Wan ren zan

Actually, the title "Lightning Kung Fu" is a bit misleading. There is kung fu, but majority of fighting is swordplay.

Most kung fu movies from the 80s can be either really good or really cheesy. This one is unique since the hero isn't really a hero. The constable is so determined that he doesn't hesitate to kill. So, you get a very jaded portrayal here. However, during his mission, his outlook changes as his allies start to fall by the wayside.

The action scenes in this are really great to watch. There's one scene where an ambush in the dark leaves the constable battling enemies in pitch black! (it was a little difficult to see too). The sword fighting looks authentic and the clanging of blade against blade gets addicting after awhile. The constable's sword looks wicked cool too!! Unlike some cheesy martial arts movies, this one is more serious: you've got fighting, dialogue, then more fighting! Bad guys don't come one on one, they attack at once.

Definitely catch this one.

The recent Celestial Pictures region 3 DVD of the 1980 Shaw Bros. film THE KILLER CONSTABLE establishes that the picture deserves cult status. KILLER CONSTABLE is distinguished by a story quite different from the norm (though the set up may seem hackneyed now); sets, locations and atmosphere that are unique in the Shaw Bros. canon, and action and violence unusually cruel and explicit. Add to this, an ending that is very cynical.

Chen Kuan Tai is very effective in his portrayal of THE KILLER CONSTABLE, known for his policy of not taking prisoners. Such is his self righteous position as judge, jury and executioner, that some of his men take exception to his ruthlessness, and worse, his enemies use that predictability against him.

The story is set in motion when the Royal Treasury is robbed of 2,000,000 taels of gold. Chen's character LENG TIAN-YING is given the unenviable job of recovering the gold, and bringing the robbers to justice. In just 10 days. To save face for his superior, who stands otherwise to face the wrath of the Empress Dowager! LENG is able to build a small posse of five men, who are more devoted to him, than they are to the mission. Too late LENG discovers that loyalty has its costs, and too late he discovers exactly who his enemies are.

Once LENG and company leave the capital their journey is like a descent into hell. They enter into and travel through one wasteland after another; do battle in darkness, in rain, in swamps, in mud and everything in between. I have read comments that dismiss the film, because it is a sword fighting film. This is certainly true, but there is no end to the weapons on display and the variety of styles and subterfuge. Furthermore, the sheer savagery of the bloodletting and lifetaking is such you would imagine yourself to being viewing a horror film.

During this journey LENG and his men must battle the elements as well as an ever present enemy. LENG never seems to have any difficulty of finding the original culprits, something he does wonder at, nor is he curious why none of them have very much of the gold with them. He certainly lacks imagination but never resolve. LENG is actually very human and CHEN portrays his failings and even his humanity, as effectively as he does his unswerving dedication to the cause.

Even the music is distinctive; I didn't hear any of the recycled Ennio Morricone, Messrs. Jerry Fielding and Goldsmith - indeed the scene that introduces the character of KU FENG and his blind daughter is quite unlike anything I have heard in a SHAW BROS. film.

I came away mightily impressed by everything in this film and all the contributing elements -it's a film that does not seem to have become dated at all.

My one concern was that the NTSC DVD runs 92 minutes; the only other running time I have see for KILLER CONSTABLE is 99 minutes (however this seems to be true of almost all the region 3 SHAW BROS. DVDs).

PS: A tael is the equivalent of 1 1/3 oz; not much, but imagine moving 2,000,000 bars of gold this size!

If you are a kung fu movie fan you can invite your Hollywood movie fan friends over to watch Killer Constable. Tell them it's an action movie that actually has a plot and a dark disturbing emotional impact. Yes, you could even watch this movie with your mom!

I like to analyze plot structure and almost all kung fu movies fall into four plots. 1) Revenge or "You killed my master" 2) The Karate Kid or doofus learns martial arts 3) The fighter who has sworn never to use violence again but is finally forced into it and 4) Martial artists from everywhere come to the tournament which is far more than just that. This actually adds a plot I haven't seen before in this genre. It's the good guy crosses the line plot. If you've ever watched an episode of Highlander the TV series this was a favorite plot there. The protagonist's character progression is amazing and unlike Western plot structure. He starts out as a jerk, then there is hope for him, yet he continues to be a jerk. Then you are cheering for him at the end because sometimes the world needs a jerk to kill the real villain.

The only thing I didn't like about the movie was the fights at the beginning. They are filmed in the dark and you can't see what's happening. With Kuan Tai Chen we need to see everything because he is the real deal. Fortunately the rest of the fights were showcases of his true skill level. Make this one an 8.0 for me. A note to all old school kung fu movie fans. I highly recommend Kuan Tai Chen's latest - "The Gallants" and rate that one an 8.0 also.

Leng Tian-Ying (Kuan Tai Chen) is known as the Killer Constable because as a police officer, he goes after bad guys with ruthless zeal, generally killing them rather than simply arresting the malefactors. When a fortune is stolen from the Imperial Treasury, he is given the task of finding and executing the culprits within ten days. With his best men at his side, he sets out to fulfill this task, but it seems that there are small armies of bad guys all around, all eager to shed his blood for a change....

This is an interesting combination of genres, including the wuxia martial arts system and a touch of noir cinema, creating a very entertaining and atmospheric visual feast. I must say that I soon lost track of just how many bad guys our hero was fighting, and who was on whose side, but it really doesn't matter with this kind of film, it's the spectacle of it all that counts. The only bit that truly puzzled me was a scene where a bunch of straw is set on fire, despite the fact that there has been an ongoing downpour of rain for the previous several scenes - wouldn't the straw be too soggy to light? But never mind, this show isn't about logic, it's about beautifully staged fighting and lots and lots of (clearly fake) blood; take it in that spirit and you'll be quite entertained.

The introduction scene of our main character made me think: does this have a moral to it? Can the justice be served without any questions asked? Are all criminals evil and deserving of dying? And is our main character human or rather able of showing some emotions to that point? And the movie kind of touches upon those things. It is not too complex, but you can see things displayed and you can apply your moral code to this. There are characters and decisions that apply to your choices .. and of course there are others too.

Shaw Brothers put movies out at a rapid speed and so many of them, that you may excused for not thinking highly of them ... that is before you actually see some. Of course even they have various degrees of quality, but this right here is more than good! Yes some things have not aged well (like the blood effects generally from back then and in this special case some of the weapons used that in some shots are clearly plastic) ... still this is as entertaining as it can be and yet still gives you some food for thought too