Masked Avengers (Cha Shou, 1981)

Hello folks, we're going to cover one of the all-time great martial arts movie classic here on Hai! Karate and that is none other than Masked Avengers!!! This flick is another one of the films that stars the actors that make up the famous Venoms crew, but in a decidedly different way. And it's also another project from the legendary Cheng Cheh as director.

The movie begins with something unusual for the Shaw films up to this point; simple titles that focus on the scary bearded masks and tridents of the Masked Avengers gang. It gives the film it's dark, edgy feel right away. The story begins with the Masked Avengers tracking down another of their victims they've been hired to kill.(No mention is made of who hires them ultimately throughout the picture.)One of the victims gets away and finds Qi Shanyung(Chiang Sheng)and other heroes to tell them what happened. Shanyung along with Zeng Jun(Chin Siu-Ho) and Liang Rong(Chu Ko) have gathered the heroes from different clans together to stop the Masked Avengers gang and their devilish deeds. And 'devilish' is the right word to use; the gang is a bunch of sadistic, crazed mercenaries who drink blood and take joy out of killing. Case in point? The first scene in their hideout shows them drinking the blood of a chicken. Disliking this, the chiefs then unveil a discarded Buddha Statue and throw a trident at the exposed midsection. Then they push a button and reveal that it's another victim STILL ALIVE in the statue. Gory stuff.

Qi Shanyung and crew find themselves in a town near where the Masked Avengers are suspected of hiding. They begin to investigate two powerful lords who are rivals in the town, Lin Yunzi(Lu Feng) and Fang Zanguang(Wong Lik). They make their base in a local inn and find a suspicious figure in the cook Gao Yao (Philip Kwok)who Zeng Jun winds up befriending with some resistance by Yao. This sets the scene for some serious intrigue and inevitable action up ahead with a couple of twists you don't really expect. And the final fight scene brings it all to a head in the abandoned temple hideout of the Masked Avengers!!

Masked Avengersis one of the most acclaimed kung fu films...but it didn't make a ton of money when it first came out. In fact it was considered a box office failure and could have been one of the films that made Sir Run Run Shaw think long and hard about his film empire's dwindling future. Audiences may also have had mixed feelings because while this is a film associated with the crew of actors who played the Venoms, not all of them are here in this flick. Lo Meng had left by this time, and Sun Chien for some reason wasn't available. Chin Sui-Ho fills in admirably as Zeng Jun. This was one of Chin's few roles as a leading actor for Shaw. He displays enough heroic charisma and a bit of comedic charm. It fits here as he tries to make friends with Gao Yao and solve the case. He'd go on to have a couple of more lead roles and star in a couple of notable Jet Li flicks, most famously as his friend turned rival in The Tai Chi Master in 1993. Chiang Sheng takes on a more serious role as Qi here in a departure from his comically-tinged prior roles. The standouts though are Lu Feng and Philip Kwok. Feng hit his stride as a master villain here. His first appearance in the flick though is a bit hilarious, manicure and all. It doesn't betray just how foul of a villain he proves to be in the flick. Philip Kwok as Gao Yao is masterful as the brooding chef with a secret. His acrobatic maneuvers here are among some of his best work.

You'll note that Masked Avengers has a scant female presence in the film save for a couple of attendants to Ling Zunyi, a woman who is abducted and raped mercilessly by the gang and the 'meditating wenches' seen in the inner temple sanctum - butt naked. Again, Cheh stuck with his own code of feeling that women were merely plot devices here. Another point is just how DARK this film can get. Drinking blood and rape, along with religious symbols being used as torture devices are pretty ill factors for a film. It gets even more twisted once you get to the final fight scene. In some ways that scene is worth some of the drawn-out intrigue earlier in the picture just because of the heroes' fight to get there, only to be met with each of the chiefs entering the fray by being lowered from the roof into the inner chamber, spy movie style. Slightly cheesy? Perhaps but you'll get a kick out of it. Especially when the acid plays a part. You won't even mind how Zunyi gets his, even if it seems a bit unreal. But that is the beauty of Masked Avengers; it employed a ton of great action thanks to Kwok, Sheng and Ko's fight direction along with great set design and a plot that moves quickly in a deceptive way. The entire film takes on a radio serial feel of suspense, and even tips its hat to comic books. A side note: the soundtrack is in part taken from the sci-fi dystopia hit Mad Maxreleased two years earlier. There is a distinct level of bloodiness here, which was increasingly due to both Cheh's own machinations and an appeal to get more audiences used to seeing it in other pictures of the time. The gang drinking blood repeatedly, a member visibly biting off his own tongue to avoid talking among other scenes make this one of the more rougher Shaw pics. But it is all worth it. Make Masked Avengers one of your must sees if you haven't already.

