La sfida del tigre

Bruce Le (that's not a typo) stars in an action film, with a script by Bruce Le and Poon Fan. If you're not laughing yet, keep right on walking. There's nothing more to see here.

Still reading? Awesome: Fast cars, faster women, a stereotyped asexual martial artist starring along side a sex-addicted American super-agent named Richard Cannon. Seriously. The first time you see him, he's playing tennis against two topless women. Simultaneously.

Did I say action film? It's a softcore adult film. With kung fu. And Chong Li from "Bloodsport." The acting is non-existent, the dubbing is awful, and the plot has something to do with a formula that can make a man sterile, able to have all the sex he wants with no repercussions. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure. Neither is the movie.

THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE HERE. I saw this on accident, as it came as part of a double feature with "For Y'ur Height Only," starring 2'9" Filipino action superstar Weng Weng. For once, this was a double-feature with everything. And I think this movie was actually the better of the two.

Judge for yourself, won't you? You'll be glad you did.

When a lethal biological weapon-a formula capable of sterilizing the world's male population-falls into the wrong hands, two elite agents embark on a globe-trotting mission to retrieve it.

Bruce Le as Huang Lung and Richard Harrison as Richard Cannon lead this wildly entertaining espionage thriller, packed with martial arts, gunplay, and absurd excess. Their quest takes them across the globe, culminating in high-energy showdowns with a nefarious drug cartel and a ruthless kung fu assassin. Competently directed by Bruce Le, who also stars, the film is among his most polished efforts. The action is sharply choreographed, with Le's dynamic rooftop duels and Harrison's Bond-esque (and Italian Poliziotteschi) gunplay standing out. The soundtrack is energetic, heightening the film's pulpy, comic-book tone. The on-location shoot across Hong Kong, Macau, Spain, and the Philippines adds atmosphere and weight.

The cast is stacked with genre regulars. Spanish actress Nadiuska, best known for playing Conan's mother in Conan the Barbarian (1982), brings glamour and charisma to the role of a seductive femme fatale. Jennifer Holmes, a protégé of Hwang Jang-Lee, plays another tough female lead, holding her own in a cast dominated by testosterone-fueled action. Even Morgan Fairchild makes an uncredited appearance.

Bolo Yeung, a familiar face in Bruceploitation and a veteran of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Chinese Connection (Fist of Fury) (1972), appears as a formidable henchman. His powerful physique and brutal fighting style make him a memorable adversary for Le. Meanwhile, the film's main villain, Paul Chang Chung, known for roles in Shaw Brothers productions, appears alongside Josef Laufer, while the hulking Brad Harris plays the imposing henchman Leopard.

The film indulges in gratuitous nudity, often unnecessary but in line with the era's exploitation sensibilities. Despite its absurdity, Challenge of the Tiger is undeniably fun, with breathtaking locations, memorable fights, and an irresistible 80s action charm. It stands as one of Bruce Le's most polished and enjoyable films.

Then it must be because you have not allowed yourself to experience the amazing piece of cinema that is Gymkata Killer. I would hate myself too. I was once like you, and then I saw what can only be described as the best movie, EVER! It's so horribly, terribly, frighteningly bad that it cannot be taken seriously. Once the movie, like a horrible, disfiguring train-wreck, careens forward through the opening scene, you understand that it's actually a dadaistic masterpiece - it is truly a movie whose 'brilliance' is housed in its irrationality and negation of the accepted laws of cinema.

It's like looking through a peephole into a post-apocalyptic world in which a nuclear bomb did NOT go off.

(Cutting edge special effects... On par with the TV's Batman & Robin! -- the live action 1970s series, not the cartoons)

Cheesy 80s trash kung fu classic CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER (1980) is available on a double-bill DVD with bizarre midget/spy movie FOR YOUR HEIGHT ONLY (1979). I've as yet been unable to track down a cheap enough copy of this amazing disc (it retails for far more than I'm willing to pay), so when I saw an old VHS copy of the film at a car-boot sale for 25p—that's about 50¢ US—I just had to stump up the cash.

Starring kung fu 'legends' Bruce Le, Hwang Jang Lee and Bolo Yeung, and ninja movie regular Richard Harrison, CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER is a poorly written and badly directed mess; and this is precisely why it is such wonderful film.

