Another able if unspectacular film under the belt of ex-Brucesploitation star Bruce Li and another nondescript chop-socky epic which has an unusual film-within-a-film plot to give it a little extra frisson of interest. Otherwise, this film offers a rather cheap variety of entertainment, with surprisingly shoddy camera-work to give it an undistinguished look and extra-cheap dubbing, sets and acting. Saying that, the film is full to the brim with martial arts action, as Bruce ends up fighting just about everybody in the movie (motives are not clear here) and lots and lots of scenery gets destroyed in the process. Some of the film's funniest sequences involve training schedules where Bruce teams up with John Ladalski, who may be familiar as the chief monk from Jackie Chan's ARMOUR OF GOD. Gotta love that moment where he's kicking the eggs hanging in the air.
The fights in this movie are not particularly impressive, and run-of-the-mill seems a better and more accurate description. Saying that, things eventually culminate with a wildly impressive series of three fights which make up the film's climax. In the first, John takes a beating from a martial arts master, then the master is whipped by Bruce. But the final battle – between our hero and a chubby kung fu star – is extraordinarily and powerful, brutal and violent, and lasts an age. It ends with the two titans of kung fu struggling to stand up and walk, yet still trading blows as they refuse to give up fighting. Great stuff, it's just a shame the rest of the movie didn't have the same energy as these final moments.
The fights in this movie are not particularly impressive, and run-of-the-mill seems a better and more accurate description. Saying that, things eventually culminate with a wildly impressive series of three fights which make up the film's climax. In the first, John takes a beating from a martial arts master, then the master is whipped by Bruce. But the final battle – between our hero and a chubby kung fu star – is extraordinarily and powerful, brutal and violent, and lasts an age. It ends with the two titans of kung fu struggling to stand up and walk, yet still trading blows as they refuse to give up fighting. Great stuff, it's just a shame the rest of the movie didn't have the same energy as these final moments.