THE PLOT THUS FAR
An action-packed double feature starring martial-arts sensation Angela Mao Ying (Enter The Dragon)
Three students (including Angel Mao Ying) are expelled from Korea and move back to China to start up a martial-arts school in Hapikdo, but like in Bruce Lee’s Fists Of Fury, a rival Japanese martial-arts club will do all they can to crush any competing club that opens in their area. Also starring Carter Wong (Big Trouble In Little China) and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, with cameos by Biao Yuen, Corey Yuen and Jackie Chan, Hapkido is a rip-roaring martial-arts masterpiece!
Tien (Angela Mao Ying) arrives in town seeking revenge on the man, Ling, who abandoned her pregnant, causing her to take her own life in Lady Whirlwind. Ling is on a mission to take down the leader of the gambling and opium syndicate. Tien agrees to help him but she still plans to take her revenge on Ling. Also starring Sammo Hung Kam-Bo and Yi Chang (The One-Armed Swordsman).
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Hapkido” is yet another rip-off of “Fists of Fury”. Basically, it’s another movie about how crappy the Japanese were to the Chinese. For a long stretch from “Fists of Fury” to “Fist of Legend”, Chinese cinema really wanted to show the world the crap that Japan gave them. Hell, the sentiment remains in the modern era. Angel Mao Ying is the star of the picture, as the director tries to flip the script with a lady badass. Sadly, nothing develops.
“Lady Whirlwind” is an odd movie. I really can’t quite pin down what happened, but Sammo Hung wasn’t so fat in this movie. I didn’t think a time existed where Sammo Hung wasn’t a chunky monkey. The only thing super cool about this flick was the use of the God Given Tai Chi palm. If you’ve seen the end of “Kill Bill Volume 2”, you can guess at what the palm technique does.
The DVD comes with interviews, English opening titles and original promo material as the special features. The A/V Quality is about as best as can be expected for standard definition. You get the original Mandarin tracks in Dolby 2.0 alongside the English dubs. Plus, the transfers aren’t half bad. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to Martial Arts fans.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!