RATING: 4.5 of 5 DRAGON PUNCHES

One Armed Swordsman (Du Bi Dao, 1967)

The next flick we've got for you here at Hai!Karate is a classic staple for all lovers of fight cinema, One Armed Swordsman!! This film stars Jimmy Wang Yu, Lisa Chiao Chiao, Tien Feng and Ku Feng among others. The legend Cheng Cheh sits in the director's chair for this film from Shaw Studios.

One Armed Swordsman opens with a group of villains entering the manor of Qi Ru Feng (Tien)with the purpose of defeating him and the Golden Sword School. His servant Fang Cheng(Feng) valiantly fights them off, and is mortally wounded. Before he passes however, Master Qi Ru Feng swears to take his son Fang Gang in. We fast forward to seeing Fang Gang(Wang Yu)all grown up, tending to the estate and learning from Teacher Qi. Teacher's daughter Qi Pai Er (Violet Pang Zi-Yi)is a spoiled little thing who alternates between dislike and liking Fang Gang. Fang Gang? He mostly remains aloof. After a good deal of being picked on, Fang Gang, rather than be the source of any unrest in the school, decides to leave one night. Pai-Er and two other classmates track him down and claim he's dishonoring the school by running away. (Seriously?)Pai-Er decides she wants to scrap, and Fang Gang deftly blocks her attacks and knocks her over as if to say, 'Silly Rabbit.' Pai-Er cries, embarrassed. So much so that when Fang Gang tries to help her up, SHE CUTS THE HOMIE'S ARM CLEAN OFF. Cue the wild dramatic music sequence. After he stumbles off into the snowy forest hinterland, Teacher comes up and just scolds everyone in the trio. That's it. He just yells at them.

Fang Gang stumbles and stumbles until he falls off a bridge...into the boat of Xiao Man(Chiao Chiao)She slowly nurses him back to health and in doing so, falls in love with him. After he heals, Fang Gang and Xiao Man are discussing the future when two rowdies start harassing Xiao. Gang tries to fight them off to no avail. They're only stopped when Master Smiling Tiger(Tong Dik) waves them off. Xiao Man, against her own dislike of martial arts, gives Gang a sword manual left to her by her father. Due to a fire, all that's left are left-handed sword techniques. Meanwhile, Smiling Tiger, the sworn enemy of the Golden Sword School, has unleashed a new weapon that can defeat the school's 64 techniques called a sword lock. With this, Smiling Tiger and his pupils go on to terrorize Qi Ru Feng's students. That is, until Fang Gang shows up. He soon realizes the fate of the Golden Sword School is in his hands. And along the way, he gets to throw some serious shade to Pai-Er who's still acting bratty.

One Armed Swordsman is a highly acclaimed martial arts film and it's a groundbreaking one on a couple of levels. First, it was the first Hong Kong film to gross one million dollars due to its popularity. The next point of appeal lies with its charismatic young star, Jimmy Wang Yu. Jimmy was just setting out on the apex of his flashy and lengthy career, a far cry from being a swimming champion. It's worthy to note that he had NO martial arts training whatsoever. Yes, that's right. None. He looked the part thanks to the action direction of the great Lau Kar Leung(who you can spot as an extra in the flick)and Runme Shaw himself. Wang Yu would go on to utilize the one-armed style effectively throughout his career, even going up against famed Japanese character Zatoichi in a 1972 flick. And lastly, the style that Chang Cheh brought to One Armed Swordsman was the beginning of a new wave taking place in Hong Kong cinema. It was a wave that borrowed from the chambara genre wildly popular in Japan. It also owed some influence to westerns by Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone. You can see it in the camera angles and precise editing jumps, whereas in previous films most shots were long drawn out set pieces and takes. Take note also on how the film backdrop by Johnson Tsao helps tell the Story of Fang Gang's development from the harshness of losing his arm in winter to his return to the Golden Sword School to face Smiling Tiger in the summer.

