Xi du zhe

I think this is the first film from the Shaw Brothers that I had seen in a contemporary setting and as such it took me a little time to settle into it. The film opens with Kuan in the throws of drug addiction and it is only the pity of dealer Chien which puts him on the road to recovery. Some time later Kuan is clean and teaching martial arts when Chien returns to his life, bringing danger and action with him. Well, sort of – because in truth there is nowhere near enough action in this film to really carry it.

For the most part the film has lots of dialogue and scenes of drug addiction but not too much in the way of fighting. The odd scene breaks out but generally it is a rather dull affair as the words don't add much but instead only serve to push the action out. The character drama is a little soapy and overwrought for the most part, so it doesn't feel like we get a serious drama in return. The action does get good at the end and the traditional boss fight is enjoyable but sadly a bit short. The performances are OK but the material kept me out a bit. Ti Lung and Wang Chung are both pretty good but I would have liked more from the boss. Lee as a whore with a heart of gold is good-looking but really doesn't have too much of a character.

The film ends on a strong note but generally it takes up time with drama that isn't particularly well done. The fight sequences are mostly sporadic and the dialogue and drama that forces it out really doesn't work as well as it should.

Kung Fu star David Chiang takes up the reigns as director for this odd but very effective story of heroin addiction. Ti Lung, who turns in a fine performance as the kung fu instructor who has lost himself to addiction, finds himself an unlikely ally in his own drug supplier, (the awesome Wang Chung.) Chung forces him to break his drug habit, and an intense friendship develops between the two outcasts. Wang Chung and Ti Lung are both legends, and it is a treat to see them fighting side by side, against a sinister drug boss, who has made his living by taking in orphaned children, and raising them to be his henchmen, and to deal drugs and to kill for their master. "The Drug Addicts" is an absolute classic of the genre and is worth the effort it will take to find it. That same year Ti Lung directed "The Young Rebel" which starred David Chiang, which is also excellent.