Tong Huo-wan seeks redress from the man responsible for his master's death, but becomes entangled in a feud between a local clan and gangsters.Tong Huo-wan seeks redress from the man responsible for his master's death, but becomes entangled in a feud between a local clan and gangsters.Tong Huo-wan seeks redress from the man responsible for his master's death, but becomes entangled in a feud between a local clan and gangsters.
- Director
- Writer
- Stars
Eun-joo Im
- Chung Cau-ping
- (as Yin-Ju Lin)
Szu-Cheng Mu
- Ngai Cong-long
- (as Chiang Kao)
Hsu Hsia
- Chong Saam-taai
- (as Hsia Hsu)
Yeong-il Kim
- Laam-ceng
- (as Eagle Han)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
That's the answer you are looking for to...should I watch this.
I have watched a lot of JC movies some good, some great, some horrible.
This is a good one for sure. I was lucky enough to enjoy a remastered version which really enhanced the viewing experience (some of the original prints available for this era of JC movies are hard to watch).
The story is ok and the acting quite good. To note, this is action/drama JC NOT funny silly JC, so your preference will impact how you take this film. I prefer the more serious of JC (The Protector, Police Story/s etc).
Grab some popcorn, get you ears ready for the sound effects of 50,000 punches and have fun :)
I have watched a lot of JC movies some good, some great, some horrible.
This is a good one for sure. I was lucky enough to enjoy a remastered version which really enhanced the viewing experience (some of the original prints available for this era of JC movies are hard to watch).
The story is ok and the acting quite good. To note, this is action/drama JC NOT funny silly JC, so your preference will impact how you take this film. I prefer the more serious of JC (The Protector, Police Story/s etc).
Grab some popcorn, get you ears ready for the sound effects of 50,000 punches and have fun :)
This is actually a well made film. because of that, I doubt very highly that it was directed by Lo Wei. My vote is that Chan, once allowed to choreograph the fight scenes, just went ahead and directed the film, much as what happened with Bruce Lee and The Chinese Connection, another film claimed by Lo Wei that he didn't actually direct. In fact that's pretty typical for Lo Wei - probably half the films he made were directed by the actors while he was off gambling, drinking, or sleeping it off.
At any rate: Although the film is heavy handed and a little slow, the story is not without interest (this is one of the few 'fu films where we see a potential villain repent and become a good guy), and the performances are all above standard for this genre in the mid-'70s. I believe this film, I believe its characters. Certaily not a masterwork, but a worthwhile dramatic 'fu film.
Oh, and the fight scenes are all pretty good.
At any rate: Although the film is heavy handed and a little slow, the story is not without interest (this is one of the few 'fu films where we see a potential villain repent and become a good guy), and the performances are all above standard for this genre in the mid-'70s. I believe this film, I believe its characters. Certaily not a masterwork, but a worthwhile dramatic 'fu film.
Oh, and the fight scenes are all pretty good.
Standard kung-fu revenge fare, but the man who would soon become the clown prince of Hong Kong martial arts films gives a very credible performance as the hero who is pushed beyond all endurance while just trying to keep his head down. Chan has a solid supporting cast in this film, too: Yen Shi-kwan (who later portrayed the white-haired villain in Chan's first directorial effort "The Fearless Hyena") as the guilt-ridden fighter who vanquished the hero's sifu, plus reliable Lo Wei standbys Nora Miao and James Tien. Best of all, the choreography bears Chan's unmistakable stamp, resulting in a particularly satisfying climactic duel during which the hero uses a crutch to fend off his opponent's sharpened metal tonfas.
Entertaining fights, as well as decent sets and costumes, earn "Dragon Fist" six and a half stars.
Entertaining fights, as well as decent sets and costumes, earn "Dragon Fist" six and a half stars.
We all gotta be careful in what 70's Jackie movies we watch, but this one certainly isn't bad. The plot has something to do with Jackie's master being killed. There actually is a mildly shocking twist (shocking for Jackie, but don't expect Usual Suspects here). Anyway, the kung-fu is very good, definitely up to snuff. Jackie is good, and there's scenes where the old men fight. Even the dubbing isn't horrible. Very good overall, but Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin is better (even though it has an awkward title) if you're looking for something from this era. I gave it a 7.
Jackie Chan's master is dead, so he travels with their survivors. But when they come to a new town, he finds himself -- and them -- caught in the middle of a feud between a clan and gangsters.
This came out after SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW and DRUNKEN MASTER, so it looks like a reversion to a safe but standard formula. Actually it was filmed before, which makes me think they rushed the other movies out, or perhaps this was shelved until Chan's suddenly risen star made its release commercial. There may be a tendency to denigrate it because it isn't the comedic Chan, but that, I feel, would be an error. I think it can be enjoyed for what it is, another highly competent film by director Wei Lo.
This came out after SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW and DRUNKEN MASTER, so it looks like a reversion to a safe but standard formula. Actually it was filmed before, which makes me think they rushed the other movies out, or perhaps this was shelved until Chan's suddenly risen star made its release commercial. There may be a tendency to denigrate it because it isn't the comedic Chan, but that, I feel, would be an error. I think it can be enjoyed for what it is, another highly competent film by director Wei Lo.
Did you know
- TriviaAllegedly filmed in between Jackie Chan's two Seasonal Productions movies, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) and Drunken Master (1978), but not released until after the success of the latter Seasonal Production due to Lo Wei's financial constraints. This movie was filmed as a Mandarin-language movie, yet the focus on the dubbing switched to Cantonese, due to the success of the Cantonese-language Seasonal movies, and other studios (i.e. Golden Harvest) beginning to lean into Cantonese as well. This is why most releases feature Cantonese as the only Chinese dialect option, despite the fact that the harder-to-find Mandarin track syncs up with most of the actors (save for the South Korean cast members) far more accurately.
- Alternate versionsThe Japanese theatrical cut is only about 89 minutes (compared to the uncut 96 minutes of the Hong Kong cut), but features a primarily unique music track. While it uses some of the same music cues as the Hong Kong cut, most of the music is produced especially for this edition, including two vocal tracks: "Dragon Fist" and "Do or Die". Aside from this, the opening fight montage with Hsiu Hsia has been replaced with footage of Jackie Chan's penultimate fight from the finale, while the opening credits play over set to the aforementioned "Dragon Fist" theme. As of now, this version is only available on a late 2014 Japanese blu-ray (the earlier Japanese blu-ray only features the alternate opening as an extra.)
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