinese gang steals money from the treasury he is brought back by a man named "Tung How" (Tao-Liang Tan) and physically punished on the orders of the boss, "Mr. Lu" (Sing Chen). Not long afterward that same Chinese gang steals a briefcase full of diamonds. Since the diamonds are insured the insurance company sends a man named "Mr. Lucas" (Jim Kelly) to Hong Kong in order to find those responsible and retrieve the diamonds. When he gets there he contacts a friend in the Hong Kong police force. Unfortunately, the Chinese gang finds out about Mr. Lucas and decides to do something about him. But as skilled as they are in martial arts what they don't realize is that Mr. Lucas is more than capable of taking care of himself-and he is intent on getting to the bottom of things. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that for a film that had Jim Kelly--and to a limited extent--Tao-Liang Tan and Bolo Yeung (as "Ta Niu") I honestly expected something a bit better. That's not to say that this film was bad necessarily but it wasn't particularly as good as it could have been either. That being said, I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

Dorian Tan meets Blaxsplotation

[kwhuneycutt · 7/10 · 30 January 2006]

Tattoo Connection is a cheap exploitation film featuring several veterans of kung fu cinema's glory days. Overall the film is horrible, filled with gratuitous nudity and bad acting, but there are a few nice fight sequences from the veteran cast.

The bright spot of the film is Dorian Tan (Tao-liang Tan). Tan stared in such films as "The Hot, the Cool and the Vicious" and John Woo's "Hand of Death," and also tutored kung fu star John Liu (Secret Rivals, Incredible Kung Fu Mission)in the martial arts. Tan gives an excellent physical performance in the film, featuring his trademark Taekwondo high kicks.Tan plays a very unbelievable villain because there is something about him that always looks honorable and righteous. Jim Kelly (Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones) the international middleweight karate champ, proves again that he is a terrible actor but a decent martial artist. He gives perhaps one of the strongest martial arts performances of his career in this film.

Sing Chen veteran of such films as Sammo Hung's "Iron Fisted Monk" and "New Fist of Fury" plays the villain. Sing Chen is famous for his muscular build and impressive martial arts skills. At the film's climax he faces down with both Dorian Tan and Jim Kelly in a nicely choreographed fight sequence before he meets his demise. Bolo Yeung plays a henchman and has a few funny scenes. Also making appearances in the film are Lee Hoi Sang (Magnificent Butcher, Shaolin Master Killer), Sham Chin-bo (Master of the Flying Guillotine, Secret Rivals 2), and a young Wong Yat-fei (Shaolin Soccer).

Dorian Tan would go on to make more films with director Lee Tso Nam including "Challenge of Death" and "The Leg Fighters." Kelly would go on to pursue a career in pro tennis. This film features many veterans of the kung fu movie world but unfortunately they put together a film that is average at best. The weak plot, ridiculous nude scenes and politically incorrect statements weaken this film quite a bit but the above average fight scenes (especially the ones featuring Tan) make Tattoo Connection one of the best of the blaxsploitation/martial arts films.

Martial Arts Rating: 7/10

Over All Rating: 5/10

Unjustly Maligned Kung Fu Classic

[Falconeer · 8/10 · 10 February 2018]