Of course, there are a few things that catch you off guard. For one, Pai-Er seems to have been an early ancestor to those broads you see on shows like 'Bad Girls Club'; always upset, hiding her true feelings in certain rash moves. Xiao Man doesn't fare that much better even in a sympathetic love interest role. She tends to fall over herself weeping a lot. Given the charges against Cheh's depiction of women that we've spoken of on this blog, this seems to be ground zero for it. 'Dames can't be trusted.' This also is possibly a reach back to Hollywood cinema in the days of film noir. And after Fang Gang gets his arm cut off - how did this cat not pass out right there on the road? The sword lock is another curious point, but one you can overlook for the sake of the film. It also would be the origin point for Chang Cheh's love of crazy-ass weaponry.

If you haven't seen it yet, make it a point to watch One Armed Swordsman. You get a better understanding of the beginnings of Chang Cheh and his style that would become synonymous with the Shaw Brothers Studios for the next couple of decades afterward. And it's a nicely paced action film with enough captivating drama no matter how often you watch it.

DRAGON PUNCHES: 4.5 out of 5

In Memoriam: Sir Run Run Shaw

The new year begins on a somber note with the passing of the great man responsible for a film empire that had and still has worldwide impact, Sir Run Run Shaw. Along with his brother, Runme, Shaw created a movie studio that was the jewel of Asia and beloved by the West.

Shaw got involved in the movie business from the 1930's at the behest of his family to help out an older brother. This would see him through travels to Singapore and Hong Kong, where he eventually settled in the 1930's to the 1950's. Imagine - living through constant war and still having the temerity to help craft an empire. Singapore was the main base at first, seeing Run Run and his family turn one movie house into 139 over a few years throughout the island nation as well as in Borneo, Java and Malaya. (Side note: Shaw is given some credit during this period for helping to spur the 'Golden Age Of Malay Cinema'.)In addition to movie houses, the family also built multiple amusement parks. Run Run and Runme were key to this rapid growth. It all came to a halt once the Japanese invaded in 1941. The army confiscated all of their equipment. But, they didn't get the cash - Run Run stated that he and his brother buried cash, jewelry and other valuables in their backyard. The haul that restarted their business? $4 million dollars.

Settling down in Hong Kong in 1957, Run Run saw the great possibilities at hand. Forming Shaw Studios a year later, he would oversee the tremendous success right away. He made a power move by purchasing 46 ACRES of land from the government at Causeway Bay to create Shaw Movietown. It would prove to be the world's largest privately owned studio with 1,200 workers. His films garnered international acclaim beginning in 1962 with The Magnificent Concubine. Shaw Studios became the prominent movie company in Asia, running their own magazine, Southern Screen and holding competitions yearly to see who would be the next starlet or action hero. Many famous names from Cheng Pei Pei to Ti Lung to Linda Lin-Dai got their start with Shaw Studios. Never one to overlook any opportunity, Shaw even sent stars to the United States on tours of movie sets in Hollywood. This dominance went on well into the 1970's, seeing the studios turn out 50 flicks a year at one point. There was even collaborations with Italian studios and most notably, Britain's own Hammer Studios. That joint venture brought about the cult classic Legend Of The Seven Golden Vampires. (Side note: there's a UK documentary on Shaw done in the late 1960's as part of a travelogue series that fully explores Movietown entitled 'Fists of Fire'.Peep it below.)

The late 1970's saw a slight shift in Shaw Studios' fortunes with competition from Golden Harvest, and other outfits from Taiwan along with Japan's resurgence in the field. Run Run had anticipated this however by creating Television Broadcasts Limited(TVB) in 1967. TVB being the second television network in Hong Kong, it became a high-grossing outlet for his films and other programming. It's said that even in Guangdong there were hundreds of illegal aerials to pick up the signal not allowed under Mao Zedong's regime. During the 1980's, he began the transition of power from the movie studios to the TV side of things. In the process, those films found their way over to homes in the United States via independent TV networks showing them on weekends. TVB was responsible for launching the careers of famed stars such as Chow Yun-Fat and Maggie Cheung among others. He also had a hand in other films being made, most notably Ridley Scott's sci-fi epic, Blade Runner in 1982.

