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Cast:
Yuen
Biao
Sammo
Hung
Leung
Kar Yan
Liu
Chia Yung
Mars
Karl
Maka
Action:
Sammo
Hung
Lam
Ching Ying
Billy
Chan
Producer:
Raymond
Chow
Director:
Sammo
Hung
Score:
 
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KNOCKABOUT
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1979 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
Tai
Po and Siu Bo (Leung Kar Yan and Yuen Biao) are two tricky
wanderers who, in a constant search for a quick buck, spend
their time looking for victims for their simple cons. One day
their scheme backfires when they are outwitted by a seemingly
innocuous customer at a local restaurant and then receive a
sound thrashing when they later try to apprehend him. The man
is soon revealed to be Silver Fox (Liu Chia Yung) and the two
manage to persuade him to be their master. Silver Fox teaches
them various skills, but unknown to the hapless two, their new
instructor is a wanted bandit who is really training them to
be his cohorts. On discovering this, Tai Po is killed and Siu
Bo barely escapes with his life. Now having to fend for
himself, Siu Bo happens upon a portly beggar (Sammo) who had
earlier given him a beating. After a while, the beggar teaches
Siu Bo his own advanced skills - a chance to see some extreme
training from the duo. Having thoroughly improved and with a
new teacher, Siu Bo is now ready to exact revenge on Silver
Fox.
After
a number of years as a stuntman and bit-part player, Yuen Biao
was finally given a lead role in 'Knockabout' and the rest is
history. Biao forged his own unique screen charisma, mixing a
lovable innocence with extraordinary physicality. 'Knockabout'
is a superb showcase for him and also provides such luminaries
as Leung Kar Yan and Liu Chia Yung with meaty roles. The
action is simply electric, most notably the two-against-one
finale that pits Sammo and Yuen against Liu Chia Yung. Mixed
in with this is some madcap comedy that helps this film live
up to it's title. With a DVD release on the way, this is a
highly recommended film for Hong Kong film fanatics and is
certainly worth snapping up.
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