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Cast:
Lo
Meng
Yung
Wang Yu
Yeung
Pan Pan
Wang
Lung Wei
Chien
Yuet San
Lam
Fai Wong
Chiang
Kam
Action:
Chien
Yuet San
Hsu
Hsia
Producer:
Mona
Fong
Run
Run Shaw
Director:
Chien
Yuet San
Hsu
Hsia
Score:
  
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LION
VS. LION
AKA:
Lion Versus Lion ||
Roar Of The Lion
Year:
1981 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
Shaw
Brothers' attempts to tap in to the lucrative kung-fu comedy
that had just about been perfected by Golden Harvest produced
mixed results. Classics like 'Return
To The 36th Chamber' and 'Treasure
Hunters' were unfortunately not as common as the failures,
some of which were a test for local audiences and Westerners
alike. 'Lion vs. Lion' is a complex creation as it manages to
delight and frustrate in equal measure.
When
his honesty sees him lose employment with the Imperial guard,
upright Yue (Meng) decides to leave town and make a fresh
start. On his travels, Yue befriends Lady Red and, after a
brief skirmish, finds himself in possession of a highly valued
box that she was transporting. Electing to complete her
mission for her when she disappears, Yue wanders into town
looking for Bill Zhu (Wang Lung-Wei) to give him the coveted
object. Unfortunately, Yue's first encounter is with amiable
con-man Cun (Yung Wang Yu) who, noticing Yue's cargo, decides
to pass himself off as Bill Zhu. The trick almost succeeds,
though when Yue does discover the truth he forms an unlikely
friendship with the hapless con-artist. Putting this incident
behind them, Yue and Cun decides to start a school together
and, to drum up business, Yue challenges a number of other
masters. As the victories mount up and their school increases
in popularity, the pair are now ironically pitted against Bill
Zhu himself. As the rivalry develops though, the heroic duo
are plunged into a plot that is far bigger than either of them
had imagined.
My
initial misgivings about the film being solely about 'Lion
Dances' proved to be unfounded as there is only one such
sequence and it is particularly good. While 'Lion Dances' have
never ignited much interest within me, 'Lion vs. Lion's moment
is well-choreographed and, while it still doesn't match the
astounding scene in 'Dreadnaught',
it is still very impressive. The problem the film has is not
its individual scenes, but its meandering plot and, at times,
uninteresting comedy. From two directors who are better known
for their choreography, the storyline is cobbled together with
little interest in generating consistency or excitement. The
two strands of the film seem to amble along oblivious to each
other: one narrative concentrates on the misadventures of Yue
and Cun; the other is focused on the quest to get the 'Hero
List'. It is therefore quite challenging to remain absorbed in
the episodic nature of the film and, when the two plots do
finally converge, there is a distinct feeling of what might
have been.
Despite
its unsteadiness in some areas, 'Lion vs. Lion' has an ace up
its sleeve: the fight action. While its reputation is modest
to say the least, the choreography - handled by its two
directors - puts it in the top bracket. Chien Yuet San has
long been associated with his work on independent features
while Hsu Hsia's name is normally mentioned in reference to
his work with Donnie Yen and his appearance as the 'King Of
Sticks' in 'Drunken
Master'. However, both men push the constraints of the
Shaw Brothers' banner to its limits with some luscious,
complex fight choreography. Lo Meng in particular has rarely
looked as good as he does here; taking centre stage, Meng is
not only the consummate actor, but his physical confidence
here is exceptional. His penultimate battle with two attackers
is criminally underrated confrontation that deserves to be
uttered in the same breath as some of Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan
and Liu Chia Liang's output at the time.
'Lion
vs. Lion' is so frustrating because when it's good, it's
superb. Sadly the focus tends to be on the comedic aspects of
the film which range from the amusing to the banal. When it's
done well, the comedy in a classy kung-fu production can lift
it to the next level. Directors Chien Yuet San and Hsu Hsia
show their inexperience in controlling the film's non-action
moments with a storyline that only begins to pick up speed in
the closing twenty minutes. This closing section turns the fun
and frivolity of the previous eighty minutes on its head and
presents the viewer with a particularly dystopian ending. Had
a more commanding director been in charge here, it could well
have been a real classic.
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