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Cast:
Gordon
Liu
Chia Hui
Yung
Wang Yu
Chiang
Tao
Wilson
Tong
Liu
Chia Yung
Karl
Maka
Action:
Liu
Chia Yung
Liu
Chia Liang
Director:
Liu
Chia Yung
Score:
 
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HE
HAS NOTHING BUT KUNG FU
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1977 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
Yung
Wang Yu stars as Sha Shan, a crafty con-artist who uses his
wiles to trick money out of the unsuspecting public while also
avoiding those he enrages. One particular escapade sees him
make a fool out of a local gang member who also loses a
considerable amount of money in the process. Unfortunately
this sets into motion a series of events which sees the shamed
victim sending his vicious gang out to exact revenge and the wily
young trickster with no option but to run away. During
these events, he also meets a dazed amnesiac (Liu Chia Hui) he
proves himself to be a formidable fighter shortly afterwards
and helps his new friend out in a few close escapes from the
antagonists. The mystery man - who is actually Ka Yuen, the
missing son of a wealthy Admiral - uses his exceptional
fighting prowess for good, defeating the oppressive enemies
while also dragging the hapless Sha Shan along on a mission to
rob the evil to give to the poor.
A
year before Liu Chia Hui's name would be forever linked with
his portrayal of San Te in Liu Chia Liang's masterpiece '36th
Chamber Of Shaolin', he starred in this enjoyable
independent kung fu comedy. The first thing that fans will
notice is his thick mop of black hair; it's still unusual to
see considering how many times he played a monk or priest. The
film also features an intriguing, pre-'Dirty
Ho' teaming of Liu Chia Hui and Yung Wang Yu and utilises
the same interplay that the two actors enjoyed, albeit
slightly rougher around the edges. The main strength of 'He
Has Nothing But Kung Fu' is this partnership and its central
placing in the narrative, though this does mean that other
plot elements are less interesting as a result. Thankfully,
director Liu Chia Yung keeps the film's pace moving along
fairly briskly and, although there are the usual comic
sequences, he doesn't let things get too bogged down in the
way a lesser director would have done.
The
major disappointment, though, is some surprisingly lacklustre
fight action. Considering that the choreography was
orchestrated by the Liu brothers, the actual confrontations
prove a little too mundane by their illustrious standards. 'He
Has Nothing But Kung Fu' doesn't feature any stand-out moments
that are likely to be remembered beyond an initial viewing; it
is, quite simply, a watchable diversion that doesn't rank as
one of the great independent kung fu films (as Ric Meyers
claims on the cover) - in my opinion. Liu Chia Yung's 'Odd
Couple' and 'Fists And Guts' are far stronger examples of
a successful fusion between action and comedy. Nonetheless,
this provides solid viewing for fans while the veterans will
no doubt enjoy spotting the endless array of familiar faces in
the background (including Chien Yuet San, Lam Ching Ying and
Karl Maka).
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