Der Mann von Hongkong

After seeing The Man From Hong Kong, one can easily appreciate why Quentin Tarantino holds writer/director Brian Trenchard - Smith in such high regard. This is grind house cinema at it's gnarliest and released in the middle of that most influential grind house decades, the 1970's. But even today, it still has the power to thrill action junkies with the breadth, depth and variety of its stunts and set pieces. Forget the martial arts on show throughout just briefly. Consider also, the car chases and roll-overs (one occurring beneath the world famous Uluru), followed invariably by an almighty explosion, the hang-gliding, the skyscraper climbing and abseiling and (you guessed it) explosion, the foot chases and villains catching fire ... regularly. In its quieter moments we are graced with some wholly and unashamedly exploitative T &A accompanied by a funky 70's synthesizer soundtrack, just to give us pause before we launch into the next action chapter. This film has it all and does it all relatively convincingly on what was not much more than a half million Australian dollars budget at the time. What's most surprising perhaps, is that the film is an Australian/Hong Kong co-production, rather than American in origin. Besides the very obvious Bond references throughout, film buffs should clearly see the genesis of films such as The Mad Max franchise in TMFHK. Don't see it for the frankly hilarious dialogue, at times grating dubbing and quite honestly its overlong , exciting, but uneven martial arts choreography. See it and appreciate it it for its stunts. They are quite amazing.

This is an entertaining and amusing action flick, a rare bird in Australia. The dialogue ranges from corny to cheesey but there are plenty of great action scenes and a good, simple cop story well told. This film has our best car-chase scenes before Mad Max and is probably the link between The Cars That Ate Paris and the Mad Max series.

Highlights of this film include a chase and a fight on the top of Uluru (or Ayres Rock as it then was), an extended car chase with multiple wrecks and explosions, wonderful hang-gliding footage over both Hong Kong and Sydney (interestingly showing the brown haze that used to hang over the city in those old leaded-petrol days), a fight with one man on fire, an exploding building, and numerous intermettable kung-fu fights, where Inspector Fang whips multiple butts, complete with hilarious sound-effects. The director ensures that during the fights, nothing in the room is left unbroken and strewn across the floor, though it was a shame to see all those lobsters hitting the deck.

Fang is one tough Chinese cookie, bleeding from multiple injuries one moment and going horse-riding with a blond Aussie girl the next, before jumping into bed for some inter-cultural relations. The photography should be also mentioned as, despite the low budget, this film looks great and captures Sydney in the 70s with its streetscapes (including Taylor Square and Oxford St, Paddington, Sydney harbourside, Narabeen beach and Terry Hills), cars and fashion. Add to this the director's sense of visual humour and this film holds up pretty well.

Besides Jimmy Wang Yu, who was a Hong Kong kung-fu 'chop sockey' film star before Bruce Lee, the film includes Australia's James Bond, George Lazenby, as the villain, and future Mad Max actors Hugh Keays-Byrne and Roger Ward playing the Aussie 'good cop-bad cop' team plus a cameo from a skinny Bill Hunter.

Who could forget the sound track by Ace, and the action of this movie, never mind the fact that George Lazenby, the dejected Bond, who really could have been one of the best was also in the film.

In the era of remastering and re-issuing of so much crap, why not get this classic off the shelf, blow off the dust and put it onto DVD! I'll buy it.

Even though I had trough finding it in the USA as it was under a different name!

This is a great action film, with all the stunts, kung fu, you could possibly want in a movie. Released in 1975 it captures all the best of the Bruce Lee films but with good sound and picture quality. A not to missed film.

If you can find a copy on tape, let me know.

This movie isn't half as bad as the previous review would have you believe. It doesn't have the best plot or actors, but it is entertaining. There are great location shots of Uluru, Sydney Harbor and many other places. The movie is entertaining and does have lots of fight scenes. You've got to have somewhat of a sense of humour when watching it. Remember that it was a product of the time period. The fashion, the acting, the premise of the movie, the politics of the time. Take it for what it is. As for George Lazenby, the only thing unfortunate about his part in the movie, is that he isn't in it enough. Not enough presence of the great George Lazenby, the BEST James Bond by far. His acting in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' is far better than many would have you believe. And it is to his effort, and interpretation of Bond that made that movie the best of the Bond movies. He is quite simply a fine actor and a victim of mass media misinterpretation. Thank you for reading.

I find it hard to believe that at a web-site which attracts more than 8 million people a month (that equates to 17 people a minute, one every three seconds!) that only TWO people in all these years have posted reviews of this mini-classic - "Z" grade rubbish that it is!

I LOVE this flick.

The acting is hysterical, the script at junior high-school level (I collapse on the lounge every time I hear Lazenby mouthing off to Wang Yu "I know your martial arts!") But man, this is high-voltage fun, a film that actually defies criticism. Wang Yu comes to Sydney to break up a drug smuggling ring headed up by the "and please leave your license to kill on my desk when you leave" former Bond non-event, George Lazenby. Following multiple impossible chop-socky set-to's with Lazenby's henchman, and George's own comical demise atop his penthouse, Wang Yu saves the day...and the girl! Great stuff!

If nothing else, this film earns a place in the hall of fame for delivering to the world British Jigsaw's SKY HIGH which I can never hear without remembering how young I was when this came out! Magic!

Trivia buffs might like to notice who that rather porky asian scumbag is trying to evade capture atop Ayer's Rock (now referred to as ULURU) during the early part of the flick and who later has his head unceremoniously pushed into the toilet by Wang Yu! None other than long-time Jackie Chan friend and Director - Sammo Hung! Martial arts choreographer without peer! Watch also for the exploding Toyota Crown scene at Ayer's Rock...that airborne door gave the on-set crew-members a few nervous moments!