In his later years, Sir Run Run(he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1977) would work tirelessly. A devotee of qigong, he ensured his life had great balance. He also was a Rolls Royce man, owning quite a few of their cars. He worked until he was 100 YEARS OLD. Chew on that for a minute. Shaw also was a great philanthropist, creating the 'Shaw Prize' for recognition of achievement in the sciences. He even had an asteroid named after him. It's reported that he donated at least 10 BILLION dollars to charities, organizations and educational facilities. Sir Run Run Shaw passed away peacefully at the age 0f 106 this past January 7th. A giant in so many ways. Thank you, sir.

Knight Errant (Ying xiong ben se, 1973)

Next up for all you martial arts movie fans out there is a gem from 1973 featuring the main man Jimmy Wang Yu, Knight Errant!! This flick from the First Films studios also stars Kurata Yakasaki, Shen Mao, Lung Fei and Tse Gam-Guk along with others, most notably Blacky Ko. (yeah, that name would stand out.) In the director's chair on this picture is Ting Shan-Hsi.

Knight Errant opens with a flashback scene set in 1937 during the latter years of Japanese occupation of Taiwan. We see someone behind a shoji screen kneeling, and a mother and three young boys with her on the other side of it. In dramatic fashion, the figure raises a katana blade and sticks it into their belly. After a few jump cuts to the mother & children, we find ourselves outdoors in the present day. A mature woman dressed as a karateka(Gam-Guk) is issuing orders to three men. She's billed as 'The Lady With The Iron Fists!' and nothing else throughout the picture. The training sequence sets up the opening credits full of high-flying kicks and cascading music. If that opening music gets you REALLY hype when you hear it, there's a reason. The track is actually soul legend Solomon Burke's 'Cool Breeze' for the Blaxploitation classic of the same name starring Thalmus Rasulala. And it's also the basis for 'Apollo Kids', the bangin' classic by Ghostface Killah. (Side note - Curtis Mayfield gets sampled in this flick too early on.) It turns out that the three men, Tetsuro(Kurata), Masaki (Fei) and Takito(Mao) are those same three boys we see earlier. And they've been pushed to the limit training for one reason: revenge.

The Lady With The Iron Fists sits the three down after another session in the dojo where she shows exactly how tough she is. By having four of her students hold her down by each of her limbs and another student jump up and down on her STOMACH. Mind you, the dude doing this isn't tiny by any stretch. She tells them again that their mission is to avenge their father's seppuku & their mother's later suicide. See, their father was one Captain Mishima, who commanded a prison in the area. He captures a spy, Kebu and sets the order for execution. But Kebu escapes with the help of rebels and a man under Mishima's command, Lin Ming Cheung (Ngai So). The uproar caused Mishima to resign and take his own life. His wife then followed after. The plan is then set in motion for the three to hit Taiwan and find Ming Cheung and kill him. At this point, we find that Ming Cheung owns a small restaurant, and helps to take care of his two sons, a cousin and a daughter who's blind. Enter Lin Huo-Shan(Wang Yu), the eldest son who is a well-meaning cab driver who always winds up in a fight. And these fights wind up being a real drain on the family's savings, which are sorely needed to help repair his sister Yueh Fung's (Chen Ying Fung)blindness. Huo-Shan also tries to keep up his relationship with his girlfriend in the midst of all this when the three brothers come to town. And then things really get complicated, leaving Huo-Shan no choice but to get involved and settle things once and for all.

Knight Errant is an interesting flick. For one, this comes at the beginning of Wang Yu's newly-found independence. Prior to this, he was a box-office star in Hong Kong with Shaw Studios. But due to his desire to be paid more, Wang Yu broke his contract with Shaw. That led to him being unable to ever make a movie in Hong Kong going forward. Taiwan then became a major backdrop for all of his films. What makes this movie stand out during this period before his later hits is that for one, it shines a light on anti-Japanese sentiment that was rising steadily in these films in conjunction with World War II. But it does so as a key part of the plot without diving into stereotypes. Outside of Huo-Shan stating he hates the Japanese midway through the flick, the sentiment is very light. Wang Yu is gold here, giving some warmth as a dutiful son trying his best. There's also comedy at work here(keep an eye on the scene where he rescues his girl in a restaurant) both intentional and unintentional. See the pic below:

