While it will go unnoticed to many new Hong Kong film fans (post 2000), this little gem is a prime example of what got me addicted to the crazy kind of cinema that was coming from the Far East in the early 90's. Part of the new-wave collection, All Men Are Brothers: Blood Of The Leopard takes its story from the famed Water Margin legends, rich in characterisation, betrayal, revenge, and of course, kung fu masters!
Slipping in comfortably alongside other wu xia classics such as 13 Cold Blooded Eagles, Moon Warriors, Kung Fu Cult Master, and The Swordsman Trilogy, veteran actor and director Billy Chan Wui Ngai delivers a fantastic wire-fu extravaganza filled with great kung fu battles and stunt work, along with a great cast including Tony Leung Kar Fai, Wu Ma, Elvis Tsui Kam Kong and Joey Wong to name but a few. Big Elvis is a scene stealer for me in this, playing the wine loving kung fu monk who is loud and wreckless, although with a heart of gold. I've never been able to take Tony Leung seriously as a kung fu star, but he actually quite impresses in this with some decent moves, as well as his performance as the main hero, and a young (Sean) Lau Ching Wan joins the team in the second half of the movie...
Often funny (I love the scene where Elvis Tsui bursts through a brick wall into Joey Wong's bedroom) and wonderfully shot, the film moves along at a nice pace with plenty of kung fu and wu xia action that keeps you entertained. Of course, its all about stopping the bad guy at the end of the day, and these guys have a challenge to overcome in the shape of legendary villain Lau Shun (Dragon Gate Inn) and the great David Lam Wai (Project A 2) who double-crosses Leung for his own benefit, and proves to be a major challenge for the heroes.
The sets are quite impressive and really show off a great production that would look great in a 4K restoration, along with its stunning cinematography by Joe Chan. Complimented by a cast of thousands with many 'real' extras about in most scenes. This is another thing I love about Hong Kong cinema - the use of living extras, as opposed to the digital people Hollywood films would put in. It just looks much better and more realistic as they busy about in their daily lives!
All Men Are Brothers: Blood Of The Leopard is a lot of fun. The last half hour turns a tad darker as betrayal and murder take over, resulting in (of course) an action-packed, kung fu filled finale that doesn't disappoint...
Overall: I'd love to see a restored HD version of this forgotten classic. Fun, full of great action, and never boring, All Men Are Brothers: Blood Of The Leopard is well worth the watch!
