This is a South Korean production from 1975. At that time in South Korean production the film makers goal was to copy Hong Kong martial arts movies. It starts at one of the most iconic locations in the history of this genre, Jongmyo Shrine. The opening scene establishes the over used plot of the evil Japanese occupying South Korea. By the five minute mark I am almost drowning in the melodrama. Two soldiers vow to resist the Japanese with their secret weapon - tae kwan do.
Losing a fight in this movie also involves losing your pants. I will not explain, you will just have to watch it. The melodrama abruptly shifts to comedy. Overall, it's not just the evil Japanese that are beaten to death. The gags are used over and over until they are also beaten to death.
My copy is a digital file that plays on a HDTV as wide screen but a bit cropped on the sides and otherwise small. It is English dubbed with Danish subtitles.
The fights in this movie are frequent. There is good variety with fights versus many opponents, one to one, hand to hand, or various weapons. There is good power but the timing is often off, the focus can be way off, and the execution jerky or hesitant instead of smooth.
I do recommend this movie for fans of the genre. It is an obscure movie but can be found if you know where to look these days and usually free.
