Du hang da biao ke

This movie was a bit hard to rate due to any factors but it all comes down to how much I was entertained. The biggest problem I have with many Jimmy Wang Yu is how obvious it is that he is in fact not a good martial artist, he can sell it reasonably well most of the time but the filming and editing style really differs on his movies versus single wide shot that were popular at the time. Jimmy's acting here is pretty good as was most of the cast. The story was quite a bit better than most of the "police goes undercover" films. The fighting is pretty clumsy and slow at times but the length and brutality shown more than make up for any short comings. The end fight is the biggest highlight of the film and it's what really raised the rating for me, it showed me somethings I've never really seen in this type of film, this is the first time I'm seen a sword fight in the mud and I really enjoyed it. Also both fighters became exhausted which as most fan would know doesn't happen in most martial arts movie as fighter will fight hundreds of opponents for an hours without even breathing hard, so to me at least this was refreshing. Overall this movie really entertained me with it's complex but easy to follow story, decent acting and great finale.

This movie opens with the familiar scene of highwaymen attacking an Imperial convoy, stealing away with all the gold and treasury in their possession. Lei Pao - wielder of the bamboo sword - is ordered by the government to retrieve their property, and put an end to this notorious gangs banditry. The urbane gentleman disguises himself as a scruffy vagabond and travels to their purported base of operations, where he intends to win the confidence of the bandit-leader Lei Fu and infiltrate the gang. Meanwhile, a warrioress dressed in all white named Tsui Fong also arrives at this destination... with a mission of her own.

Other than that, there isn't much to say about this movie. It's a rather textbook example of a Kung Fu flick, with many of the genre-tropes that come with it. However, overall its rather skillfully executed. The crew and actors managed to make an familiar yet engaging Martial Arts film.

There is an emphasis on armed combat, as opposed to the unarmed kind. The villain, a rather crude fellow, is also hilariously enough nicknamed "Blackie" by his mother. Some of the plot points are a bit stale but its nothing overly detrimental to the film.

Overall, I give this a 6/10. Though a rather weak one at that.

The government escort is attacked by the bandits. Jimmy is given the assignment to find them and return the gold. The job comes complete with a uniform and badge. How can he refuse and still be a man! He takes the job but leaves the fancy clothes. At a small tea house he is challenged by Shan Mao and his gang. They are not his match. He proceeds to Stone Tiger Town. Shan Mao reports to their leader, Tien Yeh. Jimmy arrives in town and gets into a fight at the pawn shop. Chang Ching-Ching also arrives in town and the welcoming committee meets her. Jimmy joins the fight. The two buddy up. She is here to rescue her sister and get revenge.

The straight forward plot works against itself. Jimmy arrives to fight the gang ten minutes into the movie but reasons to delay that fight keep happening until it is movie time for the final fight.

My copy is a computer file that plays as full screen on a HDTV. The video is wavy at times and though it fills the TV screen the sides have been cropped. The English subtitles are easy to read.

The fights are as expected. Jimmy delivers the power on every attack and the focus on almost every attack. There are moments of finesse spliced into the brawls, if you look close. There is also a good mix of weapons and hand to hand fighting. The result is just enough to call a bit above average for the year and genre.

Fans of martial arts movies of the golden age from 1967 to 1984 are certainly aware of Jimmy Wang Yu and might also be inclined to watch every one of his movies just to say they did. Though he did make some stinkers, you have my personal guarantee this is not one of them. So if you are a fan, get a copy, and enjoy.