Lee Tung Chung, le maître de Blackstone

horrible screenplay, terrible acting, almost non-exist directing; if it had been directed, might be directed by a minor. my lord, how bad this movie is? those horrible fighting scenes in between the terrible acting by all the so-called actors and actresses were some of the worst ones i've ever seen. the fighting were like people dancing around with their fists waving all over the places, nobody touched nobody but all opponents fell back like been kicked by a mules. all the martial arts/Chinese kung fu movies produced in that era, either in hong kong or in taiwan, were nothing but child plays, so primitive and so childish. funny thing is that during the same era, the Japanese samurai movies or movies in other genres were the best ever since movie was invented. when looking at those funny Chinese martial arts/kung fu movies released by shaw brothers or the golden harvest, every movie just looked so childish, pretentious, and phony. the settings all looked indoor with primitive lighting technique, the dialog were all so poorly scripted, the costumes and the make-up, nothing but laughable. only a few of those actors could barely called actors, most of them just looked like clowns.

I know the best martial arts movie ever made is "Magnificent Weapons of China" but this movie has the best title. I doubt "Nan quan bei tui zhan yan wang" actually translates into "The Hot, The Cool, and the Vicious", its something more like security - king - something - something. What a fabulous title. The story starts out with excellent pacing and intrigue and the fights are great simply because of the kicks. At the end the story falls apart because there is too much to resolve and circumstances have to be contrived for a final fight and resolution. Who cares, just great fights, above average stuff. Dorian and Don team up again and add Chang Yi and a bit of comedy in "Challenge of Death".

If we're being honest, the dialogue is merely serviceable at best, and at no few points altogether hackneyed. In fairness this might reflect less on Hsin-Yi Chang's screenplay than it does on the language of the available dubbed version, and the dubbing itself isn't all that great. More certain is that while Yan-Chien Chuang's cinematography is dynamic and broadly admirable, there are some stylistic choices here that are needlessly over the top. In a similar vein, I don't agree that all the decisions of direction or editing were the best ones. The good news, however, is that setting these matters aside, this 1977 martial arts flick is suitably well made and duly entertaining. The story is nothing remarkable but is nonetheless enjoyable, an ably compelling tale of corrupt individuals ruling over a town and complicated characters with closely-held secrets; it could just as easily be reimagined as a western. The scene writing is terrific in the wide strokes - and anyway, as much as it advances the plot, it primarily serves as a vehicle for the action sequences that dominate these ninety minutes. That's why we're really here, after all, and if it's high-flying stunts and fancy fight choreography that you want, then 'The hot, the cool, and the vicious' absolutely delivers. Embellished with the anticipated sound effects and destruction of set pieces, all the glorious kung fu one could ask for is served well by the cinematography and editing that lets most every strike and blow be concretely visualized (in contrast with the all too common modern method of substituting swift shots and hard cuts for coordinated melee combat). Genuinely, if one is looking for a martial arts flick, there's no going wrong here.

Though the writing ranges from sufficient to modest, all the action more than makes up for any perceived deficiencies, and in every other regard this is splendidly well done. The sets look fantastic, not to mention costume design, hair, and makeup. The acting kind of just mostly fills the gaps between fight scenes, but the cast are capable enough to sell it. The filming locations are simply gorgeous, and Tso Nam Lee's direction is solid as it ties all the disparate pieces together. The end result is pretty much just what one would expect from most titles coming out of Hong Kong: not necessarily super special as to stand out in a crowd, but benefiting from strong, invigorating martial arts that outweigh weaknesses in what is generally appreciable craftsmanship. I don't think this is anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but if you're looking for just such a title, then it's definitely worth taking a look. 'The hot, the cool, and the vicious' may not be a singular exemplar, but it certainly illustrates the high level of quality we assume from like fare, and I'm happy to give it my hearty recommendation.

Listen, if you are looking for "Enter the Dragon" or "Lone Wolf" , or any film that you would find in the Criterion Collection, this is definitely not the celluloid artistic experience you are seeking. However, if you are looking for a great B Kung Fu movie which has all the right elements that make it subversively cool, then this is a movie that fits those proportions. No wire fu and some great kata choreography. There are three main players, the Cool, the Hot and the Vicious, the latter being a pasty hunchback that smokes a lot of opium. Well, anyway....it is predictable, all are enemies, but two team up to take out our hunchbacked master of Kung Fu. What is great, is that Super kicks is in this film and he is awesome, not only that, but no wires. I hate wire fu and I am a purist, I would rather watch a martial artist that can't act that are great at fight choreography, than good actors who can't fight utilizing the wire harness and cgi to make them look better than their predecessors in the industry. Take it for what it is, mindless fun entertainment, and you won't be let down.

THE HOT, THE COOL AND THE VICIOUS (1976) is a plot-packed kung fu movie, made in Taiwan, that pits some relatively unsung kung fu stars against a pair of formidable villains. It's got solid fight sequences, a fast-paced narrative and lots of attractive performers, including a trio of impressive leading ladies.

The main plot thread is actually less interesting than the subplots. Pai Yu Ching (Wong Tao/billed as Don Wang) plays a wandering `South Fist' fighter with a reputation as a killer who enters a town where the righteous Northern Leg fighter Captain Lu (Tan Tao Liang) runs the police force under the auspices of iron-fisted town boss Yuen (George Wang). We learn early on that Pai is actually an undercover agent seeking to root out a counterfeit ring run by Yuen. When Yuen's wastrel son causes the death of Lu's fiancee's mother, Captain Lu incurs Yuen's wrath by demanding he turn over his son. Meanwhile, a Miss Lee (Sun Chia Lin) dresses in a ninja outfit at night to try to kill Captain Lu to avenge the death of her brother, the former Captain, who was killed, through no fault of Lu's, while trying to arrest Lu for killing a man in self defense. There's also a very sexy landlady (Leu Shou Jen) with her sights set on Pai Yu Ching, but with a hidden agenda. Whew!

It's essentially a police drama with elements of the western (including a ghost town with weed-strewn streets) transposed to the kung fu film. It works because all the characters and their interactions are consistently interesting and the actors are very good. (It helps that the English dubbing is well above par for this kind of film.) Pai and Lu are seemingly on opposite sides but become solid allies once the various truths are known. Yuen is the tyrannical town boss and a worthy villain who lashes out at Lu once his son is in trouble. Yuen's partner in crime is the blond-wigged albino Mr. Lung, played by the film's fight choreographer Tommy Lee (no relationship to the rock star of that name!).

There are lots of fights, most highlighting Tan Tao Liang's phenomenal high kicking. Few of the fights, however, are extended ones, until the last two bouts in which Tommy Lee opposes first Tan and then both Tan and Wong Tao.

A number of cast members are worth singling out. Tan Tao Liang (aka Delon Tam) is tall and long-limbed and executes some amazing kicking and leg power. Wong Tao is only a competent fighter but has classical movie star looks and a winning smile. (Think Tyrone Power doing kung fu rather than swashbuckling.) Tommy Lee is a flamboyant villain and a good fighter. The three lead actresses are all quite beautiful, especially Leu Shou Jen (also in SECRET RIVALS), who plays the landlady. Sun Chia Lin, as Miss Lee, gets to do some fighting.

The overall plot is not the most compelling but it does make for a thoroughly enjoyable kung fu film, maybe not one of the greatest, but certainly above average. A follow-up of sorts can be found in CHALLENGE OF DEATH (1978) with several of the same cast members and the same director (Lee Tso Nam).