Having had the rare opportunity to see it in the Mandarin/Chinese language , I can give a review that is more fair than some others. "Tattoo Connection," or "Hong Kong Connection" in certain regions, is a wildly entertaining, colorful and stylish Chinese import, that happens to star a martial arts legend who belongs to the West. Sometimes billed as "Black Belt Jones 2," this film has no connection to that earlier movie, which had a very different, and much lighter tone. Jim Kelly, who is basically the embodiment of everything that was considered cool in the 1970's, stars as Lucas, a CIA agent on a mission to recover a stolen priceless diamond. Lucas is sent to Hong Kong to find the missing jewel, and encounters a criminal organization, and an underworld of violence, espionage and death. The Hong Kong setting is brilliant, as the city is one of the most mysterious and fascinating places in the world, and like Hong Kong, "Tattoo Connection" is filled with color and decadence, as well as eroticism, something rarely found in this genre. Sadly, this film was poorly marketed in the West; this is a patently "Eastern" production,with Eastern sensibilities. So when distributors got their hands on it they apparently tried to Westernize it, by dubbing everyone with totally silly English dubbing with British accented actors. The result of that is a kind of "death blow," stripping the movie of it's intense mood and turning it into silly comedy. It's very apparent that it's a much better movie when you watch it in Mandarin with English subtitles. Unfortunately that version is very rare. A personal favorite of mine, I put it up there with more respected Martial Arts titles such as "Master of the Flying Guillotine" and "Boxer From Shantung," and even "Enter the Dragon." It is a film I can watch repeatedly and never be bored with. The kung fu action is fast and furious, with well choreographed fights that look quite authentic. There is also quite a bit of sex and nudity on screen, but it's all done very well, and doesn't look cheap. A remastered dvd in it's original 2;35 aspect ratio, (and original language) would be most welcome.

A Fan of 70's Martial Art Movies.

[welambert01 · 7/10 · 16 June 2019]

If you are a fan of the 70's martial art movie genre? The final fight scene as well as others are worth the time. The irritating drawback, shocked that I am writing the following: to much T and A. You could do a lot worse. No where close to being Black Belt Jones 2.

Cheesy Hong Kong exploitation and plenty of action from Jim Kelly

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 29 November 2015]

BLACK BELT JONES 2: THE TATTOO CONNECTION is a film that has absolutely no connection with the original BLACK BELT JONES, other than the presence of black kung fu star Jim Kelly. Instead it's a classic chop-socky film from Hong Kong made during a golden period that saw dozens and dozens of similar films flooding the market. These ranged from kung fu oddities and bizarre flicks to the dozens of 'Brucesploitation' movies that cast actors who looked like Bruce Lee (and many who didn't) in a bid to fool audiences and cash in on the Bruce Lee craze. The presence of action star Jim Kelly, who starred with Bruce in ENTER THE DRAGON, also lend a blaxploitation angle to some of these films and BLACK BELT JONES 2 is among the best in his short-lived career.

The plot is nothing new and Kelly might as well be a secret agent like James Bond for all it matters. As soon as he steps off the plane he's up to his neck in it with a criminal gang who are into diamond smuggling in a big way. As light as it is, the plot serves as a fitting background to the regular bouts of action that are shoehorned in every five or so minutes. Many of the fights are predictable and see Kelly battling against dozens of inferior opponents and tackling them in a fun way. The black star is no great shakes as an actor – in fact he's unforgivably wooden – but he's entertaining in the film's many fight scenes and the fast pace means we'll always see him taking down a bad guy sooner or later.

The fight coordinator on this movie is none other than Bruce Liang, who himself has a small role in the proceedings. Liang was a Bruce Lee imitator himself and made plenty of films, some good, some not so good, but his presence here is a definite bonus and he adds style to the battles. There are plenty of other actors familiar from Hong Kong cinema in the cast, while the producers have worked hard to include plenty of Chinese actresses who don't mind stripping off on camera. Pretty much every female in the film spends most of her time in the nude and the highlight (or low light, depending on which way you look at it) is a nude disco dancing scene that takes the film to new levels of cheesy exploitation.

These films always tend to cast a few proper fighters as the big name 'bosses' that the heroes have encounters with during the running time before setting them against each other for a climatic showdown. Chen Sing, a familiar actor from many, many kung fu flicks, is the big bad guy and he makes a sleazy impression. I was delighted to see the muscle-bound Bolo Yeung also making an appearance as a henchman, almost exactly the same role he played in CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER, although he's on screen for longer here.

