Il drago di Hong Kong

Watched this film for the first time the other night, and it's an absolute wild ride. The film starts with a fight on Ayers rock which definitely sets the tone for the rest of the film. The film is well paced with a variety action scenes with pretty good stunt work throughout. I couldn't help but laugh through the duration of the film with the extremely fun action scenes that often ended up in a large explosion. The acting is over the top, at first I thought it was because the actors were putting on the Aussie accent but most of the main actors were Australian, so I think it is just another layer to the self-aware humour of the film. The best part of the film is definitely the soundtrack. The intro song is an absolute tune, so good in fact that they played it again in the credit sequence. Overall definitely a fun film to watch and currently free on amazon prime 🙌

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.

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.

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).

It's quite a trip watching 'The Man From Hong Kong' almost thirty years after it was made. Writer/Director Brian Trenchard-Smith went on to make the Aussie trash classic 'Turkey Shoot' and the early Nicole Kidman vehicle 'The BMX Bandits' so you know it's gonna be class all the way. 1970s buffs will get a kick out of seeing the One Armed Boxer himself (Jimmy Wang Yu) battling it out with "the Aussie Bond" George Lazenby. Their scenes together are very cheesy but a lot of fun. I almost kept expecting Jim Kelly to appear on screen at any moment ('Black Samurai' anyone?) The rest of the cast includes legendary Aussie camp icon Frank Thring, martial arts veteran Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, and half the cast of the biker classic 'Stone' (Hugh Keays-Byrne, Roger Ward, Rebecca Gilling, Ros Spiers, Bill Hunter). Yeah, that's right - BIKER CLASSIC. Keays-Byrne is a great favourite of mine. He's probably best known as Toecutter in 'Mad Max' (in which Ward played Fifi Macaffee), but was also in 'Mad Dog Morgan' and 'Salute Of The Jugger', two movies that have pride of place in my DVD collection. This man deserves a web page NOW! 'The Man From Hong Kong' is stupid but hugely entertaining martial arts schlock, and highly recommended. And boy, isn't that theme song catchy! I haven't been able to get it out of my head since 1975!