After the opening scene, in which two scientists are gunned down and their secret sterilisation formula (capable of rendering men infertile) is stolen, we are introduced to the film's heroes; top chop-socky fighter Huang Lung (Bruce Le) and perfectly coiffured mustachioed playboy Richard Cannon (Richard Harrison). Lung deals with the men, delivering flurries of kick-ass kung fu moves and Cannon deals with the ladies, seducing them with a flick of his hair and a twitch of his Magnum PI-style 'tache. As top CIA agents, it is their job to retrieve the formula before it can be used to blackmail the world!

The formula eventually ends up in the hands of tasty Spanish totty Maria (played by soft-core star Nadiuska) who, despite being seduced by Cannon, delivers it to her boss Antonio, who plans to sell it to the highest bidder.

Meanwhile, a Viet Cong bad-guy (Hwang Jang Lee) and his team of lackeys (which include Bolo Yeung and Chinese HK babe Yue Fa Booi) are also trying to lay their hands on the formula. They deliver a map of Antonio's stronghold to Lung and Cannon in the hope that the agents will break in and attack, allowing the Viet Cong to sneak in and help themselves to the formula.

With tons of female nudity, some pretty good fights, lousy dubbing, an awful script and plenty of unintentionally funny scenes (check out the badly dubbed dog), this movie is a hoot from start to finish.

Richard Harrison is brilliant as stud Cannon.When we first get to meet him, he is playing tennis with gorgeous topless women—in slow motion. Then he ambles over to a pool—full of naked babes! No woman in this movie is safe from this testosterone-charged hunk's charms, and practically all of them receive a good seeing to from him. Le, on the other hand, is content to kick ass. In one jaw-droppingly silly scene he goes fist-to-horn with a bull, cracking the charging beast on the head with a crushing blow, and towards the end of the film he goes up against a whole heap of baddies, including the legendary Hwang Jang Lee, who gets to display his amazing kicking skills.

I thoroughly recommend fans of schlock martial arts movies to seek this one out— and if you can afford it, get the double-bill DVD ( I haven't seen it, but FOR YOUR HEIGHT ONLY looks just as crazy!).

I'll finish this appraisal of CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER with some of my favourite snippets of dialogue. Enjoy!

RICHARD (after just meeting Maria): Can I come home with you?

MARIA: It's very hot in here. I'm going to take a bath. RICHARD: I don't want to stay here alone. Mind if I come with you?

RICHARD (In the bath with Maria): Nice little ears.

LUNG (sat at a table with Richard and a sexy female CIA agent): That tea smells good. RICHARD (looking at woman): Hmmm, so does she. LUNG: Huh, you bandit!

RICHARD (to waitress): Coke please. WAITRESS: None left. RICHARD: What else have you got? WAITRESS: Beer.

The Late Great Dick Randall, who also produced the film, leads an all star cast in this international spy thriller. Dependable Richard Harrison is the womanizing CIA agent (Richard Cannon) who is ably assisted by agent (Huang) played by the diminutive Bruce Le as opposed to the original Bruce Lee. Huang is quite a karate fighter who is in the habit of beating up a legion of bad guys while Richart is scheming on the ladies and only fights when he must. The third member of the CIA team is pretty Sharon Shira (Anna).

They are opposed by the ruthless Viet Cong led by surly Jeong-lee Hwang (Comrade Yang) and (Comrade Asian Girl) played by May Hung with an unfortunate unattractive hair do. The third group is a little less defined with multiple nationality's in the gang although they did through in a Sieg Heil so we would know they are definitely evil. This group is led by (The Boss) Tito Garcia and his partner in crime Dick Randall. Randall's character goes by the name of (Dick) to keep it simple I guess.. They have a fem fatal working for them the exotic (Maria) played by Nadiuska who was fine in the role but was probably better suited for her day job as a Super Model.

Each of these forces were desperate to get their hand on the, you guest it, Secret Formula. Challenge of the Tiger is a solid "B" movie in any language as the plot roles right along with members of all three teams getting, how can we say, neutralized with regularity. The portrayal of violence is perfect with it not being to graphic. A big shout out to Brad Harris who played the Boss's henchman (Leopard) with a lot of menacing intensity. At 47 years old the former great Eurospy star still looked buffed at around 235 lbs or so. Unfortunately, he lost his test of strength to our hero the 115 lbs Huang because Huang knows Karate I guess.

The film would rate a couple of points higher if it stuck to the cute nude scenes, of which they are thankfully many, and dispensed with the simulated sex scenes that almost turned it into a soft core film which bogged it down a bit. The ending could have also been a bit more thought out to tie up a couple of loose ends, but all in all this one's a winner. Thank's Dick.