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DEATH
DUEL OF KUNG FU
AKA:
Showdown of the Master Warriors
Year:
1979 Reviewer: Mike
Banner
'Secret
Rivals' stars John Liu and Wong Tao
re-unite in this kung fu thriller from the late seventies.
After
Hsiun Chin Kwai (Wong Tao) kills a high ranking Manchu
official, he flees across China to meet up with his fellow
Ming patriots in Taiwan. To Ku Yun (Han Ying) is assigned to
find Hsiun and kill him, not only for revenge but also to hurt
the morale of the Ching's soldiers, as he is considered one of
the Ching's greatest fighters. On his travels to Taiwan, Hsiun
also encounters a Japanese, lady con-artist (Fanny Wang) who
cares for him after he's injured in a fight and Sun Shan (John
Liu), a wandering kung fu fighter whose allegiance is unknown.
The
above synopsis may make the story sound interesting, but
unfortunately, it isn't. There's probably more plot detail in
an average Tom and Jerry cartoon. There are 'twists' and an
attempt at intrigue but everything is too obvious to generate
any interest. The main double cross is given away so early and
easily that no suspense can be derived from it. We're shown
the main villain, in several scenes, talking to a shadowy
figure plotting Hsiun's downfall. The fact that there are only
really 4 main characters in the film means it doesn't take a
NASA engineer to work out who the 'snake in the grass' is. As
with many low budget kung fu films the story ends up being
there to link the many fight scenes together.
The
acting isn't likely to 'wow' you either. John Liu comes away
from the film with the most credit in this department. This is
due to his cocky, laid-back, wandering kung fu master being
the most entertaining character in the film rather than Mr
Liu's dramatic skills shining through. Wong Tao brings no life
to his earnest and in the end rather dull lead character,
Fanny Wang smiles her way through the entire film (nice teeth)
and Han Ying makes for a serviceable villain.
The
only time any excitement is generated is during the action
scenes. These fight scenes are all of a very high standard.
Wong Tao fights with power and authority and John Liu is, as
usual, a one-man kicking festival. Han Ying is certainly a
match for the two stars and really shines in the final fight
of the film. Everyone performs the excellent choreography with
speed, precision and plenty of style. The many fights will
leave any old school kung fu fan happy.
Thankfully,
you're never too far away from a spot of fisticuffs, which is
a very good thing because you're not likely to gain much
enjoyment from any other part of this film. Worth a rental.
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