There are multiple action sequences to enjoy and those with Jim Kelly are always a pleasure. The showdown in a lumber yard in which our hero hangs for his life onto the roof of a car before defeating the driver is a highlight and it's good to see Kelly doing his own stunts here. I also really liked the bit where Bolo and another big guy murder a poor fat guy with a broken arm, but not before he puts up a very good fight in an attempt to flee. Director Lee Tso Nam made plenty of weird-sounding kung fu flicks during his career (THE INVINCIBLE KUNG FU LEGS, SHAOLIN VS. LAMA, MANTIS IN THE MONKEY'S SHADOW) and this is one of his very best. It's also worth noting that Kelly has a co-star in this film who stars in an equal number of fight scenes as the black actor himself. Dorian Tan was a Korean taekwondo champion who became a prolific kung fu star between 1973 and 1983 and he holds his own amongst the other fighters.

So bad it's good!

[toffeedragon-3 · 7/10 · 4 April 2007]

I give this film a seven because it's just so much fun to watch. The acting is truly diabolical but Jim Kelly is just the coolest martial artist to ever hit the screen.

The dubbing, editing and plot are really bad and the story at points doesn't even make sense. "Well then, how could you think it's worth seven precious stars?" I hear you ask. It worth seven because it's really, really funny, full stop.

For instance, there is a scene where where the evil boss rips off a womans (who happens to be about three mens girlfriend!?) dress. The camera then zooms in to a closeup of her breasts and then the boss' face and then the breasts and then the eyes, the breasts, the eyes and then he throws her to the bed and gets it on and then we see... a formula 1 racecar...

If you like martial arts flicks then get this film have a couple of glasses of your favourite booze and settle down with this movie. It's like a spoof of martial arts movies of the time and some of Jim Kelly's move are pretty good.

It's actually way before it's time. Pure comedy gold.

"I`m gonna give you a special performance"

[skunktwist99 · 10/10 · 26 February 2002]

"i couldnt give a shit" what an opening line.laughing from the start at the bad camerawork,acting,clothes,hair and dubbing this film is a classic.Flash legs tan is on amazing form his kicks are just great a real martial artist of the highest quality.Jim kelley is also on form(with terrible but funny dubbing)and philisophical wisecracks and quips.Favorite scene has to be where the fat dog is getting mercilessly beaten by bolo yeung and his associate with bars and fists.just as they are drowning him the camera looks up at them to give a first person perspective of them scowling angrily pure magic.the plot isnt up to much a diamond heist undercover ex c.i.a man in search of thieves doublecrossing and killing ensue nothing new here.i would recomend people see this movie funny dubbing and good flash legs martial arts what more can you ask for

Jim Kelly whoops ass once again!

[HaemovoreRex · 6/10 · 10 February 2007]

Things get off to a cracking start in this when a Chinese guy walks casually over to a jeep full of thugs and after giving them some haughty lip (comprising some truly priceless dialogue!), gives them a fine ass whooping!

So sets the standard for this ostensibly unrelated sequel to the original Robert Clouse directed blaxploitation classic. The awesomely cool Jim Kelly appears here as an ex CIA operative named Lucas who's mission is to retrieve a priceless diamond that has been stolen by an underworld gang.

Yep, as you can probably guess, plenty of kung fu action, prolific nudity and some gems of dialogue inevitably ensue as our ultra cool hero pursues his objective.

Whilst an enjoyable enough affair in its own right, it has to be said that this sadly not a patch on the original film. Nonetheless, Kelly is on good form (although sadly dubbed!) and there's enough action to keep ones attention throughout. Best of all though, there are a plethora of unintentionally hilarious scenes on offer all backed by some super groovy seventies music! How much cooler can you get?! Hell, it's enough to make one yearn to don seventies fashion, grow an afro, take to the streets and administer a major ass kicking to societies vermin!

