The Man from Hong Kong

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.

This Australian/Hong Kong co-production stars martial arts greats Jimmy Wang Yu (One-Armed Swordsman) and Sammo Hung (Eastern Condors), has a James Bond (George Lazenby) for a villain and Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) from Mad Max as a cop, boasts stunning locations (Ayers Rock and Sydney Harbour), is directed by Ozploitation legend Brian Trenchard-Smith, and features a catchy theme song to boot ('Sky High' by Jigsaw). With all that, one might reasonably expect something rather special, but this isn't the case: a run-of-the-mill plot, unexceptional fight scenes and mediocre car chases make for a frustratingly average movie, despite all the right ingredients.

Wang Yu plays Hong Kong police inspector Fang Sing Leng, who travels to Australia to extradite a drug dealer (Sammo Hung). When the criminal is assassinated, Fang Sing Leng investigates, suspecting the involvement of Sydney crime-lord Jack Wilton (Lazenby).

What follows is a succession of silly escapades for the fish-out-of-water renegade cop, including lots of punch ups (choreographed by Sammo Hung, but not his best work) and vehicular stunts (of the sort that always end up with a car crashing and immediately bursting into flames). The silly ending sees Fang Sing Leng hang-gliding onto the roof of Wilton's penthouse, abseiling down the side of the building and smashing his way in through the window, where he takes on the machine-gun toting villain. The HK cop gets a full confession and blows the penthouse (and its owner) sky high, to the amusement of his Aussie counterparts.

Best scene: Fang Sing Leng's bloody fight against numerous martial artists (after which our hero gets his wounds patched up by a country vet and thanks the helpful fellow by screwing his tasty daughter).

5.5/10, generously rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

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.

Very enjoyable film for those who love action and martial arts. Others might find the extended fight and chase sequences too long.

Jimmy Wang Yu is a decent fighter but lacks the charisma, acting ability and screen presence of Bruce Lee (who, let's face it, few could match).

George Lazenby as a debonair but menacing villain, Hugh Keays-Byrne and Roger Ward provide excellent support. All are great to watch.

Grant Page's extended fight sequence was a highlight for me as was a car chase later in the film.

Fantastic Australian locations (fewer glimpses of Hong Kong).

Unlike most contemporary Australian movies, 'The Man From Hong Kong' at least offered some entertainment value.

Coming from a background in commercial television, director Brian Trenchard - Smith was new to feature films. However, his years in the mass media had given him a keen sense of what the 'average punter' was looking for in the way of screen fun.

Perhaps some of the fight scenes go on a bit too long for anyone other than the keenest fans of the genre. But the pace never lets up. And what it lacks in sophistication it more than compensates for with sheer energy and a refreshingly uninhibited charm.

The use of the hang glider scenes to top and tail the movie was inspired and the final car chase was, unquestionably, one of the toughest and best-staged of the period.

The theme song 'Skyhigh' was, quite simply, a classic of '70s pop which sounds as good today as it did three decades ago. Now hauntingly evocative of the era, this beautifully produced and performed hit was almost sublime in terms of its striking originality. It certainly beats the hell out of the mindless, head- banging rubbish that masquerades as pop music these days.

Special credit must also go to cinematographer Russell Boyd whose highly creative twisting, turning and hoisting of his camera(s) throughout the shoot truly 'made' the whole production. Fellow Australian cinematographer Robert Krasker of 'Third Man ' fame would have tipped his sun visor to Mr Boyd.

Sydney Harbour has always provided a stunning backdrop for location filming.

As a movie mad teenager at the time, I can vividly remember the media hype that surrounded this picture. After years of being comatose, it was exciting to watch our feature film industry not only coming back to life but actually enjoying some commercial success.

In the final analysis, Brian Trenchard - Smith deserves a whacking great pat on the back of his purple corduroy suit (you know the one with the wide lapels and the flared pants ). Armed with only a modest budget, some personable actors and loads of raw enthusiasm, he crafted one hell of a fine little action flick.

In fact, in the small but endlessly fascinating world of retro cult movies which it now occupies, 'The Man From Hong Kong ' has become a legend in its own time tunnel. And deservedly so.