Shang Hai Tan da ye

Surprisingly staid kung fu flick despite a good opening and some colorful, slick production values. Sadly not alot can be said about this Chinese/Korean co-production except that it should've been in the same league as 'Duel Of The Iron Fist' and 'Flying Fists Of Death' but the lackluster storytelling seriously impairs the usually fluent style that most good chopsocky dramas are known for. I'm not discounting the value of the film as it probably deserves a wider berth but upon remembering the disappointment the film left I'm hard pressed to dust off my old Paragon/King Of Video print this review is based on.

Standard, though involving, plot dealing with the usual political intrigue (China's occupation by French and Japanese forces), double crossing and smuggling. If that isn't heavy enough take two families involved with the Chinese underworld and pit them against each other and set them against the backdrop of Shanghai's casino arenas. whew!

Contemporary yet atmospheric kung fu drama has a nice, classic air about itself but is just too slow moving to achieve the success it probably deserves. Amidst all of the intrigue, Yasuaka Kurata and Chen Sing are running around. Note to collectors: this version is from the old 'Paragon' label and runs 93 minutes.