Director: Liu Chia-liang
Year: 1976
Country: Hong Kong
Alternate Titles: Liu A-Cai yu Huang Fei-Hong
Genre: Kung-Fu
Plot:
Desperate to be a martial arts master, a rowdy teenager constantly tries to ingratiate himself into the teachings at his fathers' school which earns his father's scorn instead. Trying to focus on beating his rivals' school and their free use of cheating and underhanded tactics, he doesn't have time to deal with his son and agrees to let him stay with his master as a means of keeping him out of trouble. Sent off to the training site, he begins to study the various martial arts techniques and disciplines of his master until he learns that one of the students at his fathers' rivals' school has murdered a friend of theirs in battle which brings a renowned determination to learn martial arts and enact vengeance for their friend.
Review:
Overall, this one emerges as one of the genre's finest entries. Among the film's better qualities is the overarching storyline that tends to revolve around the humanistic teachings of kung-fu. Rather than boil the training sequences down into a cliched use of simply learning how to move and strike as a means of learning martial arts, the good sense of including how to utilize the various techniques properly also comes up. Offering to go for a humanitarian route with not only knowing the moves but when to use them and why, this tempering of his emotions from petulant teenager to maturing young adult through the techniques taught to him comes off remarkably well. This adds depth to the training beyond the usual scenes of someone just standing around in various obscure positions, striking at his master, or the numerous other effects usually featured in martial arts films. To then have these lessons be visibly demonstrated on several occasions at the very end during his fight with the villain offers a full-circle round-up of these teachings and makes the transformation complete.
As well, the usual high-standard martial arts on display in this one make for a generally fun time. The various group fights at the beginning, not only showing the rivalry between the schools in the area but also the competitions where the devious tactics being employed lead to some stellar choreographed displays. The training montages here, showing his trials and studies learning to not only use his whole body but the weaponry in the style are among the genre's best despite all the cliched stances and techniques featured here. With his studies complete, the final fight between the two showcases some of the best one-on-one fighting styles out there which adds a great deal of excitement and energy into the film by having the fighters go at it and forcing him to rely on his teachings to the fullest to overcome his opponent. Having top-quality performers at the height of their physical prowess adds to the enjoyment to be had as well, all coming together to make this a high-quality effort.
While there aren't too many issues here, the film does have some. About the only real drawback some might have with this one resides in the use of the training montage as the focal point of the film which comes at the expense of constant hand-to-hand combat. Viewers expecting a full-scale display of performers punching and kicking each other in the face for ninety minutes might be turned off by having to see yet another sequence of events showing a master training and putting a disciple through the ropes to learn a particular kung-fu style. This might be somewhat of a turn-off to some viewers looking for a constant series of fights, but for the most part, this is all individual preference rather than a true detriment to the film itself. What is a true fault is the three-pronged storyline that has way too much going on, relying on several subplots that don't need to be there when it could've been streamlined into a faster film. These are really all that stand out as negatives about the film.
Overview: ****.5/5
Among one of the genre's greatest entries with a fantastic storyline and some stellar martial arts action, the film is immensely worthwhile and enjoyable without much to hold it down. Most kung-fu appreciators or fans that want more of a human angle to their martial arts without it going overboard will be absolutely entertained by this one while only those who find themselves falling out with the flaws should be the only ones heeding caution here.
This review was originally published on Asian Movie Pulse and is gratefully reprinted with their cooperation.
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