Yeah, that's Huo-Shan RUNNING OVER The Lady in his taxi as part of the final fight of the movie. I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall and have heard how they came up with this. It does give one slight pause that he'd do that to an older woman or a woman period but that got put aside 'cause she was a villain and as such, could be dealt with in any fashion. Putting that aside for a bit, the rest of the cast does well here. Kurata does make for a charismatic villain, and Lung Fei and Shan Mao do well here too. Mao actually stands out in another respect; he basically is known for being highly exaggerated with his facial expressions and movements in his film career. Here, he kind of gives way to Gam-Guk in that arena. Gam-Guk in this film is striking because she's the ultimate villain of the film, but we don't know how she got into the boys' lives. Also, she heads up her own school. Gam-Guk would only be in five films total in her career, with this and Kung Fu Mama being the highlights. According to some scant research, she was also a herbologist in addition to acting. She is quite formidable in this flick. Don't believe me? Peep how she comes back AFTER GETTING RUN OVER to give Wang Yu a two-piece. The action is brutal without being too bloody and makes Knight Errant more than a standard revenge fight flick. Go peep it when you can, it's actually on the 'Net now!

RATING: 4 Dragon Punches Out Of 5

Happy Birthday Bruce Lee!!!

The Avenging Eagle (Long xie shi san ying, 1978)

Next up here on Hai! Karate is the dramatic brawling flick, The Avenging Eagle! This Shaw Brothers joint features two of the studio's top male leads, the venerable Ti Lung and the late Alexander Fu Sheng. Also rounding out the cast are veteran Shaw stars Shih Szu, Ku Feng, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei and Dick Wei among others. The film is directed by Sun Chung and Ni Kuang provides the flick's screenplay.

The film opens with Black Eagle Chik Ming Sung(Lung)wandering through a desert patch, parched and exhausted. He falls off his steed and is soon rescued by another stranger, Double Sword Sleeve Cheuk Yi Fan(Sheng). Sung is uneasy at first, but Fan's wit and easy-going nature makes Sung drop his guard a bit. Well, that and the three killers who drop into the abandoned villa they're resting in. Fan observes that Sung not only knows them, but they know him too. After dispatching all three, they ride off and Sung spills the beans. He's one of the Thirteen Eagles, the assassins of the notorious Iron Boat Gang. The gang, led by Yoh Xi Hung(Feng) was formed to be ruthless killers for Hung from childhood onward. Hung spared no rod and certainly showed no love. Sung was one of his prized men. But after he and other Eagles went after a royal treasure protected by a great hero who laid a beatdown on him before his demise, Sung passed out in a forest glade. He's rescued from death by a kind man and taken into his house in a secluded valley. There, Sung is able to heal, and see the merits of kindness and honor. And he also falls in love with the man's sister, Miss Fung(Szu) who is more than willing to reciprocate. But, Sung returns to the gang and instead of quitting, is forced to go on another job. A job that entails the murder of Devil's Plight Wang An - the same man who rescued Sung. He tries to stop his brother assassins to no avail, and Miss Fung is murdered, dying in Sung's arms. This shatters him and when Yoh Xi Hung sees this, he goes ballistic. Sung then fights off the clan and flees. Fan hears this and then reveals that his family was the one slaughtered by the Thirteen Eagles. Both men become tenuous allies with one goal: smash the Iron Boat Gang and kill Yoh Xi Hung!

The Avenging Eagle is a compelling kung-fu movie for a number of reasons. For one, it's a very good story that Ni Kuang puts forth here. Savagery and justice and finding redemption are juggled as themes here. Sun Chung in the director's chair keeps things going at a great pace, even with one or two slow moments. This film marks a period where he was really in his zone with regards to action flicks, and it also was a film where he got to finally push the envelope with shooting on Steadicam. Chung was regarded as Shaw Studios' pioneer in this, and it shows up here in the crisp wide angle views as well as the multiple fluid action scenes. As for the leads, this film was the third film they had done together to that point. But it's a treat to see Ti Lung and Fu Sheng really stand out in this film as true equals. Fu Sheng by this time was a fast rising star; young and handsome, he was a prize for Shaw. Lung was, by this time, already a well-respected veteran actor with several stellar roles. He fit the role of the wandering swordsman very well. The chemistry between them is gripping. Ku Feng as the villainous Yoh Xi Hung is real GREASY. And when he busts out the golden claws for the final battle? You can't tell me Ghostface Killah didn't get the idea for the eagle gauntlet he used to rock from this film. I admit, Shih Szu as Miss Fung deserved a little bit more fleshing out in my opinion. But she did her job as the doomed romantic foil. Her role leads me to another key point about The Avenging Eagle; Chung packed a LOT into a flick just under 90 minutes. You won't be wanting for good fight scenes here. Some scenes will have you locked in, like the scene where Fan and Sung face off against Vulture(Lung-Wei) to turn the tables on the gang. (By the way, I wonder how much laughter ensued with his makeup job. You'll see what I mean.) Chung adds to the fight's energy with a few freeze frames and slo-mo shots. Not enough to be overkill, and just a tad to add some spice.

