Hand Of Death: Shao Lin men. Hong Kong 1976/Written and directed by John Woo. With Tao-liang Tan, James Tien, Paul Chang, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung 95 mins. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Also known as Countdown in Kung Fu
Hong Kong Legends launch their ‘Ultra-bit’ tag with two formative films from the career of Jackie Chan…
The Hong Kong Legends label launch to their new ‘Ultra-bit’ tag with a couple of Kung Fu crowd pleasers that have often been overlooked, particularly when it comes to getting hold of a decent, widescreen, original language version of the film.
The Fearless Hyena marks Jackie Chan’s debut as a director, and boy, does it show! Hot off the success of Drunken Master and Snake In The Eagle’s Shadow, Chan follows the already near interchangeable formula almost exactly.
This time Chan stars as the impetuous Shing Lung, a boy with serious martial talents but an indolent attitude to them and life in general. His Grandpa (played by Bruce Lee co-star James Tien, taking the Simon Yuen role) relentless tries to teach him the ways of the Shin Ye clan, as well as some respect, but to little avail.
Lung falls in with a band of con men, using his abilities to swindle money out of local clans. Not realising that his efforts have gained the attention of Yen (Yam Sai-kun, New Dragon Gate Inn, The Heroic Trio) who, unbeknownst to our hero, is systematically destroying his Grandpa’s clan (for reasons never explained).
When Lung’s stupidity actually ends up sending Yen directly to his Grandpa, who is too ill to fend off his attack, Lung swears revenge. Another member of the clan “The Eight-Legged Unicorn” (Chan Wai-lau, Raining In The Mountain, Legend Of The Mountain, effectively replacing the Simon Yuen role!) helps teach him the final Shin Ye moves that will put him on a par with Yen, the Fearless Hyena, but will it be enough?
For Jackie the film was a brief respite from the direction of Lo Wei, who following the success of Drunken Master and Eagle’s Shadow refused to ‘loan’ him out for any further projects. So despite the obvious freedom he might have enjoyed on the project - directing and writing the script with Kenneth Tsang (a prolific actor more famous for his performances in The Killer and A Better Tomorrow) - there is more than an air of ‘obligation’ to the proceedings. Indeed, it would be one of the last movies Chan would make for Wei before joining Raymond Chow’s Golden Harvest Studio, and almost immediately directing himself again in the far superior Young Master.
The formulaic script and pedestrian cinematography hold back some innovative choreography by Chan himself - though his efforts to copy Yuen Woo Ping’s close-up brand of martial arts often fall flat, looking too staged, which considering Chan’s upbringing in Chinese Opera School is hardly surprising. The comedy itself is particularly juvenile even for Jackie, and can be hard going, with him appearing in no end of amusing disguises.
It doesn’t help that so much of it is referential to TV and film from that period. The closing scene with Lung wheeling ‘Eight Legged Unicorn’ in a barrow, for instance, directly refers to the Lone Wolf and Cub movie and TV series, even playing the theme music. (Elsewhere you’ll spot music clues from all over the place, including the Pink Panther theme.)
This is one for the real JC fans. Enjoyable, but by no means the first stop on his lengthy back catalogue for the uninitiated. However, it’s has never looked better, and that’s bound to attract a whole new audience who might only have seen grotty full screen, English dubbed versions of the film up until now.
Made three years before, Hand Of Death is another formative film in the career of Jackie Chan (along with his most famous fellow graduates from the Seven Little Fortunes, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah and Sammo Hung). But despite how it’s often been billed in the past, Chan actually takes a supporting, though notable, role to Tan Tao-Liang’s lead.
Tan (Shaolin Invincibles, Shaolin Deadly Kicks). plays Yun Fei, the Shaolin’s most talented student, sent on a mission by his master to revenge the former pupil who betrayed them to the Qing Dynasty, Shih Shao-Feng (played by James Tien, who makes an unlikely villain) and help restore their honour. If that wasn’t enough, he must also help rebel Zheng Yi (director John Woo himself!) make it through Shih’s territory and help his map of Qing military bases make it into rebel hands.
Not only is Shih himself a formidable opponent, but he’s specially trained his own bodyguards, the Eight Tigers, to protect himself, not to mention Qing forces at his command led by the fearsome, though comically bucktoothed Lord Du (played by Sammo Hung, Master Butcher, The Prodigal Son, who also choreographed the action. Unsurprisingly Yun’s is lucky to survive his first encounter with Shih and his minions, saved only by the seemingly harmless woodcutter Tan Feng (Jackie Chan), who has his own reasons for wanting revenge on Shih.
It obvious Yun is going to need help to get Shih, and Tan and a disillusioned swordsman (Paul Chang) could give him the edge he needs - but will it be enough?
An early film for director John Woo, his time spent as an apprentice to Zhang Che’s ‘yanggang’ on films like The Water Margin and The Blood Brothers shows (there’s no end of ‘extreme close-ups’).
Working from his own script, there are familiar themes that would dominate his later ‘heroic bloodshed’ work. The heroes caught in enemy territory, trying desperately and even sacrificing themselves to get their charge to safety or complete their mission, though it has many references - including Seven Samurai, Escorts Over Tiger Hills and even The Dirty Dozen - it would be something he would return to often in films like Heroes Shed No Tears and Bullet In The Head.
Though well made this is, once again, a formulaic revenge plot, and here Woo lacks the backing Che had with the Shaw Brother’s studio. The result is nowhere near as glamorous - even if it does make better use of outside locations (in this case mainly Korea!). That, I fear, is more out of necessity than deliberate.
In Tan Tao-Liang Woo also lacks a star with the charisma to pull-off being the lead. Che of course had the immensely talented Ti Lung (who Woo would work with on A Better Tomorrow) and David Chiang. Both Paul Chang and Chan make much more of a lasting impression - particularly Chan’s less comedic performance.
Hung’s work on the fight sequences is impressive, mixing hand-to-hand and a variety weapons effectively. No doubt benefiting from having so many of his fellow Chinese Opera School pupils to work with.
This is a fine kung fu movie, and it’s never looked better, but fans looking for earlier Woo movies to enjoy might prefer to wait for Hong Kong Legends immanent release of the classic Last Hurrah For Chivalry.
DVD details
Distributor: Hong Kong Legends (UK)
As previously mentioned, these releases are from the new Hong Kong Legends Ultra-bit label. The films have been taken from newly restored prints and undoubtedly have never looked better. The picture quality is superb and much work has been made getting the original Chinese soundtracks to sound as good as possible.
It's all very impressive, and if they lack much in the way of extras then that's got to be forgiven for all the work they've done (and preferable to some of the desperate features that have appeared on HKL discs!)
My only criticism would be that they might want to consider dropping the RRP (currently £16.99) a bit further, as these releases are for core kung fu fans and aren't going to appeal to a wider market.