I've always done things my own way

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 1 November 2017]

This film is also known as "Black Belt Jones 2." When the "North Pole Star" (not Polaris) diamond is stolen by Mr Lu's Tattoo gang. Mr Lucas (Jim Kelly) "The Black 6 Million Dollar Man" is called in to get the stone back. He has to combat many people hand to hand without his shirt against high kicking rubber soled sneakers and go to topless night clubs in Hong King.

The film was horribly dubbed. 3 stars for naked hot Asian chicks before they were en vogue.

Guide: Not much in language. FF nudity.

Cheap Action, Uneccessary Nudity

[bennyfuel · 6/10 · 29 December 2002]

Black Belt Jones 2 stars Jim Kelly, the famous afro-clad co-star to Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. Jim Kelly is a very entertaining actor to watch; the afro, the bad acting, the camp 70's tracksuits will all make you chuckle! The best martial arts in the film come from "Flash-legs Tan". The opening fight scene, though obviously coreographed, shows just what an amazing kicker he is! Fast and sharp. Jim Kelly on the otherhand...his kicks have no chamber, his supporting leg always seems bent, he's tense and his moves are often sped up. No disrespect to him...I mean can clearly score points in Karate Competitions (He has won a few) and he is the comical man! But he isn't the...erm...sharpest or most technical martial artist around and Mr Tan seems to make his fighting seem particularly poor in the movie. Also, on the back of the box, it says the hunt for the diamond leads him into a world of "strippers and hookers" which is in no way true...Mr Kelly leads HIMSELF into a world of strippers and hookers, which I found particularly amusing...this also results in plenty of uneccessary nudity, which isn't a bad thing!! Overall, not a bad film to watch, very entertaining, but certainly not a martial arts extravaganza!

"That Black Guy" Is one bad mofo...

[elperrosato · 8/10 · 21 June 2005]

Jim Kelly is one of the unsung heroes of Blacksploitation. His role as "Roper" in the movie "enter the dragon" exposed the world to this amazing martial artist. His solo movies were the stuff of legend, as they were usually very funny (unintentionally) and happened to feature an afro-centric black man (daishikis and afros are everywhere in his movies) who totally kicked butt! Among Jim Kelly movies, Enter the Dragon is by far the best. But his solo career, mostly consisting of independent movies about a black martial artist, is well worth exploring.

If you are a member of the Wu Tang clan, or a kung fu movie junkie, you gotta love this actor and especially this movie. It has all the elements of a great 1970's style Kung fu movie: Bad dubbing, plenty of fight scenes, an odd plot, and a protagonist with a Jackson 5 afro and the attitude to carry it off.

This is not an Oscar caliber movie, but rather an independent flick with serious potential. Yes, it's really campy, and yes, the fight scenes are outdated, but this movie is worth checking out at least for the poorly dubbed dialog. Jim Kelly is never given a name in this movie, and is instead referred to, over and over again, as "That black guy". For real, the movie features such gems as "You got beat up by that black guy again" and "Let's go fight with that black guy".

To sum it up in a short sentence: That Black guy is awesome!

Dubbing is bad, but fight scenes are good

[apollocreed85 · 6/10 · 22 January 2004]

This movie is not really that good. The thing about Chinese films is they dub over the movie because it's cheaper to make. They dubbed Jim Kelly's voice and now he sounds like a wisecracking raspy sounding old man. The fights scenes are good, though and that's the only reason to check this movie out. It is definitely not one of Jim Kelly's better movies.