The Avenging Eagle is without a doubt a really good martial arts film. And recently even more validity to that statement came in July of this year when there was an announcement by both The Weinstein Company and Celestial Pictures was made. They are joining forces to remake two classic Shaw Brothers films from the 1960's and 1970's and one of them will be The Avenging Eagle. It really isn't hard to see why; the flick is a must see for all true fans of the genre. It has great fight scenes. Enough drama to tie everything together. And the outfits are really funky. I can say that you can't go wrong watching this flick.

RATING: 4 Dragon Punches out of 5

Chinese Hercules(Ma tou da jue dou, 1973)

Next up for you kung fu movie fanatics here on Hai! Karate is a little number from 1973 that packs a wallop!! The film is called Chinese Hercules, starring Michael Chan Wai-Man, Yang Tze - better known as Bolo Yeung, Kong Faan, Kong Do and Gam Dai among others. Huang Ta is the director for this picture. I Kuang is the man behind the screenplay. Now, you might be a tad confused by the above images. Part of that is that this film actually has THREE different names. I'll get into that later on, though.

The movie opens with our hero Lee Hsi(Wai Man)training hard one night. He's interrupted by a young woman who he likes(Faan)who is a bit concerned about his excessive training. He tells her it's because he can't stand being trash-talked by her brother(Do) who studies in the same school for being an orphan and for associating with her. They leave the school together and are confronted by her drunk brother, who decides to pick a fight with Hsi. Hsi fights him off - well, he beats the daylights out of him. Dude then pulls out a knife and Hsi finishes him off, killing him. Frightened and dismayed, Wei runs off to the seaside, and smashes his hand with a large rock vowing never to fight again. Of course these vows have as much life span as a Kardashian marriage. Hsi takes a fake name and finds work on the docks. He deals with an abusive boss, but earns the respect of his fellow workers. He's sorely tested to use his fighting prowess but resists, even when beaten by the ruthless syndicate that runs the docks. Soon dock workers who resist are found dead, and the boss calls in the 'Chinese Hercules', Bolo himself to smash them. Hsi finds himself facing an uncertain future unless he summons his vast strength to fight the killer and face his past, which comes back in a surprising way.

Chinese Herculeswalks that fine line between being very compelling and not even worth it. But it does so ably. Give credit to Ta Huang for keeping the film moving at a neat pace, enough so that the film doesn't drag on. Also, he did have a decent enough eye to work in a couple of different angles that make some scenes pop better. Corey Yuen is the action director here, and he makes the fight scenes here slightly jarring because of how violent they are. Cats catch BAD ones here. Case in point? One of the workers decides to go up against the syndicate boss in his own home. After fighting the boss, he winds up being flat out beaten to death without any ceremony. You even have a random trollop smoking a cigarette with a look on her face like, 'he aint dead YET?' Overall Yuen does infuse a fluid and rhythmic element throughout . Wai-Man as the hero here is solid. He gives off a measured amount of emotion without being melodramatic. And his fighting skills are swift and strong. You can see his Hung Gar skills put to good use in this flick. As for Bolo, he gets to be the killer movie baddie, bulging muscles and all. Now, he's not in this movie for more than MAYBE 20 minutes. But you get all of the Bolo sneers and flexes that he's known for in that span of time.

So, as far as the name of the flick itself. Well the movie was made by Hong Kong Kai Fa Pictures, a smallish studio. They put this film out first under the title of A Duel In Harbor. There were a couple of alternate titles, the most common one being Freedom Strikes A Blow. But soon after this flick was released, Enter The Dragoncame out worldwide sparking the West's kung fu craze. Bolo was one of the memorable villains, and when National General Pictures got the film rights to distribute this picture, he was the most recognizable. So they marketed the film playing on another B-movie trope of the 'Hercules' variety that was popularized by those movies of the 1960's. Hence, Chinese Hercules complete with the cheesy tag line. If you want a decent martial arts flick with some crisp action that won't put you to sleep, Chinese Hercules is worth a go.

RATING: 3 Dragon Punches out of 5