Jim Kelly Connection

[seveb-25179 · 7/10 · 21 August 2021]

The best Jim Kelly movie this side of "Enter the Dragon" in my opinion. Much better than Black Belt Jones. The action is by far the best choreographed of any of his movies (apart from the aforementioned "Dragon"), performed in the rhythmic, old school Hong Kong style, with good camera angles and some imaginative touches. After a brisk start there is somewhat of a lull during the first half, but then it becomes increasingly plentiful as the movie approaches its climax. While you are waiting there are numerous scenes of bare breasted women to help fill the gaps and some interesting activity involving cars in a lumber yard. A Solid plot and decent dialogue by Hong Kong standards, delivered in a very wooden fashion by all the voice actors concerned, but hey, that's not what we are really here for. Jim is an American Insurance investigator looking for a stolen diamond, Tao-Liang Tan is the young gun serving the wrong man, because he feels a debt of gratitude to him for raising him from an orphan. Sing Chen is good as the evil gang leader, Nami Misaki is very fetching as the exotic dancer in distress and Bolo Yeung, who everyone will also remember from "Dragon", plays his usual role of heavy duty henchman. Recommended.

Pretty Cool

[Jburns534 · 7/10 · 16 February 2006]

The movie was just pure wacky. The zoom in on their faces just made me laugh. Not a bad movie but the plot was a bit mental but the action was just great, some of the best fight scenes ever are in this movie. I would recommend you watch this movie as it is cool, always something good happening.

The Special effects in the movie are not anything special and the sound effects where also pretty bad but the dubbing was pretty good. I liked John Kelly in this movie but he was at his best in Enter the Dragon but still very fit and still kicking ass. The cast is a good cast many famous Chinese actors from all sorts of martial art movies made in china.

good movie!

Jim Kelly goes to Hong Kong and makes a kung fu flick

[dworldeater · 8/10 · 18 June 2021]

The Tattoo Connection is in my opinion one of Jim Kelly's best cinematic efforts after Enter The Dragon and Black Belt Jones. He was untilized much better here than in most of his American efforts, which is really a shame considering Jim Kelly back in the day was one of the coolest dudes on the planet. But, I digress The Tattoo Connection is a kung fu flick and a very good one at that. Jim Kelly is an ex CIA agent that was hired by an insurance company to recover stolen diamonds from a ruthless gang. Even though this is badly overdubbed, like most kung fu movies of this era, Jim Kelly shows great screen presence and lots of natural coolness. The story moves along quickly and smoothly with a lot great fights. Joining the cast is "Flash Legs " Tan and Bolo Yeung (who worked with Kelly on Enter The Dragon). In some markets this is known as Black Belt Jones 2. However this has nothing to do with that, but is much better than the official sequel to Black Belt Jones known as Hot Potato. I would definitely recommend The Tattoo Connection for any fan of Jim Kelly's or fans of Kung Fu movies. Also, I can not stress enough to avoid Hot Potato, it's one of the worst films ever made.

70's Kung Fu at it's Best

[kevinkishin · 8/10 · 23 March 2020]

Look here people don't look for Oscar winning performances, this is a Classic kung fu Jim Kelly's skills were showcased beautifully, I wished he & Dorian Tan could've collaborated more in Hong Kong they would've made a helluva combo.

The Fight Scenes Are Good

[Michael_Elliott · 21 February 2017]

E yu tou hei sha xing (1978)

** (out of 4)

Criminal mastermind Lu (Sing Chen) and his goons steal a priceless diamond. The insurance company behind it sends former CIA agent Lucas (Jim Kelly) to investigate and to get back the stolen property.

There's really not too much plot going on here as the main draw was of course the action scenes and fights. This Hong Kong movie was also released as THE TATTOO CONNECTION as well as BLACK BELT JONES 2 even though it has no real connection to that movie except for Kelly being in both of them.

If you're looking for high art then you're certainly not going to find it here. Technically speaking the film isn't all that pretty to look at but at the same time people really aren't going to be watching this for its looks. If you're a fan of the kung fu movies from this era then you're bound to enjoy the fights here as the majority of them are well-staged and there's no question that they help keep the running time moving along.

Kelly is obviously the main draw here and he gets several nice fight scenes throughout. While he wasn't a great actor he was at least good enough at his job to keep the viewer glued to what was going on. One wishes that the story itself had been a little better but THE TATTOO CONNECTION is certainly worth watching.